All About Pocket Knives

RobesonsRme.com wrote:Also, this apparent tortoise multi-blade.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-1856-Weis ... 4b573dd761

Charlie

Charlie, that's our friend selling that knife check out the sellers ID.

Check your PM's Dimitri.

Charlie

I wonder why he's culling that one out?

Charlie

RobesonsRme.com wrote:If a British Naval Officer's knife, then it probably should not fall under the "Bowie" umbrella.

And Levine does not list John Coe as a maker of Bowie era knives.

Charlie

I think they are considered part of that genre of knife even as a Naval knife - there are notable examples (though again blade style is different in the majority) in a few of the Bowie books) .. also I would not consider Levine’s list of Bowie makers complete at all - there are much more comprehensive lists in some of the Bowie knife references and among the books as well...

I didn’t look at the seller on eBay’s name - is he not the one with that 12” Hawkbill with stag among other nice knives on his website? And other types of collectibles?... maybe he’s culling it for holiday spending ..

That's him.

Charlie

Thanks Charlie ...

When I looked up Hinchcliffe in the Ben Palmer Collection book the Bowie maker who made that beauty of a folding dagger was listed as George Hinchcliffe - whereas my quill knife I referred to was made by John Hinchcliffe - However in Tweedale he noted John Hinchcliffe as the Bowie maker (and pen and pocket knives) and George Hinchcliffe as a pen and pocket knife maker... given it is folding knife maybe it is George Hinchcliffe as the first initial is worn in the stamp... not clear but great addition to any collection no matter who made it

I read it as "J. HINCHCLIFFE / CELEBRATED / DIRK KNIFE" and that is exactly how Goins listed it and he stated they also made Bowie knives.

He also listed a "G. WILLIS HINCHCLIFFE CELEBRATED RAZORS"

Charlie

Interesting Charlie ... as I said the stamp is worn so I wasn’t sure but given the direct stamp is seen in Goins you are right .. but it isn’t clear based on the info from 2 different books - Tweedale agrees with Goins, in fact Tweedale lists 3 different Hinchcliffes but it is possible George Hinchcliffe slso made bowies (as noted in the Palmer book)... both existed in the big bowie era production years of Sheffield... thanks for posting that knife as it again is special and I would have missed it based on my eBay searches..,,

This is the search that turns up some odd and unusual stuff that I would otherwise miss:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Other-Vint-Fold ... 331/i.html

Charlie

Two celluloid handled Wabash Cutlery Terre Haute IN.

A Buhl and Sons elephant toe with a lanyard hook integrated into the frame a fold out saw blade. Pretty cool collaboration on a knife.

I've always been a fan of swell-center patterns and those Wabash Cutlery examples are fine!

Very unique lanyard hook on the Buhl. Never seen one like that before.

Ken

Very nice Wabash David
Piledriver, very nice and unusual, I like everything about that one!!!

BWT wrote:Very nice Wabash David
Piledriver, very nice and unusual, I like everything about that one!!!

Thank you, it's got a lot of mystique

Here's an old Union Knife Co., Naugatuck. 3 3/4" closed.

Everything about that knife Joe screams "The old classic."

Nice old Union Joe ...

I also have a Union Knife Co Naugatuck which is a single blade jack with smooth bone, similar bar shield and 3 3/4" closed length ... In fact single blade jacks must have been a popular pattern with Union Knife as I have seen at least 2 others besides our two - and they are not all that common as a find... One difference between ours is the blade - My blade has a nail nick rather than a long pull and the swedge on my knife runs all along the spine to the tang... not sure if this was considered a folding "dirk" or a stabber pattern given the swedge ... Anyway I got lucky with this one - blade is pretty full with a hard snap & tight - there is a chip of bone missing at the center pin on mark and pile sides but what I now understand is that knives with strong springs often may have a crack or chip at this pin (one often sees this on many knives and center cracks are not uncommon - when the blades are good which is my priority I'll forgive abit of handle damage) - Anyway as explained to me because the center pin fastens the spring that opening and closing the blade off a strong spring puts stress on the pin which puts pressure on the handle cover at that point which ultimately results in the damage..

Very nice, lee.
Great blade on that one.

Thanks Joe ...

KAW wrote:Everything about that knife Joe screams "The old classic."

Thanks Ken.

Didn't see you back there.

Old Rather & Company gentleman's grooming knife. I've posted this one elsewhere but I think it belongs here. Pretty sure it is over 100 years old. It has a manicure blade with file, a button hook, mustache comb, earwax spoon, scissors, corkscrew, tortoise shell toothpick and three assorted different knife blades - ten blades in total. Remarkably it's less than three inches closed length and 3/4 inches thick. Probably German-made. Unfortunately the pearl, which is in great shape on one side, is badly broken on the other side.

Ken

Made in France.

Miller Bro's wrote:Made in France.

Thanks Dimitri. I knew "acier" is French and translates to steel in English, so that makes sense. Not many references have any info on Rather & Co. but I have a reference somewhere (maybe Price - I'll have to look) which says it's German, so that's what I was going with. Appreciate your input.

Ken

Nice knife and a cool variety of blades - nice score Ken ...

Very nice knife, Ken. Some one set some time aside to build that one.