Vintage Mother Of Pearl (MOP) Knives

[edgy46]

roof
Nice pearl scissors.


junebug
Thank you.

[garddogg56]

Mannnn.....

[roofsc]

two case xx and one from germany but can not make out name, looks like starts with a "W" ?????

[vikingdog]

Very nice Bill and roofsc! I can imagine how you felt gino, still a cool knife though. Here's an IXL George Wostenholm from 1890 - 1900

[Miller Bro's]

Nice old PB Gino!

If that chip bothers you too much just let me know

[Quick Steel]

knife7: All the above knives are fascinating. I especially like the bolster treatment on your Empire Pearl.

[vikingdog]

Case Bros. Cut Co.

[FRJ]

Mike,
what a sweet little knife.
Quite the nail nick on that little pen.

[vikingdog]

Thanks Joe.

[zp4ja]

Case Bros. Cut Co.

Nice one Mike. I have a Cut Co. I have to pull out and post.

Which Cut Co. stamp does it have???

Here is a CASE BROS Little Valley. Probably my favorite knife of my collection. My wife commented recently about the fact that I have given all her family members a knife (some nice TESTED and prior era knives I might add) and she doesn't have one. I said, "Which one do you want?" and she responded, "Your most favorite knife", so I pulled this one out. So technically, this is my wife's one and only knife. The things we do for our wives...

Jerry

[vikingdog]

It just says Case Bros. Cut Co. and on the other side Tested XX it looks like. I should probably clean it a little better, get the gunk off so I can see it better. I left it pretty much as I found it at the flea market.

[Beechtree]

That sure is a beauty Jerry, your wife knew what she was doing when she asked you for it! Swell center pens with MOP scales are elegant. Its an old fashioned pattern that does not get much attention but I really like them.

[zp4ja]

Thanks Beechtree! I really like that knife. Good news is she has allowed me to care for it for her after I expalined how old it was (while here eyes rolled back in her head) and did not grab it and throw in that bottomless unorganized pit she calls a purse. I gave her Aunt a nice minty XX knife last month and I cringed and bit my tongue when she said, "You know, I needed a knife the other day, I'll put this in my purse". Oh well, her knife now!

Maybe I can trade this one to the wife for the swell center back!!!

I posted this awhile back. There was some discussion as to it possibly being rehandled due to the fact that the smoke or black pearl was used. Probably lightly cleaned or hermetically sealed for decades, I am sure the former although I see no evidence of buffing having occured in the cleaning process. Really don't care if it has been rehandled or cleaned as it is some of the sickest, most beautiful pearl I have seen, in my opinion. Love the tip bolsters and the cuticle blade too.

1905-1920' CASE BRADFORD PA. 8261

Jerry

[junebug]

WOW
as usual.........GREAT KNIFE ,YA POSTED ,ZP-JERRY!!

[zp4ja]

Thanks Josh.

That pearl is freaking beautiful, rehandled or not. Love that knife!

Regards, Jerry

[bernynhel]

John Yeomans Cowlishaw rosy MOP and Sterling Silver fruit knife, 1915 Sheffield assay mark, 2 9/64".

[bernynhel]

4 3/8" maybe the notch in the tang was for wire stripping - or a mark for a factory second (more likely - see misstrike co logo tang stamp, last pic) idk for sure - any other thoughts? - Bill

[bernynhel]

The first year of Elizabeth's reign, Sheffield, sterling blade, bolsters, shield and rosettes, 2 47/64". The brass liners are a
mere .2 mm/.0079" thick.

[zp4ja]

4 3/8" maybe the notch in the tang was for wire stripping - or a mark for a factory second (more likely - see misstrike co logo tang stamp, last pic) idk for sure - any other thoughts? - Bill

Interesting, same knife is for sale on ebay at this moment.
Bill, you asked for thoughts so here you go...
While I was not around in the early 1900s, it is pretty common knowledge based on the times that companies were very frugal. So if a blade did not have a perfect stamp, it was still used. I personally read the entire knife before the stamp but I do not believe that to be an authentic stamp or a mis-strike/double tap.
Not sure what the tang notch is but I certainly don't believe any knife company would do that on any knife, factory second or not. The strength and integrity of the tang has been diminished by that notch. Just can't see a knife company doing that. Never seen a CASE E-Toe with 4 handle pins but I am no expert so what do I know.

Here are a 8251 from Scott Kings collection that was just at auction. He has some other 8250 CASE pearls listed also...
http://bid.mclemoreauction.com/cgi-bin/ ... more301/14

Jerry

[RobesonsRme.com]

Not my area of expertise certainly, but I do not think there is anything right about that pearl Case toenail.

Firstly, one should be immediately suspicious of any pearl handled Case toenail; it's just good, sound, defensive policy.

Secondly, it looks like someone has been at that tang with an unmanageable, poorly controlled cutting device such as a ZipSaw. Blow that photo up twice. That's not factory by any stretch of the imagination.

Thirdly, the stamp is just too freaky. The two "strikes" appear to have occurred at vastly different times and parts of it look to have been hand engraved.

I cannot speak to the four pins; I'll leave that to more Case knowledgible people.

Charlie Noyes

[zp4ja]

Not my area of expertise certainly, but I do not think there is anything right about that pearl Case toenail.

Firstly, one should be immediately suspicious of any pearl handled Case toenail; it's just good, sound, defensive policy.

Secondly, it looks like someone has been at that tang with an unmanageable, poorly controlled cutting device such as a ZipSaw. Blow that photo up twice. That's not factory by any stretch of the imagination.

Thirdly, the stamp is just too freaky. The two "strikes" appear to have occurred at vastly different times and parts of it look to have been hand engraved.

I cannot speak to the four pins; I'll leave that to more Case knowledgible people.

Charlie Noyes

Good knife read and well stated Charlie. Pretty much what I said in a different way. I stand by my knife read but hopefully Scott King and Steve will weigh in. Currently at $171 on ebay with over 4 days left.

[bonehead]

Not my area of expertise certainly, but I do not think there is anything right about that pearl Case toenail.

Firstly, one should be immediately suspicious of any pearl handled Case toenail; it's just good, sound, defensive policy.

Secondly, it looks like someone has been at that tang with an unmanageable, poorly controlled cutting device such as a ZipSaw. Blow that photo up twice. That's not factory by any stretch of the imagination.

Thirdly, the stamp is just too freaky. The two "strikes" appear to have occurred at vastly different times and parts of it look to have been hand engraved.

I cannot speak to the four pins; I'll leave that to more Case knowledgible people.

Charlie Noyes

Guys, Not an expert here as well, however this said I do not see anything about that knife other than the main blade that say's its Not a Case Pearl 8250. Other than the notch certainly is not something I have ever seen, the double strike seems plausible.

This one from my own collection is rehandled and heavily cleaned. It does have (4) pins in the handle where none of the other toes I have from Case.Have this.... Perhaps something they did with the pearl? Note: this is the same knife on Scott's kings website where he talks about owning a rehandled toenails in pearl. I bought it on Ebay several years ago and interestingly enough afterwards I noticed it matched the one on Scott's website. Not hard too do with the characteristics of pearl.

PS: Charlie, After posting the sunfish I have, I must say that "R" looks a bit funny, Maybe the the "W" was not good?

I also looked at a new addition I bought from Scott's latest auction! Antique Sunfish Pocket knives, by Russ Altamore. In it it shows several Case Tested, and XX Sunfish with both (3) & (4) pinned handles. Who knows perhaps the cutlers choice? BH
Bonehead

[zp4ja]

Bonehead my friend, I respect your opinion greatly as you know. You know way more about CASE E-toes than I ever will. That being said, we agree to disagree on this one. A double strike while plausible would imply, at least to me, that the same stamp was struck twice on the knife. I have a few knives where the stamps look different on a double strike. Same stamp was used but struck softer on one strike versus the other so the dyes appeared different, yet they were the same.
I personally do not like what I see in my OP knife read but I certainly respect your opinion, even though we disagree. Authentic, maybe so. But if it were a double strike I would expect the stamps to match even if chipped or damaged. Look closely at the "SO" in the "SONS" portion of the stamp. The second strike has the S and O touching each other, whereas the first strike does not. You know I am not a "stamp reader" and I read the entire knife first. That being said, even if I am wrong and the knife is authentic besides the installed wire cutter (what????), here is what the seller states on ebay..."I believe the notch on the tang was put there to strip wire.

This is a fine, fine example of and extremely desirable and rare knife in 100% original condition."

That being said, in my personal opinion, addition of a possible wire stripper or whatever the hell the person whom put it there was thinking constitutes NOT in "100% Orginal Condition" in my book, as the auction states. "100% Orginal Condition" means to me, as is from factory without alteration regardless of condition. Untampered with or altered, if you will. Maybe that is just me. I also think OP knife is a rehandle.

Just my 200 cents...

Regards, Jerry

[peanut740]

The knife with the cut in the tang has passed thru several hands over the last few years, kind of like a hot potato.I would want to handle the knife from Scott's auction.I have some questions about it.

[peanut740]

Not my area of expertise certainly, but I do not think there is anything right about that pearl Case toenail.

Firstly, one should be immediately suspicious of any pearl handled Case toenail; it's just good, sound, defensive policy.

Secondly, it looks like someone has been at that tang with an unmanageable, poorly controlled cutting device such as a ZipSaw. Blow that photo up twice. That's not factory by any stretch of the imagination.

Thirdly, the stamp is just too freaky. The two "strikes" appear to have occurred at vastly different times and parts of it look to have been hand engraved.

I cannot speak to the four pins; I'll leave that to more Case knowledgible people.

Charlie Noyes

Guys, Not an expert here as well, however this said I do not see anything about that knife other than the main blade that say's its Not a Case Pearl 8250. Other than the notch certainly is not something I have ever seen, the double strike seems plausible.

This one from my own collection is rehandled and heavily cleaned. It does have (4) pins in the handle where none of the other toes I have from Case.Have this.... Perhaps something they did with the pearl? Note: this is the same knife on Scott's kings website where he talks about owning a rehandled toenails in pearl. I bought it on Ebay several years ago and interestingly enough afterwards I noticed it matched the one on Scott's website. Not hard too do with the characteristics of pearl.

PS: Charlie, After posting the sunfish I have, I must say that "R" looks a bit funny, Maybe the the "W" was not good?

I also looked at a new addition I bought from Scott's latest auction! Antique Sunfish Pocket knives, by Russ Altamore. In it it shows several Case Tested, and XX Sunfish with both (3) & (4) pinned handles. Who knows perhaps the cutlers choice? BH
Bonehead

All tested and XX toenails had 4 pins.Most if not all Sons and Bradford had 4 pins.