Anyone heard of or seen a "KAYE HULL" tang stamp

[cleroy423]

I picked up a knife at a Boot Sale, aka Flea Market, while I was in the UK. It has "KAYE HULL" tang stamp and seems to be a fairly sold knife. Anyone know anything about these knives? Only information I could find was in Goins' and all it said was "KAYE HULL SHEFFIELD MAKE". Even google search turned up with nothing? Also any ideas on the scales? They look like maybe bone or ivory to me. I don't think they are celluloid because if you look close it appears to be porous with a wavy grain. I'm fairly new to the knife world. My dad was a knife collector and I inherited his collection and now I'm hooked. This knife has me stumped can't find anything about it.

[orvet]

I have not heard of that tang stamps before, but time handles look more to me like French Ivory, a type of celluloid, then they look like real ivory.
It's hard to tell from a picture but there are a couple of dark brown spots on the handle in pictures 4 and 5. It is a dark brown spot near the bolster.
That's often an indication that the celluloid is beginning the off-gassing process.

If you have a wool sweater rub to handle briskly with the sweater and then smell it to see if you get kind of a chemical smell from the sweater. If you notice that chemical smell that's a good indicator that it is probably a Celluloid handle.

Although it's very difficult to tell, the fact that you don't have a lot of shrinkage may mean that it is early in the off-gassing process, or that is not celluloid and the brown coloration on the handle maybe due to something as simple as rust.

[TPK]

Hello cleroy423,

I can't Help you with your questions but I can say Welcome to the AAPK!
We're glad you came! And interesting find by the way!

Tom

[kootenay joe]

I think the handles could be genuine ivory. The picture showing close up around the shield shows the somewhat indistinct grain that is typical of real ivory. Imitation ivory tends to have more distinct parallel lines.
"Kaye Hull" was probably the name of a merchant business, not a knife manufacturer.
Very nice knife.
What is closed length ? 3 1/2" ?
kj

[Old Folder]

Welcome to AAPK cleroy423.
Your knife "Kaye Hull" was manufactured by, or for: "Kaye Hull" a Retail business.
The location was "Hull" England. A port city located in Eastern Yorkshire England. A very historic town.
Yes, Sheffield made. So...Kaye + Hull = "Kaye Hull"
When I read "Hull" in your posting, I remembered that while researching my Fathers history during his service in WWII, (Just prior to his Normandy landing) I remembered reading about "Kingston upon Hull" usually abbreviated to just "Hull." which suffered much devastation during the Hull Blitz which was the bombing campaign that targeted the English port city of Kingston upon Hull by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
Sorry, I do not have further information about "Kaye Hull" cutlery. However, you have a very nice rare knife. I have never before seen or heard of a Kaye Hull knife.
I am not much help with the handle material without having the knife in my hand.
I only assume that your knife was made prior to the second World War.

[bighomer]

Can't help you, but its a fine looking knife that looks to have spent a lot of time in someone's sock drawer. x10 knice find.

[cleroy423]

I have not heard of that tang stamps before, but time handles look more to me like French Ivory, a type of celluloid, then they look like real ivory.
It's hard to tell from a picture but there are a couple of dark brown spots on the handle in pictures 4 and 5. It is a dark brown spot near the bolster.
That's often an indication that the celluloid is beginning the off-gassing process.

If you have a wool sweater rub to handle briskly with the sweater and then smell it to see if you get kind of a chemical smell from the sweater. If you notice that chemical smell that's a good indicator that it is probably a Celluloid handle.

Although it's very difficult to tell, the fact that you don't have a lot of shrinkage may mean that it is early in the off-gassing process, or that is not celluloid and the brown coloration on the handle maybe due to something as simple as rust.

Thanks a lot for the information. I will try the wool sweater, pretty sure the wife has one some where. Just will have to do it when she is not looking Also, I'm glad I signed up on AAPK cause Google ain't got nothing on you guys when it comes to knives!!

[cleroy423]

Can't help you, but its a fine looking knife that looks to have spent a lot of time in someone's sock drawer. x10 knice find.

Thanks bighomer

[btrwtr]

Handles look like genuine ivory to me. Nice old knife. I had an old sportsman's knife from Hull England. The blades were marked Hoyland Hull.

[cleroy423]

Welcome to AAPK cleroy423.
Your knife "Kaye Hull" was manufactured by, or for: "Kaye Hull" a Retail business.
The location was "Hull" England. A port city located in Eastern Yorkshire England. A very historic town.
Yes, Sheffield made. So...Kaye + Hull = "Kaye Hull"
When I read "Hull" in your posting, I remembered that while researching my Fathers history during his service in WWII, (Just prior to his Normandy landing) I remembered reading about "Kingston upon Hull" usually abbreviated to just "Hull." which suffered much devastation during the Hull Blitz which was the bombing campaign that targeted the English port city of Kingston upon Hull by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
Sorry, I do not have further information about "Kaye Hull" cutlery. However, you have a very nice rare knife. I have never before seen or heard of a Kaye Hull knife.
I am not much help with the handle material without having the knife in my hand.
I only assume that your knife was made prior to the second World War.

Thank you so much for the information Old Folder.

I posted a thread in the Q&A section and " Xyphos" gave me some information as well about T.S. KAYE & SONS Tool Merchants who had a store in Hull. In 1877, Thomas Swaine Kaye, great-grandfather of Tony Kaye, took over the saw repairing and tool business of Thomas Thacker, in Hull - a business established in 1848. During WW II, the shop in Bond Street suffered a direct hit from a German bomb, with roof and windows destroyed. They went out of business in 1982. It just so happens I bought the knife just weeks ago at a boot sale near Kingston upon Hull while visiting my daughter who lives in Withernsea, England. So this is starting to make a pretty strong case that the knife was probably made for this business. Now all I need to do is try and come up with a date on the knife. The blades are stainless steel so some time after 1913 supposedly when the first stainless was made.

[cleroy423]

I think the handles could be genuine ivory. The picture showing close up around the shield shows the somewhat indistinct grain that is typical of real ivory. Imitation ivory tends to have more distinct parallel lines.
"Kaye Hull" was probably the name of a merchant business, not a knife manufacturer.
Very nice knife.
What is closed length ? 3 1/2" ?
kj

Thanks kootenay joe, it is a pretty decent knife it's got good snap and a nice solid construction. As far as the handles I'm going to try the wool like "orvet" suggested. You got the length right on the money 3 1/2"
So far everyone else thinks it was probably for a merchant business, there was a T.S. Kaye & Sons tool merchants in the city of Kingston upon Hull from 1877 until 1982.