Can anybody help me identify the maker's mark on this lapis inlaid pocket knife?

[jray]

I picked up this nicely made Lapis inlaid pocket knife and I cannot make out the maker's mark. I was wondering if anybody here might recognize it. Thank you!

[Steve Warden]

Sorry jray, no help here.
But welcome and thanks for showing off your knife!

[Sharpnshinyknives]

I have been searching to see if this matched any of the Japanese makers that I am familiar with and had no luck. One thing that might help is that the symbol on the right that is spaced a bit further from the other two symbols may be a symbol used to identify a year that the maker made the knife. I don’t know for sure on that but from some of the research I have seen that would seem to keep in line w/ some of those markings. That might help you to narrow your search on just the first two symbols for a makers mark.
And it might not even be Japanese, this could be Mandarin for all I know.
Welcome to the forum. Sorry there isn’t more help available on this. This is a tough question to answer.

[Old Folder]

I picked up this nicely made Lapis inlaid pocket knife and I cannot make out the maker's mark. I was wondering if anybody here might recognize it. Thank you!

Welcome to aapk jray
I personally do not recognize the logo, however...I asked my wife to observe the marking on the blade.
She has assisted aapk members in the past with language variants and translations. She is knowledgeable in Northern & Southern Chinese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean. She can read, write and translate all to English.
She informed me that the logo is "Chinese"
The 'Chinese Simple' translation is:

The English translation is:
'LIPTON'

I am not aware of a Chinese Mfg. with this name (logo) however, it looks well made and not very old.
China produces and exports many excellent knives with various price ranges.
Many aapk members collect Chinese cutlery, including myself.
Perhaps another member will chime in with the identical logo to further our education.
Thanks for sharing jray.
Dan

[1967redrider]

Great info, Dan!

to AAPK, jray!

[jerryd6818]

Welcome to AAPK. Glad to have you aboard.

[KLJ77]

Okay...I'm not trying to be a wise guy here, but China is a maker/processor of Lipton Tea for Lipton. Could this knife possibly have been made for factory workers for the cutting of tea leaves, so they had a knife designed with 'Lipton' on the tang? Just thinking outside the box.

[Gunsil]

Lapis is a fairly expensive semi-precious gemstone. The best and most lapis Lazuli comes from Afghanistan. Perhaps those marks are just a logo and not Chinese or other letters and the knife was made in Afghanistan or it's neighbors Pakistan or India, two countries with long histories of cutlery manufacture. No way a lapis handled knife would be made for factory workers, way too expensive. To me the knife has many more attributes of a knife from India or Pakistan than from China. Tough one to ID for sure.

[KLJ77]

Thanks Gunsil...I didn't have a clue what Lapis was until you mentioned it. So your statement about not making a knife with lapis for factory workers makes perfect sense. I learnt something today.

Going back inside my box.

[Berryb]

It could be a high end giveaway to preferred customers, not for the workers. companies often do this. (if it is in fact the Lipton tea co.). Thanks
Bruce

[kootenay joe]

It looks more like India or Pakistan to me, both of which are capable of making decent knives.
China has made every kind of knife ever seen but this one does not give off a China 'vibe' to me. Same for Japan.
kj

[Old Folder]

After a closer examination of your knife jray, I realize that it is not "Lapis Inlaid"
Don't misunderstand me, I am not stating that you knife is a fake. I do not know under what circumstances you purchased you knife, or the price you paid. It most likely was not sold as, or described as "Lapis lazuli" inlaid knife.
Mines in northeast Afghanistan continue to be a major source of lapis lazuli. Important amounts are also produced from mines west of Lake Baikal in Russia, and in the Andes mountains in Chile. Smaller quantities are mined in Italy, Mongolia, the United States, and Canada.
Your OP question was:
"I picked up this nicely made Lapis inlaid pocket knife and I cannot make out the maker's mark. I was wondering if anybody here might recognize it?"

I personally respect all the above opinions of other aapk members, however, the logo on your knife does not hide any mysterious makers mark. Your knife is Chinese. As I stated in my above post, my wife is knowledgeable in Northern & Southern Chinese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean.
One above member went as far as to say:
"Perhaps those marks are just a logo and not Chinese or other letters and the knife was made in Afghanistan or it's neighbors Pakistan or India" ???
What am I missing here? How can Chinese writing not be Chinese???

An original Lapis will have a distinguishing pattern on it. It’s majestic appearance is not complete without the golden flecks and white swirls which is caused by the mineral combination of Lapis Lazuli. These will shine in the sunlight and are a good indicator of the stone’s validity. Lapis lazuli is prized for its beautiful imperfections, including the streaks of white that denote the presence of calcium. If a stone is perfectly and completely deep blue, without any flecks of gold or streaks of white, the odds are that it is not real lapis lazuli.

The below picture is a excellent example of real lapis lazuli.

In Dec 2018 my wife and I went to the CA Science Center in Los Angeles for the "King Tut" exhibit included more than 150 artifacts, far more expansive than past displays that have generally been limited to about 50 items. The tour marked the approaching 100th anniversary of the tomb discovery.
About 40 percent of the artifacts left Egypt for the first — and last — time, with the items eventually returning to Egypt to be permanently displayed at the under-construction Grand Egyptian Museum.
I have many pictures, however I will only show a couple items with "lapis lazuli" content so that the actual stone can be viewed.
Note that these items are over 3,300 years old.

King Tut's Mother "Nefertiti" was also adorned with Lapis Lazuli jewelery.

And of course, the Mother of my children:
Queen Anna

[TPK]

Hello jray,

Although I can't help you with your question, I can welcome you to the forum. Interesting knife by the way.

Dan, thanks to you & your wife for the info.

[Gunsil]

Old folder, the best grade of lapis has no calcite (the white stuff) or pyrite (the gold flecks). I happen to be a lapidary who cuts and polishes lapis for jewelry and know my lapis pretty well. When you see lapis jewelry in Tiffany's or Cartier's you will not often see any white or gold inclusions. I sometimes leave a little spot of white or pyrite in my finished stones just to show that it is undyed material. High grade lapis rough material will sometimes have peripheral calcite or pyrite inclusions that the lapidary can work around to provide sweet pure even blue finished stones. It is true that some which is seen that is pure deep blue has been dyed for uniform color but the best grade is available in natural deep even blue without inclusions of pyrite or calcite. Yes, lapis is found in the other places you mention, but for thousands of years the best has been from the Afghanistan mines. Regarding the marks, if they indeed are Chinese writing they could have easily been stamped in with the detail you show for translation, funny that they aren't if that is what they represent. Without having the knife in hand to inspect the stone with a loupe I cannot tell if it is indeed high grade lapis or if it is dyed or even "reconstituted" stone.

[KLJ77]

Old Folder, Gunsil,

Thank you both for a quite detailed explanation about Lapis, its make up and its origins. And thanks for the exquisite photos, Old Folder...those are amazing. I've learned a lot about this stone. My wife even brought out a ring that was set in Lapis that I didn't know she had. I appreciate the time both of you took to present your viewpoints and information.

[Mumbleypeg]

Interesting and educational feedback from everyone. Unfortunately the OP it appears, is another “one post wonder” and has not logged in here to see any of it. The last time jray logged in was prior to the first response.

Ken

[TazmanTom18]

W ierd tang configuration, maybe rehandled blade ?