An accidental Richards!

[zoogirl]

I got this rather cool knife from Jeff at the Red Barn/Vancouver Flea Market.
It’s sort of mint green and I think it’s either celluloid or very early plastic. The blade slides out straight, like a stiletto but without any spring. There are four stops, allowing you to extend the blade in about half inch increments.
On the scales are Art Deco style decorations which incorporate the words “Made In Sheffield England”. In the side of the scale it says “Fred Henderson Vancouver BC”. I have no idea who he was.
The blade is fine except for a few surface scratches. I didn’t really look at the tang stamp, having read the logo on the scales.
After I got outside, I had a look in the daylight and much to my delight, found that it’s a “Richards Streamline”

I swear, I must just smell them!

I got a little tiny Richards Mountie today too. Life is good.

[samb1955]

Cool beans!

[Gunsil]

Cool find! A stiletto is not a knife which has the blade sprung out the front. Originally a stiletto was a fixed blade dagger from 17th century Europe, maybe earlier. Nowadays it refers to a blade style, not whether it it comes out the front or the side.

[zoogirl]

AAPK, educating me one at a time! Thanks!
Anyway, old school switchblade style!

[doglegg]

Ann, I enjoy your enjoyment. Very cool knife and your brand as well. Good for you.

[bighomer]

Very knice Ann congrats.

[jerryd6818]

Fred Henderson is a Canadian actor and voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

[WillyCamaro]

Very neat find Ann!

[zoogirl]

Fred Henderson is a Canadian actor and voice actor who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

I’ll go check him out, but I think the knife is pretty old. It surely isn’t modern plastic.

[raincrowe]

Very cool knife!!

[zoogirl]

Ok, the acting Henderson seems to have only started doing movies and voice overs in the late 80’s. I’d swear the knife is to old to be his!
I’m still trying to find some record of it in among all the Richards out there. Good luck with that!

[OLDE CUTLER]

I accidentally found this Richards pipe smokers knife in a $2 an item box at a gunshow over the weekend. It is all metal shell handled, 3 3/8" OAL, and does not look to have been used much. All the other items in that $2 box were Chinese made, so I guess it was accidental.

[orvet]

I accidentally found this Richards pipe smokers knife in a $2 an item box at a gunshow over the weekend. It is all metal shell handled, 3 3/8" OAL, and does not look to have been used much. All the other items in that $2 box were Chinese made, so I guess it was accidental.

In the retail tobacco business in the 1980s those who are referred to generally as Sheffield Knives. They generally sold for under $5 for most of the 1980s as I recall, depending on the jobber or distributor and on quantity discounts.
They are/were good dependable pipe knives. The design of the blade is optimal; there is a blunt end so that it does not dig into the cake or wood at the bottom of the bowl. Also, blade is sharp enough to be an effective scraper but not so sharp that it will cut into the bowl itself. An efficient and effective design, well manufactured at a good price point.

[OLDE CUTLER]

I found this in a box of stuff I had forgotten about. It is an all metal Richards Sheffield mini single blade pen with the "Lamp Post" tang stamp. Works perfect as a pocket watch fob knife. Looks like it has never been used. 1 and 7/8" oal closed.

[doglegg]

Wonderful find OC. I need to find some boxes like that.

[Dan In MI]

A beautiful little knife, and a strong contender for the coolest tang stamp ever used!