Old Palette Knives

This forum is dedicated to the discussion and display of old knives. The rich history of all the many companies that made them through the early years will be found here as well as many fine examples of the cutlers art. Share pictures of your old knives and your knowledge here!
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Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

Palette knives were used by artists to mix and apply paint.

The blade is as thick as the back spring and about half way down the blade it thins down to a flexible rounded tip.

They made fixed blade and folding blade palette knives, I like the old folding blade palette knives.

Here's a fine example with horn handles, looks like it was never used. Anyone have any post 'em here I would like to see them!
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

Nice one, Dimitri. I think Russell made a lot of that stuff back early on.
Who made that one? How long is it?
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

Here is an old Camillus with a pen blade.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by knife7knut »

Here are mine:
Bonum palette Knife.
Miller Bros.Cutlery Co.(Keystone Varnish Co.)
A Russell fixed blade with a strange Japanese style handle.Looks original.
A pearl Russell folding palette knife
An Ulster palette knife with folding knife blade advertising Tums.Probably a pill knife but the blade is still flexible.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

FRJ wrote:Nice one, Dimitri. I think Russell made a lot of that stuff back early on.
Who made that one? How long is it?
Thanks Joe!

Made by John Petty & Son's, it measures 3 3/8" closed.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

1fartsmella wrote:Here is an old Camillus with a pen blade.
That's a rare one, you very rarely find one with a pen blade. ::tu::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

I think these knives were also used by physicians, druggists or pharmacists to compound ingredients and also to sort, count and dispense pills or tablets.

Obviously, if the handles advertise a paint or color company, they were palette knives, though.

Here is a German made pre-1900 Robeson three blade pearl handled knife with a flexible spatula master blade, a pen and cork screw.

Bernard Levine refers to this as a European Physician's Knife.

Photo should expand twice with left clicks.

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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

Charlie, WOW, That Pearl is outstanding. Those small cork screws are for medicine bottles. What a great knife.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

Another folding spatula with pharmaceutical advertising. Walden Knife Co.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by gsmith7158 »

Barry that Walden is outstanding! ::tu::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

They keep getting better ::tu::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

Miller Bros. Smooth Bone with Pharmacy advertising.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

Nice knives, Barry.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

Thanks guys, I have more.........Here's an Ulster with artist supplies advertising. At least I think it's artist supplies?
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Miller Bro's »

I really like that Miller ::drool::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by Beechtree »

K7K, I really like that Keystone advertising Miller Brothers.

Very Pretty Charlie ::drool::

Beautiful collection Berry. The Ulster pallet has a fine shape, the bottom of it reminds me of a violin or some other type of musical instrument. Now here's a question, have you ever seen a pocket knife with a folding tuning fork?
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

One of my favorites etched Sherwin Williams & Co. This one has no tang stamp.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by 1fartsmella »

And of course a group shot.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Great herd of spatula/palette knives Barry and all ::tu:: ::tu::

Just my opinion (and speculation) but I think the palette knives had more of a thick blade and rather straight contours which no doubt made them better for painting or caulk. In contrast the spatula knife at least in my experience seems to be much more flexible, tapered towards the pivot bolster (but not in all cases) and was used more often in the pharmacy for pills etc... That is not to say that the thicker palette or spatula knives were perhaps also used by pharmacists.

Here is another spatula knife in MOP with an etch of W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago. I can't seem to find anything on W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago so that is still an unknown to me (and I searched high and low :) ) - but if anybody knows please share. Although there is no tang stamp I do think it was made by Russell based on style in comparison to other Russell made spatula knives and had agreement on that from a few local collectors at the NCCA. Thanks for looking...
DSCN4788 2.JPG
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

Here's an old J. Russell & Co. -- Green River Works.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Nice palette knife Joe ::tu:: ... got to like any old Russell buddy ... and in fact can I borrow it for some putty work I need to do this summer :lol: :lol:

Note in edit: I thought I posted to your putty knife Joe - but than didn't see it and didn't know it was a different thread - so excuse the same post here my friend :D ... though it looks like a handy tool ::tounge::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by FRJ »

No problem Lee. I'm taking this and my cattle knife to any window that will have me. :D
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by philco »

I'll admit my ignorance and say openly I'd never heard of a palette knife until I read this thread. Thanks to all those who have posted here and added to my education. This is what I absolutely love about AAPK. ::tu::
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by knife7knut »

LongBlade wrote:Great herd of spatula/palette knives Barry and all ::tu:: ::tu::

Just my opinion (and speculation) but I think the palette knives had more of a thick blade and rather straight contours which no doubt made them better for painting or caulk. In contrast the spatula knife at least in my experience seems to be much more flexible, tapered towards the pivot bolster (but not in all cases) and was used more often in the pharmacy for pills etc... That is not to say that the thicker palette or spatula knives were perhaps also used by pharmacists.

Here is another spatula knife in MOP with an etch of W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago. I can't seem to find anything on W.H. & Co Boston & Chicago so that is still an unknown to me (and I searched high and low :) ) - but if anybody knows please share. Although there is no tang stamp I do think it was made by Russell based on style in comparison to other Russell made spatula knives and had agreement on that from a few local collectors at the NCCA. Thanks for looking...

DSCN4788 2.JPG
I would say that it could be either Weibusch & Hilger or(more likely)Whitehead & Hoag. Check those names out;both are associated with knives.
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Re: Old Palette Knives

Post by LongBlade »

Thanks Ray for those leads ::tu:: ... so followed up on those suggestions but neither company was based in Boston & Chicago... Wiebusch & Hilger were NY and Whitehead & Hoag in Newark NJ - the latter company was big into making advertising buttons and commemorative medals... but I also realized my spatula knife was "WH & CO" whereas both your suggestions would actually have been "W & H Co" given just the initials.... I am thinking the etch on mine was related to the name of a pharmacy or drug retailer located in Boston/Chicago...

As an aside to all this - in the days of old pharmacies these spatula knives would have been used frequently - my grandfather was a pharmacist in Brooklyn in the 1930s into the 1940s - all drugs at that time were actually made by the pharmacists - they didn't count pills like today's pharmacists so in making up drugs they would have been using these spatula knives to weigh powders etc... Two other things not so much related but sharing: I remember my grandfather saying he was in the pharmacy 16 hours a day filling & making prescriptions from Drs, and the other thing was his store was a target for stealing alcohol during the days of prohibition... below is a photo of my grandfather in his pharmacy during the 1930s - check out the walls and shelving stocked with all chemicals needed to make prescriptions .... I imagine he had more than a few spatula knives....
Grandpa Max in his Pharmacy - 1930s.jpg
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