Old Pruning and Horticultural Knives

[Owd Wullie]

Interesting about the firing pins. I've shot muzzle loaders since I was a kid. I shot a bunch of black powder cartridge up until a few years ago when arthritis in my right shoulder told me to quit.

I can see how a flat bottom like these knives have would be handy for knocking back a stuck firing pin on break open shotgun or rifle. Fact is they were famous for the pins getting stuck and firing the gun if you did not know the pin was stuck and slammed it shut. SURPRISE!! The punch marks in the bottom of the knife LT illustrates are pretty small. Too small for me to think that a firing pin would leave them. The other semi circular indentations might have been from banging on some part of a gun. The reason I think that is that the marks are small and squarish. MAYBE an older rimfire would have a square firing pin but those marks seem to me that they would pierce both a center fire primer or a rimfire. That is not what you want, believe me. If it did pierce the primer, it would more than likely make the firing pin stick though.

The knives would make good patch knives, but once again, cartridge guns didn't require cut patches like the "cap and ball" or the flintlocks did.

[Miller Bro's]

The punch marks in the bottom of the knife LT illustrates are pretty small. Too small for me to think that a firing pin would leave them. The other semi circular indentations might have been from banging on some part of a gun. The reason I think that is that the marks are small and squarish.

I have several of these old knives with the brass and steel bottom plate.

They have marks in them similar to the one shown on page 3. It is my opinion these marks are from nails that were hammered in using the knife bottom as a hammer. Early cigar boxes, fish boxes, nail kegs, etc. all had various sizes of Square head nails. I don`t know exactly when but they switched from Square head nails to Round head nails that we are all familiar with today. I believe most of these marks seen on these knives come from nails being hammered into wood boxes, crates and the like. That is why some of the marks are Square and some are Round, from the different era in nail use.

Somewhere in my vast library I read that the flat bottom on these knives were meant to set the knife standing up with the blade open while you were working with it, they stand up nicely and are right there ready when you need to resume working with it. That information was in an old knife catalog IIRC.

[Owd Wullie]

I'm inclined to agree about the standing up part. That old Schrade has a flat bottom but other than the spring and liners there is no metal there. Hammering much of anything with that knife would just split the scales.

As for nails? GOOGLE is the answer LOL

In the 1850’s several manufactures were established in New York which made wire nails. These machines were most likely imported from France. The earliest wire nails were not made for construction but for the manufacture of pocket book frames and cigar boxes. It was not until after the American War Between the States that wire nails began to gain acceptance in construction. Even through the 1890’s many builders preferred using cut nails because of their holding power. It was well into the twentieth century before wire nails became the dominate type and only then because they were so much cheaper.

http://www.fourshee.com/history_of_nails.htm

[smiling-knife]

One more to keep the thread ticking along. Made circa 1920s in Germany.

[tjmurphy]

This is the one that I just got. It is unmarked.

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3.jpg (6.43 KiB) Viewed 4291 times

[gino]

another nice one Murph!

[Mossdancer]

Dimitri:
Sorry. I did not have knowledge of this thread when I originally posted this Old Pruner in another forum. Should any one on here want to take a peak here is a link. I do offer thanks to Gino for offering an opinion on the knife.
moss
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =4&t=20453

[Owd Wullie]

This is the one that I just got. It is unmarked.

1.jpg

3.jpg

TJ,
check this,

Pretty sure it's the same as yours. Mine has SPI inside a sort of square/diamond. The back side of the blade is marked SOLINGEN GERMANY very faintly.

W

[tjmurphy]

I saw that one Willie and they are very much alike, right down to the pin placement. So mine probably started out like yours?

[FRJ]

Jerry, regarding your Oct. 28 post. Here's an outsourced Kline. Although it's obviously not a hawkbill.
Well, you said hop to it.

[FRJ]

Here's one, more appropriate to the thread title............And so old that Charles W. Platts could have handled it.

It's snappy too!!!

[Miller Bro's]

did not have knowledge of this thread when I originally posted this Old Pruner in another forum. Should any one on here want to take a peak here is a link.

Moss,

Nice old knife, very hard to date these knives. They were made for generations in much the same way. The key to your knife is the mark on the blade. I have no knowledge of this mark therefore cannot provide you with any further information.

I have a picture of your knife below for those that want to see it.

[gino]

Great lookin knife wullie.

[singin46]

Great lookin Pruners guys! Here's the oldest knife in my collection, Alfred Field & Co. Progress
Hawkbill or Pruner, dependin on how you see it. This is the angriest knife I own, it will take a finger off when you try to snap it shut. Be careful, I keep tellin myself.

[gino]

Love the pruners. I always buy them when I come across them. I have around 30 of them but always am lookin for more.

[edgy46]

Singin 46
They want to prune something. maybe our fingers look like branches to them This old Empire has bit me twice

[singin46]

They will take what you own if'in ya don't respect'em!

[upnorth]

Here's a pic of a display I have up in my dining room, of various agricultural/horticultural knives, including budders/pruners, samplers etc. I find they don't scare my more timid friends, even though some of the blades are quite formidable, because they are all in aid of producing good food, and opening the occasional bottle of wine!

[Miller Bro's]

Nice looking group of knives Charlie

[singin46]

Impressive collection there Charlie! Love them prunies!

[FRJ]

upnorth,
what kind of blade is that, 11 o'clock from center hawk bill, or two left of red handled serated blade?

Nice looking group of knives!

[orvet]

Nice display Charlie!

Dale

[upnorth]

upnorth,
what kind of blade is that, 11 o'clock from center hawk bill, or two left of red handled serated blade?

Nice looking group of knives!

Thanks for the appreciative comments guys!!

FRJ, that's an old Henckels finishing knife, for vegetables. The zig-zag blade makes nice "crinkle-cut" carrot and radish slices! I've tried it out -works nicely.
It would be a chore to sharpen though!!

[jerryd6818]

Jerry, regarding your Oct. 28 post. Here's an outsourced Kline. Although it's obviously not a hawkbill.
Well, you said hop to it.

Do you own the knife or did you find it online someplace? What do you think? Maybe '70s, '80s???

[FRJ]

Hi Jerry,
yes, I own the knife. I think I bought it at a pawn shop several years ago. To tell you the truth I have never used it much.
It is well made though, and it took a very keen edge. It is similar to Buck 110 in style but I don't think it has that quality.
I'm not good at dating knives, so I don't know where this one fits in. Thanks for the come back.