Old Knives with Rare Tang Stamps

[Mumbleypeg]

Nice! Don't recall ever seeing Marsh Brothers stamp before.

Ken

[galvanic1882]

Great looking knife

[LongBlade]

Lovely knife Bill ... I really like old folding dirks ...

[thefarside]

Bill,
Outstanding knife, love the blade.

[BWT]

Thanks everyone for the comments

[danno50]

Excellent find, Bill, beautiful old knife! Interesting pearl inlays on the handles.

[BWT]

Thanks Dan for the comments. I really like the pearl inlays also, kinda sold me on the knife!

[Mumbleypeg]

Old - late 1800's. Rare tang stamp - Rather & Co.
Posted elsewhere but belongs here also.
Ken

[danno50]

Beautiful old knife, Mumbleypeg! Love the way all those blades are fit in so nicely!

[BWT]

Very nice and interesting Ken,nice find

[ratlesnake75]

Recent pickup. Marsh Brothers and Co superior cutlery Sheffield. Looks like horn handles,5 inches long, probably mid to late 1800s. Thanks for looking!

Awesome knife!! Can you guys Please help me learn what these "Round Circle Inlays" were designed for??
I have seen them many times on antique knives but never have I read WHY!!!
I have this knife from the Early 1900s with LEAD Round inlays
Thank you ALL for the HELP
Kindest Regards,
Mark

[BWT]

Nice knife Mark, hopefully someone might have an answer for you and me as well. I only have one other knife with the inlays that look to be maybe bronze? I imagine this is a German made knife also. It has HH inside of what looks like maybe flags?? It’s a very solid knife with good snap.

[FRJ]

Bill, I'm a bit late but that is a nice old Marsh Bros. you have there. Nice catch.

Ken, that is a beautifully designed and built knife there. It is dripping class and accomplished skill.

I think the round circular inlays are simply adornment.

[LongBlade]

Great looking knife Ken - I really like all the blades/implements in that handle ! Where was Rather & Co located?

Mark - Maybe the lead discs add some weight and a hefty knife is something some like as a user ... just guessing but have seen similar circular inlays of MOP which was adornment more than function ..

Nice knife Bill - the contrasting pins always suggest German to me but understand a few of the Sheffield companies in later years of the 1900s also used them on some knives...

[Mumbleypeg]

Great looking knife Ken - I really like all the blades/implements in that handle ! Where was Rather & Co located?

Thanks to all for the compliments on the knife. It's an interesting one, fairly small (3 inches) especially considering it has 10 blades including the corkscrew. A couple of the smaller blades and the scissors have "pellet" style blade pulls in order to provide access. It has a toothpick made from tortoise shell and a small earwax spoon.

I haven't been able to definitively learn where Rather & Co. was located. One source says Germany with a question mark (not sure what that means) but the master blade is deeply stamped with crossed swords and "Acier Superfine" which is French. Goins' lists the company but gives no information. I have two other knives (different patterns) stamped the same. So best guess is France or Germany.

When I found the knife the MOP handle cover on one side was broken and partly missing. The other side was tight and intact. Otherwise the knife was in great shape especially considering how old it is. I sent the knife to Bill DeShivs who put a new MOP cover on it, perfectly matched to the original intact side. He's a talented master cutler.

Below is a "before" picture showing the knife as found. You can see the toothpick and ear spoon, the broken MOP cover, and the interesting little lever extension from the bolster, by which the spoon blade is accessed (think Russlock, only way shorter). The toothpick uses a similar mechanism, accessed from the other end. Thanks for looking.

Ken

[BWT]

G. Farmer Sheffield, 4 1/4 inche whittler. Looks like horn handles,looks to have been repinned,still has good snap though. Couldn’t find any information on it? Thanks for any information or comments

[LongBlade]

Thanks Ken - it is quite a knife with 10 blades, 5 springs and only 3" long ... The repair was done well...

Another interesting knife, quite unique to my eye and one large whittler at 4 1/2" Bill .. Interesting design - I'm guessing one would call it a congress whittler (though the bottom or spring side of a congress is not usually curved but straight at least to my knowledge ... What a shield - never seen one that large ... and really cool bolsters too!!! ...

[BWT]

Thanks Lee for all the comments!

[kootenay joe]

Here is an old well made 3 1/8" Coffin pen knife with file worked spring. The markings are the same on both blades and appears to be
"J Turrill/250/Regent St."
Likely British but i cannot find this name in Levine or Goins. Have you seen this name previously ?
I like it because snaps are just right and there is no blade play at all. Could be 150 years old or more so this smooth action is remarkable.
kj

[galvanic1882]

Great old knives, Bill I love that whittler. Here’s a big 4 1/4” closed whittler marked Carlyle New York never heard of this company . Any help would be appreciated, Mike

[BWT]

Here is an old well made 3 1/8" Coffin pen knife with file worked spring. The markings are the same on both blades and appears to be
"J Turrill/250/Regent St."
Likely British but i cannot find this name in Levine or Goins. Have you seen this name previously ?
I like it because snaps are just right and there is no blade play at all. Could be 150 years old or more so this smooth action is remarkable.
kj

Beautiful knife Roland, I checked Goins and Tweesdale and found nothing listed in either book, really nice knife though!!

[BWT]

Great old knives, Bill I love that whittler. Here’s a big 4 1/4” closed whittler marked Carlyle New York never heard of this company . Any help would be appreciated, Mike

Good looking ole knife Mike, my kinda knife, could find no information though!!

[LongBlade]

Here is an old well made 3 1/8" Coffin pen knife with file worked spring. The markings are the same on both blades and appears to be
"J Turrill/250/Regent St."
Likely British but i cannot find this name in Levine or Goins. Have you seen this name previously ?
I like it because snaps are just right and there is no blade play at all. Could be 150 years old or more so this smooth action is remarkable.
kj

Sweet knife and cool design KJ ... I think J Turrill on 250 Regent St was perhaps a London retailer but I am not seeing the name in the London Knife Book which also lists London retailers - also not in Tweedale which is no surprise given Regent St - Regent St makes me think London and I frequented that area on a few trips over there - in fact 250 Regent St is in central London (close to Piccadilly Circus) and Regent St is a major thoroughfare - anyway that area suggests retailer - perhaps a maker .. but I am guessing retailer given the location ...

Great old knives, Bill I love that whittler. Here’s a big 4 1/4” closed whittler marked Carlyle New York never heard of this company . Any help would be appreciated, Mike

Very cool whittler Mike ... sorry as I am no help on maker background ...

[kootenay joe]

Mike the pattern of your whittler including blade profile does not look like any other whittler i have seen. Hence cannot say it looks American, or British or German. Wonder if it is a vintage custom knife ?
kj

[galvanic1882]

Thanks Guys and sorry for the crappy pictures, did them quickly with my phone.

Roland the knife has age and I very much doubt it's a custom knife, even if an old one. Knife looks to be English to me but marked New York??