Vintage Ivory Handle Knives

[galvanic1882]

Love the older knives MB and Dave!! Here is one I just picked up. Ward & Merriam & Co Boston, 4 1/4" closed. The company is listed in Goins and Levine's as being in business 1869-1870. I was surprised that it was not listed in the New England Cutlery book by Philip R. Pankiewicz. Wish I knew more about the company.

[dcgm4]

That's a beauty, Mike!

Dave, I love that old Jackson whittler. How long is the frame on that old beauty?___Dave

It's 5 5/8" closed.

[Beechtree]

^ 5 5/8" is amazing, I love seeing this knife! The one below is 5 3/8".

Mike, that anglo saxon whittler is sure pretty. I too wish we knew more about he company.

Here is a hefty two blade Miller Brothers Cutlery Co. Meriden with lovely old ivory slab handles.

[dcgm4]

That Miller Bros is amazing! Sure looks like quite a handful!

[Miller Bro's]

Good stuff!

[danno50]

All lovely knives posted todate. Really like the 2 large blades Beechtree's hunter!
Dan

[btrwtr]

Beautiful knives in this post both new and old!

Here are three to add to the list.

J. A. Henckels double gunstock with corn cutting blade. 3 7/8" closed.

I. Oxley (only mark on both blades, not J. Oxely) crown pen 3 1/8" closed.

Drew and Sons Picadilly Circus 3 5/8 closed.

Wayne

[FRJ]

Really beautiful knives, Wayne.

[LongBlade]

Those are beauties Wayne ... really like the Henckles double gunstock!!! You don't see many of the double gunstock pattern from what I understand... which reminds me to get pics of my ivory Wostenholm double gunstock to throw on this thread ..

Lee

[Another Knife Collector]

Tang is stamped HADFIELD SHEFFIELD. Etch reads "HADFIELDS PATENT STEEL", which was the first manganese alloy discovered by Sir Robert Hadfield in 1882. Checkered genuine ivory handles that have mellowed nicely with age. Folding pipe tamper end. Amazing it has survived without cracks or chips.

[LongBlade]

That is one cool addition with checkered ivory and a nice Hadfield too ...

[Miller Bro's]

Nice selection Wayne

Phil that is a dandy!

[Mason]

Some threads taper out in quality as they go on but this one only seems to get better. Interesting that this Ivory handled thread and the Pearl handled thread were started about the same time, but the Ivory posts are only about 1/4 that of the Pearls. A possible unofficial indication of the amount of materials used in comparison between the two???

[knife7knut]

Some threads taper out in quality as they go on but this one only seems to get better. Interesting that this Ivory handled thread and the Pearl handled thread were started about the same time, but the Ivory posts are only about 1/4 that of the Pearls. A possible unofficial indication of the amount of materials used in comparison between the two???

Interesting thought.I think my proportion of pearl to ivory knives is more like 8 to 1.I guess it also depends on what you prefer to collect. If you're into old gentlemen's knives such as the ones made by Kastor then you will find almost exclusively pearl handled examples. If your taste runs toward quill knives then you may find mostly ivory scales;although I have several pearl examples. I think you will find that most high end(fancy)knives from England were ivory and the ones from Germany predominantly pearl although that is not a hard and fast rule. Just food for thought.

[Mason]

Some threads taper out in quality as they go on but this one only seems to get better. Interesting that this Ivory handled thread and the Pearl handled thread were started about the same time, but the Ivory posts are only about 1/4 that of the Pearls. A possible unofficial indication of the amount of materials used in comparison between the two???

Interesting thought.I think my proportion of pearl to ivory knives is more like 8 to 1.I guess it also depends on what you prefer to collect. If you're into old gentlemen's knives such as the ones made by Kastor then you will find almost exclusively pearl handled examples. If your taste runs toward quill knives then you may find mostly ivory scales;although I have several pearl examples. I think you will find that most high end(fancy)knives from England were ivory and the ones from Germany predominantly pearl although that is not a hard and fast rule. Just food for thought.

I agree, and my pearl to Ivory ratio is probably close to yours. Thanks for your input.

[LongBlade]

Interesting discussion just above Mason and K7Knut... and good timing on my part that I took photos of my ivory pile today ... I would say other than the fancier pen knives and quills one must include budding/grafting knives as a good many of those were indeed ivory... never saw a pruning knife with ivory but Dimitri has that ivory handled Holley Hunter... so I guess there are some exceptions but I would bet more the rarity... not sure I ever saw an ivory handled jack of any sort...

I'm posting mine in groups but will follow-up with some of these knives using more detailed photos of blades etc and fit them in other appropriate threads.....

CT Makers

H&B New Britain Crown Pen - 2 11/16"
Southington Tuxedo - 3"
Holley Crown Pen - 3"
Waterville Co. - Swell Center Pen with fancy bolsters - 3 1/2"

Millers Bros Quill - 2 5/16" (stamped MBC over Co)

Massachusetts

Burkinshaw Skeleton Pen - Nickel silver liners embedded with ivory - 3 3/8"
Burkinshaw Tuxedo - 2 15/16"

Sheffield

Saynor Cooke & Ridal Budding Grafting Knife - 4 5/16"
VcrownR Quill (& still deciphering the maker name underneath the VcrownR which is offset and not straight-line but no doubt made sometime between the 1837 - 1901) - Carved ivory with bar shield & coping blade - 3"
IXL Wostenholm - Double Gunstock Pen - 3 3/4"

Germany

Krusius Brothers - Tuxedo with mini-Federal shield - 2 5/8"

Cheers
Lee

[FRJ]

A really nice bunch of ivory handled knives there, Lee.
And nice pictures too.

[Miller Bro's]

Wow!

[wlf]

This is a great thread.

Those are some amazing knives,thanks for showing. I love the old ivory and I have little to show for it.

[peanut740]

Lee,that is a nice herd of ivory.

[danno50]

Great knives Wayne and Phil! Lee, like dimitri said, WOW!!
Dan

[LongBlade]

Thanks... much appreciated!!

Lee

[Mason]

Interesting discussion just above Mason and K7Knut... and good timing on my part that I took photos of my ivory pile today ... I would say other than the fancier pen knives and quills one must include budding/grafting knives as a good many of those were indeed ivory... never saw a pruning knife with ivory but Dimitri has that ivory handled Holley Hunter... so I guess there are some exceptions but I would bet more the rarity... not sure I ever saw an ivory handled jack of any sort...

I'm posting mine in groups but will follow-up with some of these knives using more detailed photos of blades etc and fit them in other appropriate threads.....

CT Makers

H&B New Britain Crown Pen - 2 11/16"
Southington Tuxedo - 3"
Holley Crown Pen - 3"
Waterville Co. - Swell Center Pen with fancy bolsters - 3 1/2"

DSCN6207A.jpg

Millers Bros Quill - 2 5/16" (stamped MBC over Co)

DSCN6566A.jpg

Massachusetts

Burkinshaw Skeleton Pen - Nickel silver liners embedded with ivory - 3 3/8"
Burkinshaw Tuxedo - 2 15/16"

DSCN6499A.jpg

Sheffield

Saynor Cooke & Ridal Budding Grafting Knife - 4 5/16"
VcrownR Quill (& still deciphering the maker name underneath the VcrownR which is offset and not straight-line but no doubt made sometime between the 1837 - 1901) - Carved ivory with bar shield & coping blade - 3"
IXL Wostenholm - Double Gunstock Pen - 3 3/4"

DSCN6218A.jpg

Germany

Krusius Brothers - Tuxedo with mini-Federal shield - 2 5/8"

DSCN6552A.jpg

Cheers
Lee

Very nice representation of Ivory from various makers and countries.

[cato]

GOT THIS HOYLAND HULL KNIFE, HAVE NOT LEARN MY EYE FOR IVORY YET
THINK IT IS BUT NOT SURE

[Miller Bro's]

Does not look like Ivory.