Project Knife

[Pen & Toothpick]

So I bought my first project knife. It has all of the things you guys love...well except for big blades and its just a tiny knife.

Let me know what you think I should do with it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=010

[redferd]

Hmmm...??? I think I'd leave it as is if I liked it. If I wanted to do something with it, I'd have to think about that for a long time to make sure I was going to do the right thing. Good question.

[mikek]

First I'd give it a good cleaning (no buffing) than just think on it awhile. mike

[Pen & Toothpick]

Yes Mike I think I want to see what it actually looks like first. Based on so many people saying to leave it as is, I will surely do that for awhile and like you said think about it for a long time.

I was looking and that company went bankrupt in 1887. I don't know if the guy that bought it continued to make guns and knifes under that name into the early 1900's or not?

[jonet143]

i found a catalog page from 1887. they seem to be a wholesaler of firarms, etc. acme, wesson arms. no mention of manufacture. a lot of sellers had knives made with their company names on the tang. where did you find bankrupsy info?

[Pen & Toothpick]

It took me awhile to find this again, it is from the New York Times. You know it does say dealer, not manufacturer. That makes it more interesting I really bought the knife for the old stag handles... never hear of this company, now I wonder who made it for the dealer, Did Acme or Wesson make knives back then?

The paragraph is the forth from the bottom on the left.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-fr ... ref=slogin

[testcase]

One can always buy a nice new shiny knife if that is what you want. Can't repeoduce age and character.
At least that is what I tellmy wife...

[Pen & Toothpick]

No worry Testcase I have no plans to make the knife new and shinny!!!

I really am only pondering about the stag, I got to wait till I see it.

Jonet can you post the Catalog page also?

[Pen & Toothpick]

The web of this whole thing get deeper when you search more. Two interesting things are that there was a law suit about some inovation on a police revolver. And secondly....they actually may have had the first patent on a Chain as an improvement over a Cord Saw. Did not see any pictures though.

Seems to me that the knife is most likely from 1884 -1887

[jonet143]

very interesting. good find.

[Froggyedge]

You call it a project knife and you presumably want to do some work on it.
Of course it's your knife now and you can do exactly what you want with it, but I like old knives to look like…old knives if you know what I mean. I think I would try to give it a careful cleaning and oiling of the joints but not much more.
As testcase wrote:

One can always buy a nice new shiny knife if that is what you want. Can't reproduce age and character.

If you want to practice rehandling or more “drastic” restoration, I think I would choose a much newer knife.

Good luck whatever you choose to do! Enjoy your find!

[Pen & Toothpick]

I did recieve this knife today.........one of the small blades was actually to the side of the backspring.....which caused the worst damage to the handle. Also the bolster on that side was missing from the stress.

I was able to reset the blade without removing the pins.

Coolest thing I noticed is the main blade is 4 mm or 5/36" thick at the top which I have never seen in a typical modern pen knife.

[peterforce]

i would leave it. probably a light cleaning is about it. then just admire it once in awhile.

the girl scout thing is funny.