1904 Coin Knife from St Louis World's Fair

[gabatgh]

So this little guy is from the 1904 St Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition. It says as much on on side, and also has the fleur-de-lis. The other side looks like a Chinese coin.

The blade is magnetic.

I'm not sure if this is a knife or a cigar cutter, but it's cute either way.

[doglegg]

That is cool for sure. And in great shape.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Nice and I'm pretty sure it was intended as a cigar cutter.

Years ago, I saw a Columbian Exposition knife made by Henkels, I believe. It was a small sleeveboard multi-blade with aluminum handles embossed with appropriate scenes and dates, etc. It was in a leather button-closure knife purse type holder.

I've wanted one ever since.

Charlie Noyes

[Mumbleypeg]

Interesting knife. I agree it’s a cigar cutter - I’ve seen coin knives before but until now not with a hole in the center. Nice find!

Ken

[gabatgh]

"hole in the center"

Aha. That's what I thought too, but here's the thing. The Chinese coin has a hole in it naturally. The coin is a replica of Guangxu Tongbao, which was active Chinese currency at the time. So the hole may just be coincidental.

[deo-pa]

I'm not a smoker but I'm a little skeptical that it's a cigar cutter. It looks like the hole is about 8mm in diameter which is (barely) the size of a cigarette. I think even cigarillo or panatela cigars have a diameter greater than that.

I assume lots of folks rolled their own cigarettes in the early 20th Century; did folks trim cigarettes before smoking them in those days? (I used to watch my uncle roll cigarettes when I was a kid and he never did.)

Granted, if it's not for cutting smokes I have no idea what it's for.

Dennis

[gabatgh]

I'm not a smoker but I'm a little skeptical that it's a cigar cutter. It looks like the hole is about 8mm in diameter which is (barely) the size of a cigarette. I think even cigarillo or panatela cigars have a diameter greater than that.

I assume lots of folks rolled their own cigarettes in the early 20th Century; did folks trim cigarettes before smoking them in those days? (I used to watch my uncle roll cigarettes when I was a kid and he never did.)

Granted, if it's not for cutting smokes I have no idea what it's for.

Dennis

Cigar cutters come in all shapes and sizes. Here's two that are sitting on my desk right now, each having an opening of about 7mm.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Given that Robeson made several different two blade coin knives, I tend to look at every one I see on Ebay, just to see if they might be a Robeson product.

It's amazing how many sellers describe such coin knives as "cigar cutters", when they have no hole or indent to accommodate the end of a cigar to be cut.

Charlie Noyes

[gabatgh]

Occasionally, my wife or I will email a seller who has something irrevocably wrong with their listing, and include links to back up our correction and explain. Almost every time, the seller is grateful for our help, the other times the seller just never replies.