All About Pocket Knives

I've never noticed until now but Robeson knives have a very unique flow between the body, and the blades.
I don't know how to explain it but there is something they do in the geometry that makes the knives appear slick, and flowing rather than the sort of bulky/blocky feel of many other brands. Even in similar patterns.

Is this just me on a good day seeing this?

Probably what you are seeing is the flush blades. The backs of the blades on a great many Robeson knives do not project above the frame, hence the name "PocketEze".

Not all Robeson knives were built that way, though.

Charlie

Here is a fine little Robeson. 3 inches closed.
Very finely made knife here. Strong spring.
No pattern number on the back of the tang.
Would this be a pen knife?
Would this be one of Millard Robeson's early imports?
Not mother of pearl covers.

That was Robeson's contribution to a bicentennial celebration of George Washington.

Other manufacturers made similar knives the same year, 1932, the two-hundreth anniversary of Washington's birth.

Apparently, the knives were meant to be a replica of a knife that Washington once owned and still exists and is in the possession of the Masonic Lodge to which he belonged.

I have personally never seen a photo of the actual knife, but I suspect it has genuine pearl handles.

Here is the one I have and the wrapper that came with the knives from Robeson.

Ignore the date on the card, it is not correct.

Charlie

Thank you, Charlie, for that information.
It really is a nice knife.
I posted it elsewhere and TJ Murphy has a George Washington Camillus at 2 1/2" .

I'm surprised Washington hung on to it for all those years.

Nice knives Joe and Charlie! Thanks for keeping all of us drooling over all your posts! First thing I do when I get home from work is check the Robeson site! It's a nice place to go after a hard days work and you both put great knives on display for all of us. Have a great evening!

Thank you for the nice comments, woodwalker.

Joe that old trapper you carried the other day "very careful" was also very beautiful. Thomaston maybea. I meant to comment on it. Two I keep in velvet pouches in my sock drawer are my beautiful Robeson pearl mini barlow from Charlie and a waterville warcliff half whitler that I bought off aapk. Those two are my pride and joys! I break them out every so often and smile! I love the old ones. I started out buying new case knives and then a few new queen knives and then joined aapk and seen all the vintage knives and now that's what I look for at antique stores and such. They are few and far between but the hunt sure is gratifying.

Are the handles on the Robeson cracked ice celluloid ? They don't look like typical Cracked Ice but you say they are not pearl so i don't know what else they could be.
kj

They aren't mother of pearl.

Thank you woodwalker.
Have you shown a picture of the Waterville?
I have a few of those that I like very much. Also, I live very close to Waterville. Ct.
I hope more of those oldies come your way.

I haven't shown it yet. Would you like to see it? Do I post it here or waterville thread?

I'd love to see it.
If you would like, you could put it in the Waterville thread in "Knife Lore".
I checked, it's on page 4 about 7 titles down from the top.

I will post it now for you.

I posted it. Have a great evening. Keep those Robesons coming.

Quote: "They aren't mother of pearl."
Yes, you said that which is why i asked what they are.
It is a very neat little knife with the flush & square joint. There is one handle material whose name you might prefer to not specify by name. It does not really look like it in your pictures, but this substance is difficult to fully 'capture' in pictures, so i think likely this is "it", the new unmentionable.
If this is so it makes the knife even "neater" and highly desirable to many of us.
kj

They are imitation pearl celluloid.

Not sure I'd call it cracked ice or mother of toilet seat.

Maybe their diminutive size keeps them from looking like Crack ice.

Maybe they are French pearl.

Charlie

RobesonsRme.com wrote:Probably what you are seeing is the flush blades. The backs of the blades on a great many Robeson knives do not project above the frame, hence the name "PocketEze".

Not all Robeson knives were built that way, though.

Charlie

My one and only Robeson (#626056) is an example of "not Pocketeze". I had it up on ebay, but the whole time was hoping it wouldn't sell.
So I'll let it wear a whole in my pocket awhile!

Lan, It looks like it has a split handle.
IMHO, I skip over those knives because some of them are too important to alter, and I do not want to be the guy that does change their history.

I get the collectors that do cherish broken knives but for the most part I see collectors that buy pristine knives at CRAZY prices.
IF I had throw away money... People would be scrambling over paper scraps. I'd own every knife ever made.

It's a nice old knife and the bone tells me it is circa WWII.

It's got some good steel in it, too.

Charlie Noyes

I've got one like that. It's an old work knife of mine.
I wouldn't sell it for anything.

Here's an old knife that I wont take fishing. 4 1/2". 616613

Wow Joe!! How cool is that one!! I wouldnt take it fishing either! Much to purdy!!

Very nice, Joe.

Kathy and Bret have a very nice example of that pattern.

I have one, but it had been cleaned before I bought it.

Charlie

Thank you, woodwalker.

Thank you, Charlie. I wonder where they posted it. I did a bit of a search but only found one thread with a very clean knife.

I wish Kathy and Bret would post more. Miss their post and they have some really nice knives.

Thanks for looking all.