Harness Jack? Trash or Treasure?

[whitebuffalo58]

Here's one I just came up with. Not sure if it's a harness jack or meant for some other purpose. No markings that I can see. At first I thought maybe a cheap middle east wanna be, but a couple of things made me wonder otherwise. Note how the ends of the tangs are flush with the bolsters. I know i've read about this trait, but can't remember where. Punch and wharncliffe blades are very heavy duty and punch lays odd in the handle, but looks to be made that way. Both have exceptionally strong backsprings with half stops. Any ideas?

Thanks for any help, WB

[FRJ]

Note how the ends of the tangs are flush with the bolsters.

WB, I think that's the oldest GEC I've ever seen!

[whitebuffalo58]

LOL! Joe, i'm just holdin' out, in hopes it doesn't end up being from the Great "middle" Eastern Cutlery Co. or just as bad, the Great "far" Eastern Cutlery Co.

WB

[singin46]

Sure looks to be a Harness Jack to me WB! I would definitely re-handle it and make it new again if the springs are good still.

[knife7knut]

This is just a guess but I think it is French made and I think it is a horticultural knife.The sheepfoot blade and the punch is used for splicing grafts on trees.I'm not that familiar with the trade but that's my sotry and i'm sticking to it.

[Iron Hoarder]

European, possibly English. Probably early to mid 1800"s with the square tangs. I would clean it up and leave it as is unless those scales are much worse than they look in the picture.

[Iron Hoarder]

Want to trade?

[whitebuffalo58]

Mornin' guys, (or I guess in your case IH, it might be good evening?) thanks for the input.
Perry, the springs are very good and blades are nice and tight. Overall the knife would make a decent candidate for a restoration project, but i'll probably wait 'till i'm sure of the final verdict on what i've got before I do too much to it.
k7k, I would have never thought of a french horticulturists knife. The main blade is really more of a wharncliffe then it is a sheepsfoot and just reading it, it doesn't look like it's been reshaped at all. I'm like you, i'm not familiar enough with the horticulture trade to know if this knife would have been geared toward that or not. It could very well be.
With it's heavy blades and super strong backsprings, my second guess was maybe some sort of mariners knife. It's not a traditional spike and the primary isn't what I would associate with rope style blade, but otherwise it would be reasonably suited to that.
IH, I like the way you think, buddy! Nothing would make me happier then for it to be an 1800's English harness jack! That would be very cool! I'm not sure what i'm gonna do with it yet, but I won't do anything 'till I get with you first. A trade certainly isn't out of the question.

Thanks again for the help guys, it's all good!

WB

[Owd Wullie]

Interesting old knife.

The kicks on those blades look newer than mid 1800's to me.
The bolsters look newer as well.

Here's one that I no longer own that is pretty representative of mid 1800's.

[tendots]

Tried again,look at my other post,Gus.

[edgy46]

If i recall correctly that style with the tangs flush with the bolsters is called a square and clean joint. My guess is it is English.

[knifegirl888]

I have also heard them called clean & flush. Bret bought a Joseph Rodgers that was made in that style. I don't have a scan of the bolster with the blades closed though...

[tendots]

http://cgi.ebay.fr/H-2-beaux-couteaux-a ... 3f15387ea8

[edgy46]

Tendots you nailed it.
K7K nice call.

[whitebuffalo58]

It's a modern day french electricians knife?

[tendots]

Stock ancien means New old stock.

[whitebuffalo58]

Well, maybe you're right. But somehow this knife feels like one that would have been around before electricians.

[tendots]

If a seller describes a certain knife as an electricians knife that doesn't mean he is right.I don't know for sure,to me it looks more like some sort pruning/gardening knife.Many French knives have a spike/ahl/punch blade.However yours is defenitely a cool knife.

[jerryd6818]

Cool knife WB. Quite the conversation piece.

[whitebuffalo58]

Thanks Jerry! So far it's proving to be a tough one to nail down. It's not one I have a major investment in, so it really doesn't matter too much what it turns out to be. But, i'd be tellin' a lie if I said I wouldn't be a little disappointed if it turns out to be a mid 20th century electricians or florists knife.
Actually, my only real goal is date, country of origin and possible manufacturer. As far as the pattern goes, it is what it is and my wishing it were something else isn't going to miraculously change that. I just wish the darn thing had a tang stamp I could work off of.

WB

[tendots]

http://www.ebay.de/itm/OPAS-klassisches ... 1c250b601c

[whitebuffalo58]

There ya go tendots. It don't get no closer then that. Thanks. Uh...what's it say? My German's a little rusty. I tried to do a Google translation, it did the title but not the description.
Classic knife with Thorns? Is that what they call an awl?

Thanks again,

WB

[tendots]

That is what you get with those bl... Europeans,where I live, in a circle of 30 miles,people speak German,French or Dutch.Her my translation to my best:Grandpa's classic knife,blade and an awl.Sturdy pinned hardwood scales.Knife is 40-50 years old,but for it's age still in good-working condition.Strong backsprings,no wobble.Shaving sharp.O.A.L 16,1 cm,bladelenght 7,2 cm

[whitebuffalo58]

Thank you, that's been a big help and I appreciate it.
I really don't have any trouble believing that description. I do wonder who made them and for how long. I can't tell if that one has the flush tangs.

WB

[wlf]

Should've traded IH while you had the upper hand.