Buffalo Hide Picker Knife?

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:20 pm

Just bought this one. Ever seen anything like this before

Made by James Howarth of Sheffield. although I have some leads, my initial research is inconclusive

The blade was a little longer at some point.

johnnierotten · Post by **johnnierotten** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:44 pm

By the shape of the handle it appears to have been a hawkbill or pruner originally.Sorry no help with the maker,nice old knife.

Hukk · Post by **Hukk** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:53 pm

Yeah, like the hawkbill, but maybe as a fruit picker. It's one they use in the vineyards to quickly cut off the clusters of grapes. These are usually sharpened so that they are razor sharp. Looks like it has been reprofiled to a Warncliffe.

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:57 pm

Hi everyone. I spent the morning doing some research instead of working

Found the following information related to the history of the textile industry in the communities of Charlestown, Todmorden and Eastwood located in Yorkshire just inside the border with Lancashire. This seems to be the picker making capital of the UK.

Pickers were used to weave cloth by moving the shuttle from one side of the loom to the other. Pickers are partly made out water buffalo hide due to its toughness. Hide pickers were used up to the 1950s when they were replaced with more durable synthetic materials.

Generations of the Holt family were in the picker making business from the 1840s to 1920s. In 1895 they built the Perseverance Works which was also known as Holt’s mill. All aspects of the picker making process, including the tanning of the hides took place there. Apparently, it emitted a terrible smell.

Perhaps this knife is used for some aspect of the picker making process or maybe it is a promotional item advertising the company and product

I found a few references to the British Picker Company. There is a Company currently with that name in Todmorden, but it was incorporated in 1970. There must have been an earlier one involved in the production of hide pickers. I’m working on that aspect.

stockman · Post by **stockman** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:15 pm

Hello SK I don't understand what the Buffalo pickers are, but I do know that I like that knife.

Stockman

smiling-knife · Post by **smiling-knife** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:25 pm

Thanks for the reply stockman. I'm not 100% sure myself. Something to do with looms and weaving. Consensus elsewhere so far, is that the blade is a replacement. Still it has great jigged bone and nice carbon steel blade. I may use it around the house.