Old Rope Knives

[tjmurphy]

Here's one that I picked up a couple of months ago. WWI c. 1915 CAMILLUS Rope Knife. 3 1/4" closed. Three line stamp on both blades with the manicure blade having the arched stamp. Missing the bail.

[carrmillus]

.........t.j.,that's a new one on me, never seen one of those!!.....great find and the bone on it is beautiful!!......i'll trade you for it!!......... ........................

[peanut740]

tj,you picked up a goodern.

[Shearer]

Tj.
Good find.
A 100 year old knife and in top order.

Grant

[jerryd6818]

All I can say is WOW! TJ, you are one lucky duck.

[steve99f]

Gorgeous knife TJ. Is it unusual to have a manicure blade on a working knife like this? Not implying its fake at all. An interesting choice in blade selection.

[tjmurphy]

Steve, I questioned the manicure blade on the first one I saw too. It is indeed made that way. It is referred to as a "Sailor's Knife". This pic and description is from "The Complete Book of U.S. Military Pocket Knives, From 1800 to the Present" by Michael W. Silvey. This book was gifted to me by JerryD.
I bought this one from someone here on AAPK but can't remember who

[djknife13]

From what I understand, it isn't actually a manacure blade. The small blade on the end is an ink scraper and doesn't work well to clean fingernails. It's too sharp and pointy. The sailors in WW1 didn't have ball point pens and wrote with pen and ink. I have an unsharpened Catt. one of those somewhere that I picked up at a local auction for $25.____Dave

[tjmurphy]

The "manicure blade" does have a nail? file on either side of it, but ink eraser would sound correct too.

[steve99f]

TJ, thanks for the info. That book looks like a good one to have on the shelf.

[jerryd6818]

T.J. that book came from ~Q~ (QTCut5). He generously sent it to me, thinking I could use it. Since it didn't fit my hoarding habits, I asked and got permission to send it on to someone who could and would use it. You. I'm glad to see it's getting some use and I'm sure ~Q~ is too.

[steve99f]

I think this picture is appropriate for this thread. It is from the ww2db website and depicts a Royal Navy sailor fixing his hammock on board the HMS Rodney, a WW 2 British battleship. I hope the pic is big enough to see.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Nice one TJ. Maybe you could get someone to replace the bail with an appropriate substitute.

These knives can also be found with a regular pen blade as the secondary.

LG-IV discusses the knives on page 202.

Listed makers were NYK, Schrade, W.R. Case, Napanoch, IKCO, Cattaraugus, Union, Empire, Challenge, Miller Bros., Camillus, Valley Forge, Schatt & Morgan and Robeson.

Personally, I'd love to accumulate an excellent example from each of those manufacturers. That would be a very attractive display.

There happens to be a nice one in the current Voyles' auction, but I forget the brand. Seems like it was not one of the more common ones.

Charlie

[orvet]

This pic and description is from "The Complete Book of U.S. Military Pocket Knives, From 1800 to the Present" by Michael W. Silvey. This book was gifted to me by JerryD.

Sweet TJ! That is one book I need to get!
I have his book "Pocket Knives of the United States Military," but not "The Complete Book of U.S. Military Pocket Knives." I hope Mike has some copies with him at the Oregon show in April. It would be nice to get a signed copy.

[wlf]

I like those rope knives Tom,and you got a nice one.

[orvet]

Here's one that I picked up a couple of months ago. WWI c. 1915 CAMILLUS Rope Knife. 3 1/4" closed. Three line stamp on both blades with the manicure blade having the arched stamp. Missing the bail.

Mike Silvey also lists that knife in his book, POCKET KNIVES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY.
He adds some info on the knives; he says Camillus supplied about 155,000 of those knives to the US Nave during WWI.

[Miller Bro's]

A pretty nice one, not much wear, with etch.

[peanut740]

MB

[djknife13]

Nice classy serious working knife. Love it.___Dave

[wlf]

That's a beaute Dimitri,you reckon Crocker? owned it?

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks gents

Lyle, I think old Crocker was proud to own this one, if they could only talk

[jerryd6818]

Since you didn't qualify the thread to a certain age limit, it would be remiss if someone didn't post the 2015 AAPK rope knife.

[Miller Bro's]

They are nice knives Jerry, I bought one too!

[thefarside]

Dimitri,
The Russell is an outstanding knife.

[Miller Bro's]

Thank you Jim!