Vintage Whittler Knives

[daddynewton]

Germania, Providence Cutlery, Fabyan, LF&C and Shapeleigh.

[daddynewton]

Edw. Parker and Sons, 2 heavily used Case and Winchester.

[Miller Bro's]

daddynewton awesome collection!

[Shearer]

This is the only vintage whittler I have .Its a Camillus has the half circle tank stamp 1916.Two more years and it will be antique.

[Miller Bro's]

That`s a beauty Grant!

[daddynewton]

Thanks JLW that case is a beauty. I appreciate that MB I really do like the older knives. That is a really nice one Shearer. Pretty rare I would say.

[Shearer]

Thanks Miller Bro's and daddtnewton. I found another I had put away separate because it had Cellulose handles It"s a Camillus four line around 1946

[RalphAlsip]

Here is a Case Bros Little Valley. I believe the pattern is a 6392.

[0078]

A few I have

[Miller Bro's]

Nice knives guys

[Mumbleypeg]

Here is a Case Bros Little Valley. I believe the pattern is a 6392.

That is a rare gem! I am jealous. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Ken

[jlw257]

Thanks Ralph for sharing. I want one now. Larry

[RalphAlsip]

Ken and Larry, Thank you for the comments re: the 6392.

[RalphAlsip]

Here is a Hibbard Spencer Bartlett 2683. I don't really try to collect HSB's - this is my only one - so I have not invested the time to learn how to evaluate them. I know that HSB is a hardware store company that eventually became Tru-Value and used various OEM knife manufacturers to create the HSB brand knives.

Does anyone have insight into who might have manufactured this knife and approximately when?

[stockman]

Jerry your HSB whittler is really nice, great addition to any collection.

Harold

[Mumbleypeg]

HSB whittler looks great! I don't really collect HSB either but I have a few. Only thing I can offer is I have a 1933 HSB Hardware catalog with their cutlery line in it, but don't see this knife there. I am not sure if this was representative of their complete cutlery line at that time or not.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Ken

[Mumbleypeg]

Here are a few of my recent acquisitions: (the MooreMaker isn't that old (1999) but it's a nice one)

[RalphAlsip]

Ken, beautiful knives - especially the R6343. The Remington bone and jigging like your knife displays always catches my eye.

[msteele6]

Does anyone have insight into who might have manufactured this knife and approximately when?

My guess: Camillus Cutlery Co. pre WWII.

[Dinadan]

I have enjoyed this topic, though I do not own any whittlers. Can we see some photos of the backs of the knives, showing the spring configuration? If I understand correctly, the spring arrangement is a signature feature of the whittlers; or was that just in the past?

[Mumbleypeg]

I have enjoyed this topic, though I do not own any whittlers. Can we see some photos of the backs of the knives, showing the spring configuration? If I understand correctly, the spring arrangement is a signature feature of the whittlers; or was that just in the past?

Using the Moore Maker 5306 pictured in my previous post, here are some pictures that explain the "split backspring" whittler. Note that not all the knives pictured in the thread have split backsprings - more on that later. First picture below shows the back of the knife. Here you will see that there is a tapered wedge situated between the backsprings. In the picture, on the left hand end you see the two springs on which the master blade rides. On the right end you can see that the wedge ( brass in this case) has separated the springs such that each of the two smaller blades rides on a single spring. So going from right to left you can see that the wedge which separates the two springs on the right end has tapered down to nothing on the left end,

The second picture shows a view of the same knife from topside. As in the first picture the master blade is on the left side of the picture. As you can see the master blade is extra thick/strong at the tang where it rides on the two backsprings, and continuing along much of the blade's back. This is a feature typical of most whittlers, whether split backspring type or otherwise.

Which brings us to the others. Some whittlers have no divider between the backsprings. In this case the master blade is still thicker and rides on two springs, and the two smaller blades each ride on their own single spring, respectively.

Whittlers are still made that way today. As in the past, whittlers are typically more difficult to manufacture so they cost a little more to make and to buy, and typically they were and still are offered by the better cutlery makers.

[Dull]

Mumbleypeg -
Thanks very much for the excellent explanation and photos. NOW I have a much better idea of what's going on.....and, it makes me want to hunt down a nice bone handled whittler!
Much appreciated!

[Dinadan]

Thank you, Mumbleypeg. That is exactly what I was looking for. I will probably be hitting a gun and knife show next weekend: I will try to spot a whittler while I am looking through junk. I just find the design intriguing, perhaps because I have never had one.

[Mumbleypeg]

You're welcome. Totally understand as I also find them intriguing. The first whittler I recall seeing (over 40 years ago!) was a Case 5383. I was just beginning seriously collecting and was looking through the inventory in the Case display cabinet at an old small town hardware store in East Texas. I was at first attracted to the stag handles and swell-center shape of the knife when I saw it. Then as I examined it and saw how the springs were constructed, I (embarrassed to admit it) remarked to the store owner that it looked odd, and I asked him if it was a factory second that had been shipped by mistake. After looking at it himself he chuckled and said no it was made that way intentionally. Just shows you how naive I was. I bought it and still have it today. See it, and some of what it led to, below.

Good luck and good hunting!

Ken

[zp4ja]

MPeg,

NICE ONES! What is the handle type on the bottom row, 7th knife from the left?

I have a few I will have to break out. I have quite a few including a near mint rare XX 9383SAB in Cracked Ice. Never seen another.

Regards, Jerry