All About Pocket Knives

BWT wrote:I wish I could help you with that question, but I can't, but I do like your knife, especially for a couple bucks.

You know after I posted that, I took a razor blade and carefully scraped along the edge of the handle material to see if it is celluloid or what. And the scraping didn't produce anything. When I tapped the material lightly with a small screwdriver, it made a sound unlike any plastic would. I think these handles are pearl or shell or something like it. Maybe I shouldn't rehandle it after all.

OLDE CUTLER wrote:

BWT wrote:I wish I could help you with that question, but I can't, but I do like your knife, especially for a couple bucks.

You know after I posted that, I took a razor blade and carefully scraped along the edge of the handle material to see if it is celluloid or what. And the scraping didn't produce anything. When I tapped the material lightly with a small screwdriver, it made a sound unlike any plastic would. I think these handles are pearl or shell or something like it. Maybe I shouldn't rehandle it after all.

I like the older knives, so I wouldn't change them for two reasons. The age of the knife and it would look worse after I finished with it. That kinda looks like a Joesph Rodgers, but without a book in front of me I might be wrong. Wish I found it for a couple of bucks.

OLDE CUTLER wrote:Some great looking pen knives displayed here. I have not seen one with the political etch before. I picked up this Rodgers this weekend at the local fleamarket for a couple of bucks. Both handles chipped. Will be rehandling it with a Kirinite in a similar color/pattern. The stamp on the blade says "cutlers to his majesty". Does that mean this one was made before Queen Elizabeth became Queen in 1953? Or did they always mark them this way with "his majesty"?
IMG_1877.JPG
IMG_1878.JPG

OLDE CUTLER, I have a knife quite similar to yours. A gift from my daughter. Mine is 2 7/8" closed.
Joseph Rodgers marked knives, among many other ways I'm sure, to His Majesty, to Her Majesty and more. Can't bring them to mind but a little digging will reveal much. We are fortunate when we find these little shadows intact. If not, they are a pleasure to own with their scruffy little garb.

Nice knives Olde Cutler and Joe ...

Here is a Miller Bros MOP Sleeveboard pen (3 & 5/16" closed)... There is a crack in MOP near end pin on the mark side along with some staining but the knife has great "cracking" snap on both blades and the etch is still dark and full .... Sometimes you look past a few blemishes when the knife has some nice aspects and is priced right .... These shadow patterns when dropped often incurred some damage especially to the handle covers as also shown in the examples above (and I have just a few others with a similar fate)... often I think about the original owners and their reaction when it did happen, and subsequently what expletives followed ... I'm sure they were not happy ... Thanks for looking!

That is a beauty, love the etch!!

Great Miller Bros., Lee.

Beautiful etch, obscure blemish in cover.

Thanks Joe ... At least the blemish on the cover is only the mark side and not the pile side .. I have two other knives where the blemish is a mirror image on both sides so it is all relative - though one of them is at the top of my list along with a few others of favorite knives in my collection - it is indeed a special rare knife & I'll get some photos in the future ... ...

Looking forward to those photos, Lee.

I recently picked up this Queen senator in Winterbottom bone.

I thought this thread would help me categorize my meager collection of knives, but the term "Pen Knife", seems to cover 90% of my folding knives. It does narrow down My "Hodge Podge" collection quickly, but opens up a myriad of "Pen Knife" categories. I took a picture of my small, lifetime collection of what I believe to be Pen knives. The picture includes a few ragtag knives, at the bottom of the picture, used to play the game of "Drop Knives". This thread will be extremely helpful to you folks with large knife collections, but I've about decided I needn't be concerned with my mess. Here is the picture anyway.

Sut Tatersaul

Sut - Nice collection of pen knives ... there appears to be some really nice MOP knives among the others that caught my attention ...

What are those two very thin, long-bolstered, equal-end knives just to the right of center in the second row from the bottom? They look like an oral thermometer!

TwoFlowersLuggage - those are slim pen knives - the 1st & 3rd MOP knives from left to right looks to be a Swell-Center or Tuxedo pattern (Ladies and Gentlemans knives) - those are the knives which caught my eye as well ....

TwoFlowersLuggage:
Those two items, that you mentioned, are identical MOP pen knives, whether it's genuine MOP, I don't know. One still has faint black letters, on one MOP handle that say Cypress Gardens FLA. On one blade it says Japan, and the other side of the blade says Stainless Steel. One was a souvenir given to me many years ago by family that visited Florida, the other identical one was given to my father at the same time, and It was in his "stuff"that came to me when he Passed away. Thanks for sharing.

Sut Tatersaul

Here was an unexpected score from a hunt and found in a “junk” box where the knife was buried on the bottom - an Empire sterling silver lobster knife at 2 1/8” closed. Funny thing is I didn’t have my reading glasses but was able to see Winsted on the tang stamp when I found it. Given that and knowing all companies that were located there are worthwhile scores for me I snagged it for a bargain basement price . When I got home using my reading glasses I swathe tang stamp of Empire Winsted CT and on the bottom of the pile side handle some apparent makers marks above sterling though they are very worn (see photo). Based on the wear I am guessing this knife saw a good amount of pocket time!! Just impossible to know the maker of the sterling silver handle though the 1st mark is almost readable. Keep in mind these sterling handles were often made by jewelers. The blades all snap well and are tight despite some staining on the blades. To me this was a cool find and indeed the smallest Empire in my coillection – in fact close to the smallest knife in all my collection sans my mini MOP clip blade at 1” with no makers mark (another bargain basement find at an antique fair)…. This Empire made my day when found …
Cheers
Lee

Great find Lee and a bargain basement price is always a reason to smile!

Nice find LongBlade, I would say there is a very strong chance that the sterling covers on that knife came from B.A. Ballou silversmiths in nearby East Providence, RI (To Winsted CT). I have an Empire watch fob skeleton knife with a bail on it with Ballou's hallmark so I know they had a synergy of sorts. Ballou has been around since post Civil War, which would fit the time frame.

Thanks Greg and PD I just love the hunt

Interesting PD - I live half way in-between Winsted and Providence ... I have never come across any reference to the silversmiths who did the Empire work. Here is another below but a sterling Empire (ring turn pen) with the marks clear. Best I can see all the way to the left is a Flag with F&B inside - these look familiar to you??
Cheers
Lee

Lovely pair of pen knives, Lee, I especially like the lobster!
Dan

Thanks very much Dan ...

Some absolutely stunning knives are showing up here guys! This is a favorite thread of mine that I have posted in and visit often but somehow it seems that I forgot to post all these pens from my seventies Stag sets. I keep them squirreled away in their cases in a chest of their own so sometimes I forget all about them till cleaning day comes around. That's today so here they are.

Greg - all great looking knives ... Thanks for sharing those beauties....

Greg. Great stag on all of them

Thanks guys ! Those sets have some great knives in them and some some spectacular stag as well. Keith, thanks to you for the 1976 set.