Theater/shop/garage made knives

[Berryb]

I like the home made stuff. Soooo.... I'm gonna try to start a thread. I'll post some pics and hope that some of you like minded people will do the same.
photo 1: These are what are called Theater knives, implying they were made in a war zone, and many were. But they could have been made in any shop with access to these kind of materials. I expect most were made in military facilities whether war or peacetime. The left one is very heavy, with brass and stacked plexiglass handle. The center has a sheath that I expect the owner was prouder of than the knife itself. The one on the rt. is an old folder with the blade welded to the spring, and plexi handles added.
Photo 2: The one on the left has bone handle. at first I thought it was a re-handle but close inspection tells me it's homemade. The sheath is stamped "wildhorse Todd" on the back. the center one is very heavy, the blade is 7/32nds at the spine. The handle is all stacked leather even the pommel and the guard.
Photo 3: all are made from files.. The one on the left is not a fixed blade. I've posted it before it's one of my favorites. The center one is interesting because the hosel is made of a piece of cow horn. The handle appears to be an old hammer handle. The right one is there because it is curved by some method that I can't figure out.
I guess I got a little long winded but here they are. A friend of mine has a lot of them That I can post later If there is any interest. Thanks
Bruce

[Berryb]

oops they all turned sideways on me. the bottom would be the left.
Bruce

[tallguy606]

When I was a kid in Kansas in the 60s, my dad's friend showed us a hunting knife he made during WWII. Blade made from a circular saw blade, handle was narrow-tang with rings of various colors of Plexiglas from aircraft windshields. Aluminum pommel. He said he polished it with tooth powder (remember that - before tooth paste?) He was a master carpenter and it was very well made.

[1967redrider]

I just have one that I picked up recently, no markings whatsoever and I added the sheath. Maybe the blade is out of an old Western? Pitted but a nice patina that I'm not messing with. Good weight and measures in at 9" overall with a 4 3/4" blade.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Is that handle a billet of aluminum?

[1967redrider]

Is that handle a billet of aluminum?

Solid aluminum, I thought maybe cast? But I'm not sure how they do the handles.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

You could be right - but cast or milled, to get it that rounded, it must have spent some time under a grinder wheel and/or sanding belt!

[1967redrider]

You could be right - but cast or milled, to get it that rounded, it must have spent some time under a grinder wheel and/or sanding belt!

Yes indeed, it's very smooth in hand but has small dimples/dings. Not sure if they are from use or casting?

[ken98k]

You could be right - but cast or milled, to get it that rounded, it must have spent some time under a grinder wheel and/or sanding belt!

Yes indeed, it's very smooth in hand but has small dimples/dings. Not sure if they are from use or casting?

A guy whom I was in the Army with, (40 years ago) had a similar knife and told me the made them in his high school shop class. The handle on his was poured in a mold.

[1967redrider]

I think it was cast, like the way F.J. Richtig did his handles. The picture is from Levine's 4th Edition, hope you can read it. I guess aluminum casting wouldn't affect blade temper?

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

I did some Al casting in a college class, as I recall Al melts at ~1200 deg F.

[knife7knut]

As was stated aluminum melts at around 1200 degrees F and can be easily cast in a sand or hard wood mold.During WWII there was plenty of scrap aluminum from damaged aircraft parts as well as Plexiglas from canopies.A repair facility would have had machine shop items such as power hacksaws whose blades make very nice knife blades.Acetylene torches would have provided the necessary heat to melt aluminum or cut out metal for blades.Grinders and files provided the shaping tools.
Here are some of the ones I have in my accumulation.Some are WWII vintage and others post war.

[knife7knut]

A few more.

[Berryb]

There was a guy in Minneapolis that made knives in his basement with cast Aluminum handles. When he had enough he took them to the armory to be distributed to the troops. Bruce

[Berryb]

ooops. I guess I should have read my own post. My memory is full of mis-information.
Bruce

[FRJ]

Here is what appears to be a shop made knife. It is stamped "CLIFF".
It is very compatible with the sheath which makes me think the knife was made for the sheath.
I guess you would call it a liner lock but the liners are separate from the lock.
It is very well made with a spring from hell. Closing it, it will wake the baby.
Rosewood covers? 5 13/16" closed.

[knife7knut]

That folder is a beauty!

[1967redrider]

Great looking examples Knife7 and Berryb, first shop made folder I've seen too like that! I see a fair amount of custom friction folders at the shows, I guess adding a spring and liner lock involves a whole other level of expertise.

[FRJ]

That folder is a beauty!

Thank you, Ray.

[Berryb]

some really nice stuff you guys.
Here are some that belong to a friend of mine. He has more but they're in a box he can't find. If they turn up I'll post them.

[1967redrider]

Great looking examples!

[Eye Brand Man]

Here's some of the theater knives I've picked up over the years. I still believe these are under appreciated. There folk art made by one of the greatest generations of all time. Most if not all of these were made during WWII by men fighting for our freedom.

[1967redrider]

Awesome group and I agree with you completely.

[Byrd]

Here's one an elderly gentleman gave me 40 years ago. He did a good job on it. A friend worked as a guard at a local prison so I traced the knife and an inmate made the sheath. All I had to do was put $10 into his commissary account. Pretty good package I'd say.

[richard]

i made this today,in the shed. from a old broken sheffield, england .dinner knife blade , and a antler point i found , while walking.
thanks for looking.