All About Pocket Knives

tongueriver wrote:Those are some dandy fingernail pickers!
These are all cell stockman and cattle knives; all but three are Schrades or Schrade Cut.Co.s. I stuck them to a sheet of steel I cut to fit with those ittybitty neodymium super magnets.

Wow Cal! there is some really neat knives in that display.

The non-cell one on my photo above, is in the Catalog E, as a SCC #2173 EEJ. Neat knife ....but off topic, because of the bone.

I've got this one coming in... Griffon #163, 3-3/8" closed, Carbo Magnetic... in celluloid...

That's a beauty! Congrats.

For me the celluloid knives are too important to overlook. The "Roaring 20's" were a great time for color and design in US history. It think that many of the old celluloids exemplify this. I buy them with some caution just checking to make sure the handles are at least stable when I buy them. Store them separately and check them often.

btrwtr wrote:For me the celluloid knives are too important to overlook. The "Roaring 20's" were a great time for color and design in US history. It think that many of the old celluloids exemplify this. I buy them with some caution just checking to make sure the handles are at least stable when I buy them. Store them separately and check them often.

Wayne,
That is a lot of Case cell goodness you posted there! Wow!
I'm just now dipping my toes in the celluloid "water". I have a few old SCC and Camillus examples already and I've got 6 new ones coming in from various makers. The Griffon above is one of them. I've got to figure out how to store them yet, separate from my other knives.

Interestingly, I've had a Utica Girl Scout Featherweight with synthetic black jigged handles for about 40 yrs. About a year ago I noticed when I pulled it out to use it, the master was covered in a weird pattern with a dark material. I cleaned it and put it away. Only to discover it had done it again. At the time, I didn't know what was causing this. Now, since joining AAPK, I know what is causing it. It has always been kept far away from my collection.

btrwtr wrote:For me the celluloid knives are too important to overlook. The "Roaring 20's" were a great time for color and design in US history. It think that many of the old celluloids exemplify this. I buy them with some caution just checking to make sure the handles are at least stable when I buy them. Store them separately and check them often.

Magnificent array, Wayne (as usual). Of course the stockmans are my favorites.

btrwtr wrote:For me the celluloid knives are too important to overlook. The "Roaring 20's" were a great time for color and design in US history. It think that many of the old celluloids exemplify this. I buy them with some caution just checking to make sure the handles are at least stable when I buy them. Store them separately and check them often.

The variety of celluloid color and design is interesting. Until I started reading this forum I would never have guessed that a lot of those handles were the same basic material. I tend to shy away from celluloid, but every now and then I see an one that I figure just needs a home. Here are a couple of worn down pyramite whittlers: the top one is Henry Sears and the bottom Valley Forge.

I really like the shield on that Valley Forge. I am always curious when I see a Henry Sears as to who made it for them. By the way, Mel, my wife was born in coastal Alabama! Do I sense a slight wharnnie bent in your being?

A lot of nice cell handle knives shown here

I have this old tool kit.

Nice kit. Wasn't Aerial one of two or three makers who specialized in the "picture" handles? Some of them had extremely unattractive floozies on them.
Here is an unmarked junior cattle.

tongueriver wrote:I really like the shield on that Valley Forge. I am always curious when I see a Henry Sears as to who made it for them. By the way, Mel, my wife was born in coastal Alabama! Do I sense a slight wharnnie bent in your being?

Nice Cattle knife.
I do not know much about Henry Sears: from what I have read on this forum I get the impression that factual information about the company is hard to come by. The Sears I have does not remind me of any other knife I own, that is for sure.

Regarding the wharnie bent, yes I have pretty well focused on wharncliffe knives for the time being. Not exclusively, but mostly. It helps me resist buying 99% of knives!

I bet your wife does not miss the humidity!

Miller Bro's wrote:A lot of nice cell handle knives shown here

I have this old tool kit.

That is a nice celluloid effect. That stuff was really versatile.

A whole bunch of fine knives being shown.

There are some really nice celluloids in this thread! I like them too but am cautious about getting them - only if they still look good (no evidence of problems) and they're not too expensive. I hate the thought of spending a bunch on one only to have it go bad later. Here's a few of many that I've acquired over the years.

Ken

tongueriver wrote:Nice kit. Wasn't Aerial one of two or three makers who specialized in the "picture" handles? Some of them had extremely unattractive floozies on them.

Thanks, the big three were Aerial, Canton and Novelty Cutlery Co.

Not all the floozies were unattractive!

Just a question, did Case, make knives with celluloid handles?I'm not that knowledgeable on Case knives. ftd

I got one Old Hammer Brand in Yellow. Nice knife.

fergusontd wrote: Just a question, did Case, make knives with celluloid handles?I'm not that knowledgeable on Case knives. ftd

Case used celluloid quite a lot during and prior to the Tested era, and into the early XX era. Examples include the Christmas tree, candy stripe, and goldstone handles, along with the yellow "white liner" (handle designation 3) and imitation pearl/cracked ice (9) handles. Most of them seem to be of a stable nature but the yellow with white liner stuff is notorious for shrinking and cracking. There probably were other types that haven't survived due to instability (speculation on my part - I have no evidence).

Ken

Edit: FWIW here's a link to an old post from knifeaholic Steve regarding Case yellow celluloid http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... ye#p460322

Mumblypeg, thank you for your reply, This answers my question I appreciate this knowledge. ftd

I've been lucky I guess. All of my Remington celluloid/pyremite knives seem to be good. Maybe one day I'll regret it but I keep them in displays next to my other knives. I pulled them out of the displays for pictures and will wipe them down before they go back.

Some real beauties there Kieth!

Thanks Wayne. One thing about the celluloid. You can get some crazy patterns.

espn77 wrote:I've been lucky I guess. All of my Remington celluloid/pyremite knives seem to be good. Maybe one day I'll regret it but I keep them in displays next to my other knives. I pulled them out of the displays for pictures and will wipe them down before they go back.

I note that there is one solid black handle knife, second from left in the bottom photo. I never think of celluloid when I see a solid black handle, but I guess I should. Thanks for posting that very broad array of celluloid patterns.

Dinadan wrote:

espn77 wrote:I've been lucky I guess. All of my Remington celluloid/pyremite knives seem to be good. Maybe one day I'll regret it but I keep them in displays next to my other knives. I pulled them out of the displays for pictures and will wipe them down before they go back.

I note that there is one solid black handle knife, second from left in the bottom photo. I never think of celluloid when I see a solid black handle, but I guess I should. Thanks for posting that very broad array of celluloid patterns.

It's just a poor picture.

I tend to avoid cell-handled knives as a rule but I have made the occasional exception...

espn - thanks for the clarification. By the way, that is a nice knife.

Tony - I also make the occasional exception. That Imperial at the top is a unique looking knife.