Old Unusual Novelty Knives And Secret Knives

[Miller Bro's]

Over the years I have come across some unusual "Novelty" knives.

Meaning they were of a novel design as compared to a standard pocket knife. Here is one such knife. It was made by Lion cutlery Co. I can find no information on this company. This is the only knife with this mark I have seen.

Here is the novelty part. The knife is spring loaded, so what right, you`ve seen switchblades before! Well this one works in reverse. Instead of the blade springing open the spring retracts the blade only. How it works is the little round knob on the side is drawn up, as you are doing this the internal spring is compressing and the knife blade is rising, then you slide the knob to the right to lock the knife in the open position. When you are done using the knife slide the knob to the left and it springs shut! The knife is drawn back down into the round handle.

We have all seen the round gravity knives made by eagle, these have no spring, this one looks similar but is spring loaded.


Another favorite of mine is Secret knives. These are knives that look like something other than a knife or are a knife with a hidden blade! I have a couple of these and will discuss them a little later.

Anyone have any of these? If you do post them here

M.B.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I have seen several Lion knives on Ebay over the years. None were like yours, MB.

The reason they caught my eye is because I own this old trade card from The Lion Coffee Company. I have seen other such Lion trade Cards with knife offers. Again, I do not recall your little "anti-gravity" knife being one of them.

Note the expiration date of the offer is January 1, 1895.

Most or all were made in Germany. Most had iron handles, like the one on my card. All were marked, "LION", but the word "cutlery" or "Coffee" was not included, as far as I can remember.

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

Charlie,

I have the same card but with a different picture on the front. This one is an Easter greeting card.

I do not believe Lion Coffee, who offered a free knife for saving their wrappers, offered the novelty knife shown above. My best guess is the knife they offered free was made here or imported from a large cutlery co. Lion Coffee had to buy them dirt cheap to offer them free. The tang on the give away knife was most likely left blank or had the knife company`s name on it, not Lion Coffee.

The novelty knife shown above is clearly marked "Lion Cutlery Co.", on both the tang and the barrel. I would think if it were to be given out by lion Coffee they would have marked them with their exact same name, such as the knives stamped L.L.Bean ,etc. who had knives made for them.

Thanks for showing your trade card, by the way mine is dated the same as yours!

M.B.

[knife7knut]

Lovely little knife! AND very unusual.

This is my favorite subject;a lot of my collection is just that;unusual knives.Here are a few:
First is a B&B sliding knife advertising the company.What is unusual is the blade is spring-loaded to pop up at about a 30 degree angle when it is slid open.Then you finish opening it as a regular knife.
Second is another B&B creation in the form of a so-called,"funny folder" except that it is the end of a letter opener.I have only seen one other like it.
Third is a concealed knife inside an aluminum billy club but small.
Fourth is a small folder inside the end of a mechanical pencil(also made by B&B).I have several of these including one that slides out ala Eagle Pencil.
Fifth is one of the more unique pieces:a tiny pair of scissors with a knife blade inside each handle.It has ivory scales on the outside only and each side is made up of a single piece of metal(bolsters,liners,and scissor blades)with a separate back spring.Made by Joseph Rodgers and Sons circa 1880.
Last for this post is a small manicure set with four utensils that fold out individually after the case is opened.No makers name.Stay tuned;I have more..............

[knife7knut]

A few more pictures:

First is a pipe smoker's knife with a long skinny blade for cleaning the bowl,a pointed blade for cleaning the stem(and piercing cigars)and the unique item:the disc on the end is a tobacco tamper that slides out and folds 90 degrees.Ivory scales
Second is an unmarked Rase knife.The fixed blade has a point next to it for making circles(the rounded parts of letters)and the folding blade is for straight lines.
The next knife I show several ictures of because that is the only way to explain the action.The handles are held together by friction and the arrow shaped piece which has to be pulled away from the knife in order to facilitate rotation.It locks open as well.The name on it is Rota-Knife.
Last is another manicure tool with four utensils but instead of opening up the blades slide out.There are 2 on top and 2 on the bottom.Handle is French ivory.
I'll see if I can find some more pics and post them tomorrow.

[Miller Bro's]

Second is another B&B creation in the form of a so-called,"funny folder" except that it is the end of a letter opener.I have only seen one other like it.

K7K,

Here is another one of these, now you have seen two!

I like that Rota-Knife! Very unusual knife.

Outstanding collection

M.B.

[Hukk]

Link repaired!

[Paul M]

Here's one that has a novel way of opening. I've yet to get any info on it. You slide out one bolster and that releases one side from the rear bolster to access the blade.
sorta like the rota-knife or neft but not quite. Truly an oddball

[Miller Bro's]

Paul,

Are there any patent dates or numbers stamped on your knife? I recognize that design from an early patent knife, I just can`t remember which one it was It will come back to me eventually.

M.B.

[Paul M]

M.B.
There are no markings on it that I can see. LT saw it on a previous thread and thought he had seen it before and that it was an import.
All I know for now.
Paul

[Miller Bro's]

Now for a few more.

The first one was made in Italy, it is a novelty knife, has your standard folding blades. The back side has a knob that you slide either left or right. If you slide it to the right out comes a tweezers. If you slide to the left out pops a scissors! Each one is finely crafted and work well. the button has a lock in the middle when it is carried in the pocket.


The second knife down is a Secret knife. It looks like an ordinary tie clip, it is gold plated has a nice engraved design. However, on the back side which would be under the tie, is a two bladed folding knife. A very novel idea as it is always handy, you don`t even have to reach in your pocket for your knife!

M.B.

[Miller Bro's]

Some more interesting old novelty knives.

The first is an assisted open knife. To open you pull on the flat protrusion on the end, the blade flys open. How it works is interesting, the tang of the blade that would normally ride on the back spring has teeth like a sprocket on a bicycle. The lever that you pull out has matching grooves that the "sprocket" fits into, as you pull on the end bar the blade gets pulled open from the closed position! Quite clever

The second knife shown is a Secret knife. It looks like a bullet. However when you pull off the top there is a knife inside. After you pull it off you re-insert the knife blade into the shell casing, as shown in the picture. Now you have a handy little knife to use. The casing is not real, you see some similar type knives made during WWII. termed "Theater" knives, they were made from real spent bullet casings, this knife was not. It was manufactured to look like a real bullet! But it is really a disguise for the hidden knife.

[knife7knut]

Here's a few more:
First is an A.W.Flint single blade that isoperated by the slide button on the side.Another gear drive mechanism.
Second is a Bonsa that has a master blade with built in cap lifter and a folding can opener.
Third is a Fisherman's Friend with knife blade and fish scaler in the handles as well as a screwdriver,pliers,lead weight crimper,and hook sharpener.
Fourth is J.&C.N Co.(Jewelry and Cutlery Novelty)tie clip with built in knife.
Fifth is another J.&C.N. with a cap lifter master blade,a corkscrew,and a GM key blank.
Lastly is a Schmactenberg Brothers two blade(pen blade broken)that has a button on either side that pushes the blade up to about a 30 degree angle allowing it to be pulled manually all the way open.

[knife7knut]

A couple more that may be a bit off topic but unusual enough to post:

First;a MOST unusual piece:A folding sickle called the Lawn Razor that uses Double edged razor blades(about 13) clamped to a frame.A guard covers them when folded or not in use.
Second is a folding scraper/knife made by Red Devil.
Third is a fixed blade hunting knife that has a guard that folds into the handle and used when caping an animal skin.
Last is a money clip type knife with a watch built into one end.

Hope these are enjoyable.I'll have to dig around to find more;my photo files are totally mixed up and I'm slowly trying to straighten them out.

[Miller Bro's]

K7K,

You have some real unusual ones! keep em coming

Now for a couple you won`t see very often.

The first is a Secret knife, made in the Phillipines, it looks like an ordinary pen. It is really a Butterfly knife. You flip the top cap aside and the knife blade unfolds from the inside!

The second knife is a Cattaraugus novelty pencil knife. This one is from the 1930`s it`s a mechanical pencil with two folding blades on the top.

M.B.

[knife7knut]

WOW!!! Nice knives MB!I especially like that Catt with the 2 blades.Never seen one like it before;always single bladed.
Here are a few more mechanical pencil/pen knives.
First is another variation of the B& B knife/pencil.I have several of these as well as the metal bodied ones;a couple still in the original boxes.
Second is a DuroLite Duplex mechanical pencil/knife that the blade slides out ala Eagle Pencil Co. knives.There is a protective cap that goes over the end.
Third is another variation of the B&B but marked only,"Windsor Canada".Purchased from a Canadian eBay seller.
Last is a group of various types.The top one has a small mechanical pencil that slides into an opening in the housing with two small blades on the opposite side.Below that are two key chain ornaments that look like survival knives and the pen is under the end cap.Next to them is a Colonial pen and folding ball point pen.The two under them are mechanical pencils with a small pen blade made by Palmax in Germany and are souvenirs of Havana Cuba(one is in Spanish).What makes these unique is there is a small Stanhope viewer that has a bit of Victorian era "pornography" in the form of nude ladies.

[Miller Bro's]

K7K,

Yeah, that Catt is a scarce one!

I think Robeson made one like it?

Charlie Noyes, where are you!


You have a nice selection of them in your collection


M.B.

[RobesonsRme.com]

If you're referring to the Catt pencil/two blade knife, I've never seen anything like that from Robeson. Doesn't mean they didn't make it; I've just never seen it, and I certainly don't own one. It'd already been on this thread by now.

Closest thing to a secret/hidden knife I know of from Robeson is the key knives.

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

If you're referring to the Catt pencil/two blade knife, I've never seen anything like that from Robeson.

Charlie,
Yes, that is the one I am referring to. It seems to me at some time I seen a Robeson single blade folding pencil/pen knife I just can`t remember where

Closest thing to a secret/hidden knife I know of from Robeson is the key knives.

I would like to see it!

M.B.

[Miller Bro's]

I found an old catalog cut of the Cattaraugus pencil knife I pictured earlier.

It is a model P1, I don`t know how long they made these but I have seen very few.

I never knew it had extra leads and an eraser inside till I read this catalog description!



M.B.

[RobesonsRme.com]

MB said, "I would like to see it!", I think referring to my statement about Robeson key knives.

They're not secret or hidden or even unusual or novel. But, here they are. I posted these in another thread some time back.

They made them in both gold and nickel finishes, and at least two different patterns of machining on the handles.

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

They're not secret or hidden or even unusual or novel. But, here they are. I posted these in another thread some time back.

Charlie,

I think they are novel and secret. Just show one to a non knife collector, see if they know there is a key inside or even how to open it! What an excellent idea to have a key with your pocket knife, as a back up in case you get locked out of your house.

They belong in this thread on both counts, glad you posted them. I have a gold toned one somewhere, if I find it I will post it

M.B.

[RobesonsRme.com]

It's my understanding that the keys were blank Yale Post Office box keys. According to the tag, if your key was something other than the standard, I assume, Yale lock, they would make the substitution free of charge through the ID'd lock-smith in Attleboro, MA.

I think that when these were made, the use of P.O. boxes was more prevalent than it is today.

I bought both those knives together, with the tag attached to the knife just as it is today, in yellow felt pouches, inside a small cardboard mailing container. The container had never been addressed. Bruce Voyles identified the little yellow pouches as a Robeson product in his ABCA guide in 1989, although they have no identifying markings.

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

Charlie,

Now you have gone and done it!

I`ll have to find mine now and see if it is a Yale blank or another type key



M.B.

[Miller Bro's]

Well I found it!

Charlie,

It`s the same as yours, gold toned, the bail is stamped "Pat. May 13 1924".

Has the same Yale key blank, uncut. The front side has someone`s initials engraved into it. Overall it is a nice old knife


M.B.