All About Pocket Knives

Thanks Joe and M.B.
I think both you guys would like episodes 35 and 45 on the podcast.
Both those guests are very involved with cutlery in England.

I will definitely check it out

Yeah Dogg, I'm afraid to even look at it. J.O'.

Christopher Johnson Western Works.

Beautiful knife!

The 400-year old metalworker's guild that promotes Sheffield products is called the Company of Cutlers of Hallamshire (that being the ancient name for the Sheffield area). Every year it elects a Master Cutler who is a prominent business person from among the hundreds of companies and organizations that make up the guild. That person is honored at an annual black tie banquet and is expected to spend the year promoting Sheffield and its products.

Tradition calls for the recipient to commemorate his or her election with a pocket knife, and the knife below is the Master Cutler's knife from 1950 marking the election of George Wilton Lee, who was the president of Arthur Lee & Co., the family's steel business. George Ibberson & Co. made the knife. The handles are sterling silver and are engraved with the guild's coat-of-arms and a facsimile of Lee's signature. The last photo shows Lee's portrait that hangs in Cutlers Hall in Sheffield.

Excellent post!

deo-pa wrote: ↑Sun Apr 13, 2025 10:48 am The 400-year old metalworker's guild that promotes Sheffield products is called the Company of Cutlers of Hallamshire (that being the ancient name for the Sheffield area). Every year it elects a Master Cutler who is a prominent business person from among the hundreds of companies and organizations that make up the guild. That person is honored at an annual black tie banquet and is expected to spend the year promoting Sheffield and its products.

Tradition calls for the recipient to commemorate his or her election with a pocket knife, and the knife below is the Master Cutler's knife from 1950 marking the election of George Wilton Lee, who was the president of Arthur Lee & Co., the family's steel business. George Ibberson & Co. made the knife. The handles are sterling silver and are engraved with the guild's coat-of-arms and a facsimile of Lee's signature. The last photo shows Lee's portrait that hangs in Cutlers Hall in Sheffield.

Quite the find .

Late 1800s- '30s Wostenholms. There may be a couple post WWII.

Very nice Lyle

Agreed,great line up Lyle.

J.Bunger &Sons, Celebrated Cutlery. Split backspring wharncliffe whittler. 3 1⁄4 closed. Master blade flat ground. All three blades stamped “J.Bunger & Sons, Celebrated Cutlery” and “XX.” Thin, sharp blades, sunk joints.

Goins says 1875-1900. I asked a friend in the UK if he knew anything about the company and he found the following: I think J Bunger & Sons was the London cutler (retailer) Jakob Bunger his premises was in Billiter Sq (City of London).

ObsidianEdge wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:15 pm J.Bunger &Sons, Celebrated Cutlery. Split backspring wharncliffe whittler. 3 1⁄4 closed. Master blade flat ground. All three blades stamped “J.Bunger & Sons, Celebrated Cutlery” and “XX.” Thin, sharp blades, sunk joints.

Goins says 1875-1900. I asked a friend in the UK if he knew anything about the company and he found the following: I think J Bunger & Sons was the London cutler (retailer) Jakob Bunger his premises was in Billiter Sq (City of London).

Very knice whittler Mike. And blades look to be in great condition. Love the handles.

Thanks. I found out after buying it that the knife used to belong to a collector friend of mine who passed away in 2018.

There are so many amazing antique knives which were made in England.
I have really enjoyed this thread and the wide range of designs shown.
This brings me to ask the experts here if my Rodgers knife is an antique or not.
The knife in question has an etched main blade with the words "Stockman's Friend".
The tang stamp has "Rodgers Cutlers to His Majesty" on the file side.
So I know that the knife is pre-1952.
And on the pile side is "No 6 Norfolk Street".
Interestingly the knife has highly polished springs.
The spring polish work includes the inside of the knife.
The knife has an overall high degree of fit and finish.

Your replies and feedback are much appreciated.

Northwester45 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:07 pm There are so many amazing antique knives which were made in England.
I have really enjoyed this thread and the wide range of designs shown.
This brings me to ask the experts here if my Rodgers knife is an antique or not.
The knife in question has an etched main blade with the words "Stockman's Friend".
The tang stamp has "Rodgers Cutlers to His Majesty" on the file side.
So I know that the knife is pre-1952.
And on the pile side is "No 6 Norfolk Street".
Interestingly the knife has highly polished springs.
The spring polish work includes the inside of the knife.
The knife has an overall high degree of fit and finish.

Your replies and feedback are much appreciated.

Good looking knife. Knice handles.

ObsidianEdge wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:15 pm J.Bunger &Sons, Celebrated Cutlery. Split backspring wharncliffe whittler. 3 1⁄4 closed. Master blade flat ground. All three blades stamped “J.Bunger & Sons, Celebrated Cutlery” and “XX.” Thin, sharp blades, sunk joints.

Beautiful old knife Mike!!

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:06 am

ObsidianEdge wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:15 pm J.Bunger &Sons, Celebrated Cutlery. Split backspring wharncliffe whittler. 3 1⁄4 closed. Master blade flat ground. All three blades stamped “J.Bunger & Sons, Celebrated Cutlery” and “XX.” Thin, sharp blades, sunk joints.

Beautiful old knife Mike!!

Thanks MB!

ObsidianEdge wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 2:15 pm J.Bunger &Sons, Celebrated Cutlery. Split backspring wharncliffe whittler. 3 1⁄4 closed. Master blade flat ground. All three blades stamped “J.Bunger & Sons, Celebrated Cutlery” and “XX.” Thin, sharp blades, sunk joints.

Goins says 1875-1900. I asked a friend in the UK if he knew anything about the company and he found the following: I think J Bunger & Sons was the London cutler (retailer) Jakob Bunger his premises was in Billiter Sq (City of London).

Oh my Mike that is one beautiful knife

Joseph Elliott Sheffield folding dagger. Civil War era I believe. Liberty and Union on the guards. Love the horn handles and has some original polish. Very happy to have gotten this one

What a great knife Mike! Congrats!

X2

Not too recently, this pocket knife arrived in a group or lot of pocket knives that I bought. It now becomes my first example to be posted under this topic or thread. I did NOT buy the group or lot of pocket knives to obtain this particular pocket knife. However, it did get added to my general, FOREIGN BORN, pocket knife accumulation. It is a RODGERS, three blades, one tool (a broken file), eight tang stamps, 3 1/4" closed, tipped bolsters, two springs, pocket knife. The main blade front tang stamp has the "STAR" and "CROSS" symbols (over) ENGLAND" The main blade back tang stamp says, "No 6 (over) NORFOLK (over) STREET (over) SHEFFIELD " The secondary blade front tang stamp says, "RODGERS (over) CUTLERS (over) TO HIS (over) MAJESTY" The secondary blade back tang stamp says, "OIL THE (over) JOINTS" The third blade front tang stamp says, "RODGERS (over) CUTLERS (over) TO HIS (over) MAJESTY" The third blade back tang stamp says, "OIL THE (over) JOINTS" The broken file front tang stamp has the "STAR" and "CROSS" symbols. The broken file back tang stamp says, "RODGERS (over) CUTLERS (over) TO HIS (over) MAJESTY" The main blade, notice where the blade pull is, has NO half stop, but it has a VERY GOOD opening and closing snap. The secondary blade has NO half stop, but it does have a VERY GOOD opening and closing snap. The third blade has NO half stop, but it too has a VERY GOOD opening and closing snap. The file stub has NO half stop, but it also has a VERY GOOD opening and closing snap. Even with the broken file, this pocket knife is still in GOOD+ condition and has a lot of life left in it. I had to clean it up a little bit. I took some pictures and here it is.
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

Lots of Tang stamps on that one Skip

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Sat Jul 19, 2025 8:26 am Lots.....

Dimitri, the amount of tang stamps could be considered
by some to be overkill, but not by me.