Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
- New_Windsor_NY
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Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
I need assistance in completing the tang stamp posted below.
I hate it when it's the first few letters that are not legible or
completely missing. What I do know is this.....
Is It A Three Line Tang Stamp?
????.DIST.AG. or ????.DIST.AC.
DES MOINES
GERMANY
So, What Does The First Line Say?
Is That Actually The First Line?
***** DECEMBER 25, EDIT *****
It is a two blade, advertising pocket knife.
The main handle side says, "PAYNE MOTOR CO."
The other handle side says, "PAIGE - JEWETT"
Per Wikipedia.....
"The Jewett was an automobile built in Detroit, Michigan by the
Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company from March 1922 through December 1926."
I hate it when it's the first few letters that are not legible or
completely missing. What I do know is this.....
Is It A Three Line Tang Stamp?
????.DIST.AG. or ????.DIST.AC.
DES MOINES
GERMANY
So, What Does The First Line Say?
Is That Actually The First Line?
***** DECEMBER 25, EDIT *****
It is a two blade, advertising pocket knife.
The main handle side says, "PAYNE MOTOR CO."
The other handle side says, "PAIGE - JEWETT"
Per Wikipedia.....
"The Jewett was an automobile built in Detroit, Michigan by the
Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company from March 1922 through December 1926."
Kid: "Wish we had time to bury them fellas."
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
- SwedgeHead
- Posts: 602
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2023 12:23 am
Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
so I plugged away at this one for a bit, striking out a couple times.New_Windsor_NY wrote: βTue Dec 24, 2024 11:00 pm I need assistance in completing the tang stamp posted below.
I hate it when it's the first few letters that are not legible or
completely missing. What I do know is this.....
Is It A Three Line Tang Stamp?
????.DIST.AG. or ????.DIST.AC.
DES MOINES
GERMANY
So, What Does The First Line Say?
Is That Actually The First Line?
***** DECEMBER 25, EDIT *****
It is a two blade, advertising pocket knife.
The main handle side says, "PAYNE MOTOR CO."
The other handle side says, "PAIGE - JEWETT"
Per Wikipedia.....
"The Jewett was an automobile built in Detroit, Michigan by the
Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company from March 1922 through December 1926."
What I found though is that there are few to none, references to Des Moines Germany. Leading me to beleive that Germany is the country of origin, but Des Moines is a label and not associated to Germany.
Further, I found reference to Dist.Ag as District of Agriculture, which makes sense for Des Moines.
I think the remaining piece of the puzzle is whatever comes before Dist.Ag. Guessing a lot, but maybe this helps.
Lay a thin strip of paper over the stamp and do a pencil rub, you might get more.
Have fun, thanks for the challenge.
- New_Windsor_NY
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Thank you, SwedgeHead.
Kid: "Wish we had time to bury them fellas."
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
- gsmith7158
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
I can't make much sense of it but I'm pretty sure AG. Indicate a stock company in Germany.
------------------
Greg
IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.
PROUD MEMBER AAPK, NRA.
Greg
IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.
PROUD MEMBER AAPK, NRA.
- New_Windsor_NY
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Thank you, Greg.
Kid: "Wish we had time to bury them fellas."
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
- just bob
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Did a little looking. How about the bottom reading Des Moines / & Harmony. Harmony is a bit of a mystery but maybe an early knife maker there? They are fairly close together.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story ... 110669548/
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story ... 110669548/
βThe world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.β (Paulo Coelho)
Men make plans and God laughs
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
Men make plans and God laughs
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
- New_Windsor_NY
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Thank you, just bob.
I found the first picture posted below, here on AAPK.
While this tang stamp is NOT identical to mine, it is
similar to it. I do believe mine says, "GERMANY" and
not "HARMONY" But, who knows.....
***** EDIT *****
I added the bottom picture (#3) on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 9:15 A.M. P.S.T.
It is NOT My Item. It is NOT My Picture.
- Attachments
Kid: "Wish we had time to bury them fellas."
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
- wlf
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
A lot of great researchers and researching.
I may put you guys on the trail of a farmers jack I have.
This should be an ongoing thread Skip.
This should be an ongoing thread Skip.
Code: Select all
[b][b]Wanted GEC 641113s Trade or buy[/b][/b]May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
- New_Windsor_NY
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Thank you, Lyle.
Whether or not this topic or thread remains ongoing,
is not up to me. Believe me, I would love to see EVERY
tang stamp question consolidated under one "roof."
Kid: "Wish we had time to bury them fellas."
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
- wlf
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Well here's another . 4" bone handled farmers jack.
A different filter on the pruning blade and one of the spey.
A different filter on the pruning blade and one of the spey.
- Attachments
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- Mystery farmer jack782.jpg (34.37 KiB) Viewed 2816 times
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- Mystery farmer jack783.jpg (36.31 KiB) Viewed 2816 times
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- Mystery farmer796.jpg (36.82 KiB) Viewed 2816 times
Code: Select all
[b][b]Wanted GEC 641113s Trade or buy[/b][/b]May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
- New_Windsor_NY
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Lyle, I know absolutely nothing about "farmers jack"
pattern or style of pocket knives. I know even less
about what companies manufactured them.
But, could it be VOOS CUTLERY
Kid: "Wish we had time to bury them fellas."
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
- wlf
- Gold Tier

- Posts: 6244
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- Location: WV
Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Thanks Skip.I don't understand why the pictures won't enlarge.
Code: Select all
[b][b]Wanted GEC 641113s Trade or buy[/b][/b]May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
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luckydog
- Silver Tier

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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Try holding the "CTRL" key down on your key board and roll the mouse wheel up or down at the same time, it should enlarge or shrink the image.This works on most images.
Luckydog
Luckydog
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WillHus
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Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
Hey. Sorry to revisit this if you have moved on, but I just nabbed a cigar pattern on an EBAY auction with the tang stamp "MFRS. DISTR. AGOY" and "Des Moines GERMANY". I am also trying to figure out more about its history. Has a nice bowtie shield and looks like ebony wood on the pics provided.
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WillHus
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- Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2025 4:44 pm
Re: Can You Complete This Tang Stamp?
I looked the pics of the one I ordered again. It says "MFRS.DISTR.AGCY". I assume Manufacturer's Distribution Agency. Maybe a company in Des Moines was importing German knives without branding before the US officially entered WW2? Or the decade leading up to it? Wish someone had an idea because my Google searches have been fruitless