Traditonal Hunters - Fifty years old (1965) and older…...

[LongBlade]

I would like to start a thread on traditional Hunter knife patterns to include both folding and fixed blade knives developed up to the year 1965. Just a brief history - Hunters, as I understand, were the first cutting edge tool developed almost 3 million years ago as a tool to provide subsistence by killing and cleaning prey as well as defense. Those Hunters from the dawn of time were made of stone, bone, obsidian and any object worthy of a sharp cutting edge. According to my background reading the first Hunters made of steel occurred in the 12th century. No doubt Sheffield in the UK and Solingen in Germany played important early roles abroad in the development of Hunters particularly in the early 1800s. In America the earlier Hunters were fixed blade knives developed approximately in the 1830s (Bowies as one example) and folding Hunters (as well as folding Bowies) came into development perhaps in the latter 1800s. Hunters are one of my favorite type knife patterns among a few others (sort of the reason for my moniker as LongBlade ))… Anyway here are my current hunters I would like to share…

Holley Hunter – This one is an early Holley Lakeville CT (1854-1930) Hunter with an ebony handle (probably my best find on any “hunt” in the shops)… I have only seen one other that was a twin to this one at a size of 4 /3/4” but it had an ivory handle though in the same swell end shape - almost the same amount of sharpening as well ) (posted by Miller Bros – Dimitri on the ivory handle thread) and neither handle is your classic coke bottle handle Hunter design… As you can see someone carved their initials in the front handle at one time probably long ago – makes no difference to me as I would have probably done the same given its price when it was sold probably back in the 1800s when I assume it was bought…. anyway – no wobble and a hard snapping blade. Tang stamp worn but no doubt legible (and those small brown spots above tang are now gone after a gentle cleaning)…

American Knife Company – Thomaston (1875-1895) – This one is at the more traditional size of 5 & 3/8” as are many of the old traditional folding Hunters. This knife supposedly sat in an attic for over 100 years somewhere in the mid-west. Ebony coke bottle handle with a drilled hole for a bail. The blade looks virtually unsharpened and still sports the original kick. Dagger style blade with a double edged swedge… no wobble and snaps like a bear trap… I carefully cleaned this one up over a few days getting rid of any active red rust using a #2 pencil and letting oil sit on a few spots over a 2 day period and than cleaning again - surprisingly there wasn’t as much active rust on it as one may have expected… Check out the tang stamp – almost as nice as the day it left the shop… Interesting nail nick as well for such a big blade!

Continued....

[LongBlade]

Miller Bros Hunter (1872-1926) - Jigged bone coke bottle handle with lockback & clip blade - nickel silver rear bolster – pivot bolster is iron. I posted this one before so won’t get into any more detail…. overall a rather rare Miller Bros is my understanding as I have only seen them with ebony handles.

Puma - Solingen – Rostfrei (Jadgmesser or Hunting Knife as called by Puma) – Stag – 3 blade with corkscrew and 3 springs - This is my first knife given to me by my uncle when I was 10 years old. He bought it in Solingen Germany in 1965 and the serial number on the lock release corresponds exactly to that date of production. When I was given this knife it was in the original box in a suede lightweight sleeve that was buttoned together on the bottom with a metal clip… I can still even remember a tag in the box. I have no clue what happened to the original box and the suede sleeve deteriorated overtime – remember my age when I was given it ). Nonetheless I think my uncle told me it was a folding Hunter but as a kid I used it for anything and everything… the bone saw was used to cut branches etc etc… I whittled with the spear blade and probably the small blunted blade as well. It was a real user for me for years – too heavy to carry as an EDC but always did carry it when camping or exploring the woods. Unfortunately you can see there is a small chip on the bottom left front handle under the pin. One of the saw teeth was also chipped and the screwdriver end of the saw is worn from use – I have no recollection when these happened to the knife – again I used it for everything as it was my knife. The lockback is for the spear master only… as I said there is a separate spring for each blade. The saw blade has a screwdriver end and a caplifter. Quite frankly for years I could never figure out what the smallest blade was called – the one with the blunt end. I still can’t find any info on this blade style or what it is called… I now think it was for possibly skinning given the blunt end would prevent you from piercing the hide. Anybody seen or know anything more specifically about this blade or seen one before? Anyway – it still is in excellent shape (slight minor wobble in master spear, other blades are tight and all have hard snap – and the corkscrew opened many a wine bottle back in the old days and the caplifter opened many a bottle )) – I don’t ever remember sharpening this knife at all. This knife was one of my motivations for starting to collect after my brother and I talked about the knives following the passing of my uncle 2 years ago – my brother being younger than me was also given one but his only had the master spear and a a bone saw blade though with true stag handles as was mine (as he is my younger brother we decided our uncle gave him the smaller knife LOL… ) This knife is priceless to me for sentimental reasons and will never sell it. I will still use it but more along the lines as originally intended. I’m mature now LOLOL… I did find out when the knife bug hit me that it is worth big bucks in value today…

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[LongBlade]

Landers Frary & Clark Fixed Blade Hunter (1862-1965; age of this fixed blade circa 1880-1910) – 10” with thick hilt and a true stag handle – I understand this was made sometime between 1880 and 1910. It is my only fixed blade knife that came with a leather tube sheath which I was told was original to the knife – whether it was original to the knife I do not know but no doubt it is an old leather tube sheath in pretty good condition. The stag on this handle is gorgeous in my opinion – big and thick – and I am posting a side view of handle just to give you an idea! It is one heavy knife and that stag is some of the nicest I have ever seen. As an aside the knife is not stored in the leather sheath but a 12” sacks-up sleeve.

Looking forward to seeing other Hunters - folding or fixed blade and as old as you have them (1965 or before) - and thanks for viewing mine…

[FRJ]

Beautiful knives, Lee.
You came roarin right out of the gate with those babies.
That American Knife is pretty special. What a nice full blade.
Great family story on the Puma. And real nice pictures too.
I've got an old Cattaraugus King of the Woods but I don't know how old it is.

I hope some others jump in here and show their hunters. I love looking at them.

[wiseguy]

Old George Schrade hunters......automatic of course

[orvet]

Quite frankly for years I could never figure out what the smallest blade was called – the one with the blunt end. I still can’t find any info on this blade style or what it is called… I now think it was for possibly skinning given the blunt end would prevent you from piercing the hide. Anybody seen or know anything more specifically about this blade or seen one before?

That is a gutting blade.
Camillus used the same sort of a blade and called it a blunt nose skinning blade. You can see pics of it in the 1993 & 1997 Camillus catalogs.
It is seen in the C3 Sportsman in the cartridge series in 1993 with a .30-06 shell for a shield.
Another company calls it a blunt nose gutting knife.
It is designed to split the hide without puncturing the stomach of an animal.

[LongBlade]

Thanks guys!

Joe - that King of Woods has to pre-date 1965 - I think Cattaraugus Cutlery Co only existed until 1963 so throw it up for viewing ...

Cool wise guy - an auto button Hunter ...

Thanks Dale - now I know exactly what that blade is called I always suspected the blunt end was to prevent the knife from puncturing something related to its use... Over the years you wouldn't believe some of the guesses from folks as to what the blade was used for.... I remember one guy telling me it was for shaving

[TripleF]

I thought I knew what hunters were, as far as knives were concerned.....

What am I missing? There'a all different styles of knives shown above.

[LongBlade]

Hey Scott - I think Hunters as a knife style are pretty broad in definition and can be a fixed blade or larger folding knife... as BRL notes - any large style folding or fixed blade knife that can be used to butcher and skin game (and if you are really good kill game ... In fact a Daddy Barlow can and was used by hunters... the Southington single blade jack I posted under the Southington thread while perhaps considered a "stabber" jack at 4" probably could have been used as well... I think for the most part in terms of folders - the coke bottle single large blade knives at 5 & 3/8" seems to have been a pattern developed by most companies... Interesting to me that many old companies made them at exactly 5 & 3/8" though with blades that differed slightly in terms of shape - wonder who was copying who in terms of that length and the coke bottle style handle, i.e. who developed the first that started everybody making them in that style... just another question for inquiring minds ...

[wazu013]

Here's a Case XX era 5265 and 5172 from 1940-1965.

[djknife13]

Heres a few of my favorites. The bottom is a Holly Rip Van Winkle which I never thought I'd own. I found it in a guys junk box and had a new lockback spring installed. The other two are (Top) Ulster and (middle) Maher Grosh. ___Dave

[djknife13]

Heres a couple more. Top to bottom, Western States (arched stamp), IXL, Marshall Wells, Catt. 12829, Ulster.____Dave

[djknife13]

Might as well keep going. Heres a near unused Western States (arched stamp) and a H.Sears with the Queen shield. ______Dave

[djknife13]

Hey, this is fun. Heres a few Ka-Bars.____Dave

[timgreene48]

Gorgeous knives guys!! I believe this knife would qualify as a hunter, made before '65. Hope you don't mind.

[danno50]

Great knives posted. Longblade, really like the American Knife Company and the Miller Bros. Beautiful bone on those Schrades, wiseguy. Fantastic pair of Cases, wazu. Fine collection Dave, really like the Catt King of the Woods. Superb hatchet set, timgreene.
Dan

[garddogg56]

some beauties here I'm with Scott trying to figure out what exactly is a folding hunter.Here are my folding hunters I believe the only one old enough is my Grandpas 125ot,I know my Buck 110's aren't old enough.I'm positive this Marbles Gladstone from 1918 qualifies

[knife7knut]

OK;here are a few:
1st pic top to bottom:
Aerial Cutlery Coke Bottle(since re-handled due to outgassing).
Humason & Beckley New Britain CT
Wilbert Cutlery Co Chicago
Northfield Knife Co

2nd pic top to bottom:
Westaco
Imperial Knife Co (two)

3rd pic: Colonial Knife Co(curved stamp)folding hunter/cleaver.

4th pic:Deer foot hunters:top Westphal Austria-bottom:unmarked.

5th pic:top-Penn Cutlery Co bottom- Austria

6th pic:top-UK&R Co.Montreal -bottom: A.W.Wadsworth

7th pic: KA-BAR Dogshead folder.

8th pic:Paris Bead Co Chicago

9th pic:Unmarked folder with an unusual nail mark

10th pic: 2 early Case 65 patterns;the one with the bail looks to be factory.Beautiful stag scales but seriously pitted and could not read the stamp.

[FRJ]

[quote="LongBlade"] Joe - that King of Woods has to pre-date 1965 - I think Cattaraugus Cutlery Co only existed until 1963 so throw it up for viewing quote]

Of course, 65 wasn't that long ago. I think I was "amazed" at how neat and old your knives were and didn't think mine would fit. So ... now I've got more than one and hopefully tomorrow I can get a few in here.
Absolutely beautiful knives shown here.
Thanks.

[Mumbleypeg]

I'm enjoying this! Some great knives shown already. I've posted it previously elsewhere but I'll contribute this one to the cause cuz it's rare, it's old, and it's a hunter of unusual design so it fits here. It also has some beautiful Rogers bone handles. Case Bradford (1914-1919) 6001 tri-fold hunter. Mark side is stamped Case Bradford Pa. Reverse side is stamped Case's Tested XX.

Ken

[LongBlade]

Wow – I think am in Hunter heaven … lots of really great old Hunters of all kinds… thanks to all for sharing them

Djknife13 – amazing that the Ulster, Maher & Grosh and Holley are identical triplets and unique … Was the Holley etched with Rip Van Winkle – never heard of that knife?? Any guess as to what knife maker produced the Maher & Grosh Hunter – certainly similar to the other 2 ? All of them in your follow-up additions are really beauties as well…

Timgreen48 – great to see another fixed blade hunter and axe set as well…

Garddogg56 – that Marble fixed blade is no doubt a well known classic Hunter… and from what I hear a great quality knife!!

The Case Hunters - thanks to all who showed them!! - are no doubt a classic pattern all to themselves in terms of handle design and 2 blades with that clip and skinner… so much different than the single blade coke bottle design seen on many others.. and Ken – the folding blade and design on that old stag-handled Case is unique – a great addition ..

K7Knut – you have an amazing collection of Hunters (and you always show some amazing knives and quite the variety as well )… like them all for sure but particularly the Northfield – a lockback too – does it have a blade etch? I have seen the DeerFoot Hunters but they never cease to amaze me - they literally used every part of the deer … and that Colonial with a cleaver – an all in one for cleaning and butchering in one folder ..

Anybody have that old famous Winchester Model 1920 with stag handles – never seen it but read that it is one of the most sort after Hunters … If I'm not mistaken didn't Remington make a "bullet" Hunter as well??

As Ken said – I’m enjoying this - … lots of eye candy!!!

[orvet]

Great topic!

I really like Western knives, IMHO they have some of the finest steel in the blades.
Here is a L44 5-1/2". It is shown on page 181of Harvey Platts' book, in the 1950 catalog reprint section.

[djknife13]

Longblade, in regards to the name Rip Van Winkle, that's what Roy Ritchie and Ron Stewart listed that folding hunter as in both of their books, Standard Guide and Big Book of Pocket Knives. Being a collector of "large working" knives of all sorts, I showed my wife the picture of the Holley Rip Van Winkle in their book and told her that was my dream knife. I told her I would own one of them some day. She asked me "What are the odds?" I said "zero. Holleys are rare and this is their biggest and if I did find one I probably couldn't afford it anyway". About a month later I was sitting at a knife/gun show at our club table (North Star Blade Collectors) and the guy at the table next to ours had a box of junk and parts knives under his table. He told me to look and see if there was anything I could use in there, and the first knife I pulled out was the Holley with a little piece of metal taped to the side of it. The metal was the tip of the lockback spring that slips under the release. I gave him 30 or 40 dollars for the knife, and knife magician Larry Hayes built and installed a new piece for me. The other two are pretty much identical so who knows if the same company made all three or if it was a standard pattern the English cutlers all made. At least three of my best knives and highest valued ones joined my collection for very little money including a Marbles Safety Folding Hunter and a Ka-Bar Grizzley. I was going to slip them in on the pictures but I figured I had taken up enough space. Thanks for your interest and this thread. ___Dave

[RalphAlsip]

These have been posted previously in other threads:

Winchester 1920 with bone handle (have not seen a stag rendition)
Schatt & Morgan
NYK
Remington R1303 bone
Remington R1306 stag

[djknife13]

AW geez Ralph, now you got me drooling all over my keyboard. Those are really good looking knives,____Dave