Bostwick Braun Toledo 3 blade pocket knife

[Rikerlee]

So I got this knife at a yard sale and know that it is a bostwick braun pocket knife. What I dont know is, well, everything else about it. How old is it and what type of value does this hold. I can not find anything about this knife online anywhere. Does anyone know anything about this pocket knife?

[slimpickins]

Rikerlee, here's what's in Goins. Bostwick Braun Co. Toledo Ohio, est. 1873 to present. Origionally W.&C.B. Roff &Co.1855, wholesale and retail hardware company.Bostwick was a salesman. In 1868 C.F. Braun bought into the company. Slim

[RobesonsRme.com]

Nice knife with a fascinating shield.

The handles are celluloid. That can cause problems down the road as celluloid can begin to deterierate and as it does it gives off a caustic gas. Keep the knife on a shelf, not in a cabinet or drawer. It needs lots of ventilation. The emitted gas will damage any metal it contacts.

Nice, Huh?

It might never happen in your lifetime.

The steel or iron pins in the bolsters suggest German manufacture. If so, the word "GERMANY" should be on one of the blades.

Someone needs to pipe up and tell us what that stylized owl with "EBIT" actually means.

I'd like to snip a pic of that shield and add it to our Shields thread. Would you mind? I'll credit its ownership.

Charlie Noyes

[tendots]

Earnings Before Income and Tax.

[Miller Bro's]

Close-up of the shield............

[Rikerlee]

I will get a better shot of the shield and post it soon. I have no problems with you putting that shield on your shields page. I didnt see anything about Germany on this blade but I will look closer. Thanks for the input so far. (Here is a better pic of it)

[Miller Bro's]

Much better

[PA Knives]

Some of the knives that were manufactured for this company came from QUEEN. I know this because in the research I did for my first book I found parts and pieces from knives (in fact I own one) put together by Bill Atkins. He had a ton of parts and pieces from Queen where he would put together knives on the side. Was this a Queen knife, I don't think so from its design but certianly I know that some were given my research.

[RobesonsRme.com]

"EBIT" does, in certain fields, stand for "Earnings Before Interest & Taxes".

I'm not at all sure that applies here, though.

I cannot imagine a group less likely to contract for the manufacture of a
bunch of pocketknives than accountants and economists.

Charlie Noyes

[Rikerlee]

I have been trying to find SOMETHING about that shield online and cant find anything. It is killing me not being able to find a year made or what that shield means lol. Thanks for all the input so far.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I even tried to link it with an organization out of Rice University in Texas.

They are, afterall, the Rice Owls.

Their stylized Owls logo is similar, but not the same.

Charlie

[wlf]

That is some shield.

Charlie that is a weird looking owl. I guess that is what is,seems the logo is incorporated with something else above his eyes.

[PA Knives]

I don't think it as Owl. I lean towards a Falcon or prehaps a mythical beast? I think it if was an owl they would have used both large eyes! Just my humble and uneducated opinion.

[danno50]

PA Knives, that is what I thought also. Looks like a one eyed (cyclops) falcon (or owl) to me. Tried searching for symbols from Egyptian mythology (Horus is represented as a falcon in Egyptian mythology) but did not find anything even close. The eye of Horus seems to be always pictured as eliptical with a tear drop. Drew a complete blank on the EBIT, except for the previously mentioned acronym. It is very interesting though, my money would be on a knife for some kind of secret society??
Dan

[Rikerlee]

I was thinking it was maybe a hawk myself. I went to barns and noble and a knife collectors book only mentioned Bostwick Braun saying they started in 1878? to now. As for the secret society theory, that is interesting and would be cool if we could prove it. Thanks everyone for the input and help in looking into this knife, I really appreciate it.

[Miller Bro's]

Is there another letter before the "E" and after the "T" ? Or is that just some embellishment

[Rikerlee]

kinda looks like a 1 before the E and a 2 after the T. not sure though. Good eye.

[slimpickins]

Looking at that shield it could be a falcon like Dave said with some kind of hood. Somebody will figure it out. I ran out of translation languages for EBIT, Nothing. Slim

[allen10]

I have been puzzled by this for a few days now but I am thinking it is the 2 headed eagle used by the Masons. But, still not having any luck identifying it exactly.