Antique Quill Knives

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks Bill, I like the unusual one's too!

[BWT]

I believe I have posted the NY knife before on another thread?

[doglegg]

Miller Bro's, Bill, those are just awesome little knives. That green tone is amazing the those of yours Bill are just great. Worth collecting.

[LongBlade]

Nice Bill - classical American quills ...

BTW - your quill stamped AB is by far my favorite - In case you didn’t know that is Aaron Burkinshaw .. I am quite fond of his knives !!!!

[BWT]

Thanks doglegg and Lee. Thanks for the info Lee, I had never found information on AB or OD Gray. Goins has quite a bit about Alan Burkinshaw!!!

[Miller Bro's]

Miller Bro's, Bill, those are just awesome little knives. That green tone is amazing the those of yours Bill are just great. Worth collecting.

Thanks for looking

[Miller Bro's]

Bill, nice Quill knives!

[BWT]

Thanks Dimitri

[RobesonsRme.com]

This little Robeson has been on and off Ebay for a year or so. Do not recall seeing it sell. It's not there at the moment, but it might re-appear in the near future.

It certainly looks like a quill knife, but given the time period in which Robeson could have manufactured this, 1900 to 1916, I'm not sure they meant it to be used to trim quill feathers.

Were quills still being used at the turn of the 19th century?

Charlie Noyes

[knife7knut]

Nice knives everyone;especially that fancy one Dimitri! Bill the frame of that Robeson looks for all the world like the George Washington knife Camillus made to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth. The blade is different though. Here is a pic in case you don't know which one I'm talking about.

[BWT]

Thanks for the info Ray. I have no idea, that's why I put a photo of the tang. It seems to be an old Robenson, has no snap, not sure of the handle material, hopefully not celluloid?

[RobesonsRme.com]

That is, indeed, Robeson’s version of the George Washington Commemorative knife.

I’ll post a photo of the paper Robeson provided with the knife when I have access to my PC.

Charlie Noyes

[BWT]

Thanks Charlie

[RobesonsRme.com]

Here's mine.

But, I think I got the date wrong on that little white card.

Charlie

[LongBlade]

Very interesting Charlie ... The handle just based on photos appears to be cracked ice celluloid and not MOP - is that correct??

You also asked above about the history of quill pens as a writing implement. I believe that steel NIB pens were first developed in the early 1800s though were probably not commonly used by many until the later 1800s... Based on that I believe that quill knives for most cutleries ended production by the mid to later 1800s but at that time were considered more a desk knife or a pen knife - and were for the most not made after the turn of the century in that style pen knife from my understanding (of course there may have been a few still made in early 1900s but I have no examples or knowledge as to which manufacturers) ... also true quill knives had one flat side and the other convex in shape... if you read Dimitri’s intro on page 1 it is very informative!!

As an interesting side note Miller Bros made steel NIBs for pens. In fact during their later years in the 1900s Miller Bros stopped making many knives and just focused on the steel NIBs for pens as their main product.

[knife7knut]

Here's mine.

But, I think I got the date wrong on that little white card.

Charlie

Charlie: I believe the Camillus version was introduced in 1931. I also have a larger version made by B&B. Here is a picture of both of them together.

[RobesonsRme.com]

George Washington was born in 1732, so the knives would have been commemorating that event.

Charlie Noyes

[58chevy348]

Just got this early J. Rodgers & Sons fixed blade quill knife with original sheath. Any idea how old it might be?

[LongBlade]

That's a cool Rodgers fixed blade quill ... Great looking ebony handle and very nice to have the sheath as well!! I haven't seen too many fixed blade quills but I like it!! Hard to date it but I'm "guessing" mid to later 1800s - I don't think too many quills made it into the 1900s with the development of steel NIB pens...

[Mason]

Just got this early J. Rodgers & Sons fixed blade quill knife with original sheath. Any idea how old it might be?

Joseph Rodgers called this model a "Desk Knife" and it would date to the late 1800s. Enclosed are a few similar Rodger's examples from 1897 along with a picture of an ink eraser also from Joseph Rogers which would have accompanied your knife.

[LongBlade]

Thanks for posting that catalog cut Neal .... I can no doubt see why this one would be for the desk given the handle - it’s hard to tell but the blade is probably about the size of a quill knife blade - maybe abit bigger ... I always considered quill knives desk knives especially those fancy carved Sheffield patterns. I guess if one was in a “business” where writing with a quill was done in multiple places I imagine some were carried - given their small and slim size particularly American made quill knives I am guessing they were easy to lose and probably were best left on the desk ...

[RobesonsRme.com]

Lee, I had not seen your query re' the handle material on my Robeson George Washington commemorative.

It is celluloid. I don't think I've ever seen one of the 1932 GW Commemorative knives with genuine pearl handles.

Charlie

[Mason]

Thanks for posting that catalog cut Neal .... I can no doubt see why this one would be for the desk given the handle - it’s hard to tell but the blade is probably about the size of a quill knife blade - maybe abit bigger ... I always considered quill knives desk knives especially those fancy carved Sheffield patterns. I guess if one was in a “business” where writing with a quill was done in multiple places I imagine some were carried - given their small and slim size particularly American made quill knives I am guessing they were easy to lose and probably were best left on the desk ...

Thanks Lee and yes, the blades are so small and delicate compared to the handle, and I suspect this latest Rodgers desk knife may have a shortened blade???
The tools of a proper gentleman...

Here is another 19th century Sheffield Quill folder from "J Dewsnap" with nicely carved pearl handles.

[LongBlade]

Thanks Charlie ...

Beauty of a Dewsnap Neal ... Those carved MOP handles are no doubt classic Sheffield quality - and their quills were so much fancier than those of the American made cutleries ... Bsck on page 7 of this thread I posted a Hinchcliffe carved MOP quill and the elaborate carving on rear of knife was the same pattern as the Dewsnap ... as an aside going back to the Rodgers - I wonder if they ever sold a boxed set with a quill and ink eraser in a nice felt box - a nice addition to any desk of the Victorian age

[wlf]

It’d be a nice addition to my desk.