All About Pocket Knives

I did a test to see what the wrap was made of. It burned quickly and gave off a black smoke that smelled of camphor. Celluloid for sure.

Several different companies made shell handled knives and there are several variations in the way the shell knives are put together. I would imagine there are several different US & foreign patents for variations of the shell handles.

Colonial Knife Co made a lot of the shell handles starting in 1938.

Richards Sheffield also made some shell handles, but I am not sure when they made them. According to Goins Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings; Richards was purchased by Imperial Knife in 1977 & sold to Western Knives in 1982. Western was sold to Camillus in 1991.

I have not read of Camillus making any shell handled knives, however, I have one shell handled Camco in my collection:
This little Camco Jack makes me wonder how Camillus could make a shell knife on Imperial’s patent?

The connection from Camillus back through Western to Imperial back to Richards might explain the access of Camillus to the rights of one of the shell handle patents thus explaining the existence of my shell handled Camco.
However, it might also be explained by the fact that one time Imperial Schrade & Camillus were both solely owned by Albert & Henry Baer.
I find it most likely that my little Camco shell handled jack was a knife that Camillus had contracted for from Imperial. I am not aware of Camillus ever having the machinery necessary to make the shell handled knives. This too makes me think this was a contract knife.

I know all this info of the companies being sold back & forth is very confusing and hard to follow (at least it is for me), but I bring it up to show how interconnected these companies really were. Since we do not have access to the terms of each sale, it is impossible to know how the rights to the shell patents were acquired by each of these companies. Some no doubt paid the royalties to use the patent, while others probably waited until the patents had expired and were free game for all.

I will try to pick out different types of shells in my old knives and see how many different examples we can identify.
If you have variations of shell handles, please post them.

Dale, are we going to consider any knife with a "hallow handle" as being a "shell handle?"

If so, many of the "autos" will also qualify as being shell handled.

Also many cheaper fixed blades are constructed with hollow molded plastic scales.

......... Joe

ref-Levines guide 4 pg 123

Imperial licenced a german patent in 1936 for the handles. The same year they bought the Hammer Brand trademark of the defunct New York Knife Co.

I've posted many of these before...












As you can see, I like shell handles alot. There are so many different varieties available.

Glenn

Wow, Glenn, nice collection. I am impressed.

Dang Glenn, I sure do like that green one in the package, I believe I would pass out if'n I ever saw one of those in person. Outstanding!

Joe Dirt wrote:Dale, are we going to consider any knife with a "hallow handle" as being a "shell handle?"

If so, many of the "autos" will also qualify as being shell handled.

Also many cheaper fixed blades are constructed with hollow molded plastic scales.

......... Joe

Joe,
Many of those early autos were made with similar methods, by some of the same companies such as Imperial & Colonial. However, the term "Shell Handle" is usually used in reference to those constructed like the one I took apart. The shell around the outside of the knife itself forms the handle, thus the term "shell handle."

I will try and show a couple different types of shell handles in the next day or two as I get time.


Here are a few more shell handles I have.

This is an Imperial shell handle tuxedo. These are Hammer Brand shell handle EZ Openers, each 2" closed.
As you can see they are great little key chain knives.
I remember seeing them sometimes sold with a key chain.


Here is a page from the 1959 Imperial catalog showing a similar knife to the
two-blades EZ Opener.

singin46 wrote:Dang Glenn, I sure do like that green one in the package, I believe I would pass out if'n I ever saw one of those in person. Outstanding!

Thanks, I just got real lucky on that one a few years back in an ebay auction. That's the only one of those I have seen complete, although the box is a little beat up. The box is the first thing that gets tossed.

Glenn

trey wrote:Wow, Glenn, nice collection. I am impressed.

Thanks for the comments Trey. I have more, but haven't really documented them yet. I got alot of these before Schrade went under. They're not bargains like they used to be.

As others have said, they are fun to collect. They did alot with the cell wraps, so that make them interesting, alot of variety.

Glenn

Nice, Glen! That's the most Tu-Tones I've seen together outside of a catalog!

Have you herd them rumored to be purchased to "match your car"?

.......Joe

I hate to tell you guys how many of these I have thrown away over the years

Nobody I knew collected them, I did throw a hundred or so in a parts box.

I just dug it out, here are some of the ones I found. Some of these are quite nice and in unused condition.

I also found one that has a folding key that was being talked about on another thread

It is two toned like the ones shown earlier.

Guess I better not throw anymore of these out

Trick knives. Anybody remember them? the two silver ones were made without wraps.

Nice collection Miller Bros! I hate that you threw some of them out, wish I'da known ya then. I do remember those trick knives edgy46, gonna get me some soon too.

here's a couple i havent seen posted yet - sorry about the poor pic's - tom

Tom Hudson
I have not seen that dime knife before. What is the tang stamp please?

Here a few more, All Imperial or Hammer Brand.
1--mini camper
2--tool kit knife 3-- shows the pin for tool attaching tools.
3--camper with electrician blade (non locking)

Hey Tom, I haven't ever seen one of those either. Interesting, actually says "DIME KNIFE" I love it! Hey Bill, those campers are cool too!

Here are some more I have pics of:

A Hammer Brand (Imperial) about 2-1/2 inches- An IK CO jack, like the Dime Knife without the name-
I have seen those that say Boys Knife on the side as well. A Hammer Brand (Imperial) muskrat with the fake hammer marks on the blade and missing part of the handle cover. Here is a pic of the end tab of the shell handle- An Imperial Two Tone An Imperial Jackmaster Fish Knife.
I walked into a hardware store in a small town in Northern Idaho 5 or 6 years ago and there was a display of several of these. I think I bought 5 or 6 of them. last in this batch is an Imperial stockman- I hope you enjoyed the pics.

Perry,
Somewhere I have a pic of the shell handle trick knife.
I think I have 3 or 4 of them somewhere.

Great knives guys. Those two toned knives are something I do not have, as I have only seen them on AAPK.

Here is a boys knife from Germany. The handles are held on by pins.

Jowika Republic of Ireland.

These knives are probably THE POOREST quality shell handle knives ever produced!

They seem to have a strong Imperial influence even before they were purchased by Imperial.

........ Joe

hey guys,i been here before but i just now regisyered.
i saw the shell knives thread so i thought it was neat.
i have a few of these and thought they were just cheap junk.
though,i think they are cool myself.
i see some really pretty ones here for sure.

what caught my eye was this quote though.

There is NO substance (natural or man made) known to be as dangerous as "cellulite."

is cellulite the same as celluloid?
how can you tell if a knife is made with the celluloid?
is the stuff really dangerous?
thanks,
jd

I messed up initially when I typed Cellulite when I MEANT Celluloid.

I know Celluloid can vent and destroy the steel. And in some cases it can go bang and burn if I remember correctly.

Commenting on cellulite at the wrong time or place (anytime or anywhere) could get you hurt pretty bad also.

Dan

Welcome aboard, jd!!

Cellulite handles can be found about everywhere you look.
Just be careful of who's carrying them..... you may get smacked if you grab the wrong ones
Of course I'm referring to celluloid "love handles", that is

Give us a peek at your knives

......... Joe

i heard that.
i know what you mean now.

honey,have you got any celluloid?
what did you say??swap,smack,flap,jab and cut.
uh,oh.

i'll dig my shell handles out.
since someone mentioned it,i think i have a colonial
fixed blade with wrapped stag look.
jd
p.s.in the sheath at that.