My brother picked this up for me at some junk sale. The knife has no tang stamps or any other means of identification. To me, it doesn't feel like an American made knife. The scales are either Bakelite or something very similar. The build quality is good, the old knife is still tight. The knife measures about 3 5/8" long, closed. It came in the leather pouch shown, it is a perfect fit, but I have no idea if it came with the knife.
The main blade is engraved to Charles Hanimann, Sen. I presume that is an older way of writing Sr....Of course I researched the name to get an idea of the age of the owner, and therefore the knife and got little information.
If anyone has any suggestions about the origin or age of the knife, I would appreciate it.
Interesting Camp knife
-
eveled
- Posts: 2582
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:37 pm
Re: Interesting Camp knife
It might be an even earlier Victorinox?
-
Dan In MI
- Posts: 4339
- Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2021 2:00 am
- Location: United States
Re: Interesting Camp knife
You might be on to something there. The screwdriver also looks a lot like some I've seen on early Victorinox/Elsener models.
USN 2000-2006
Adaptable and (usually) affable knife enthusiast, unsure of his knife collecting destination but enjoying the journey
Case taste, Rough Ryder budget
Adaptable and (usually) affable knife enthusiast, unsure of his knife collecting destination but enjoying the journey
Case taste, Rough Ryder budget
-
eveled
- Posts: 2582
- Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:37 pm
Re: Interesting Camp knife
Yours looks like it is between the two I posted. Maybe between the world wars? Just a guess.
What did you find out about Charles? Looks like he had some patents.
-
kootenay joe
- Posts: 13373
- Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
- Location: West Kootenays, B.C.
Re: Interesting Camp knife
Looks like an older German knife to me. I have owned similar ones that were marked "Solingen". But the German made multi-blades can closely resemble the older SAK so can be hard to differentiate.
kj
kj
-
Maddogfl
- Posts: 269
- Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:59 pm
-
Maddogfl
- Posts: 269
- Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:59 pm
Re: Interesting Camp knife
Maddogfl wrote: ↑Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:58 pmThank you for your comments.
I did see the information about Hanimann patenting what looked like a pencil eraser. He should not be that difficult to research because the spelling of the name is unusual in the US. I do not really know if it is the same man, but I found a man, with the same spelling that was born in Switzerland in 1858 and died in NYC in 1946. It may or may not be the same person. I could chase down more information if I signed up for Ancestory.com, but I am not going to do that.
Your help with the lead on what the knife MAY have led me to more information. I am thinking that this knife is a commercial version of the Elsener knife made for the Swiss Army, before Elsener became Victorinox. I saw a reference to the cork-screw as eliminating it as a soldier issue knife. However, since it was necessary for Officers, (who had to have their wine apparently) they could buy this knife privately. If I am on the right path, the blade style would date this between 1897 and 1909. Of course, all of the information acquired on the WWW is subject to skepticism. I am a very casual knife guy, without enough knowledge to even know what I don't know.
What I find unusual about the knife is a total lack of markings, and I have gone over it with a loop. It is a well built, quality piece and you would think someone would have been proud enough of it to put their company name on it. Something else I found that was heartening, was a post from someone with a very similar knife for sale with an identical leather pouch to the one I own. (even down to the broken latch) That makes me pretty confident that the knife and pouch have been together since production.
I would appreciate any other comments from you knowledgeable knife guys; especially if I am barking up the wrong tree.