All About Pocket Knives

I set up next to a dealer in Dalton, Georgia once and he had nothing but melon testers/sausage knives. He must have had five or six hundred on the table, plus more beneath in rolls and cases.

Lots of different advertising IDs and slogans.

Prices ran from just a few bucks to hundreds.

I suspect there is a very small subset of avid collectors, as he was doing some business both days.

Charlie Noyes

Wow! what a great showing from everyone!
This is another pattern that I have very few of.,usually When I come across one
it's a Sabre
Think I only have 1-2,one is a Colonial I believe.

With 5 to 6 hundred, he must've had an example of just about every one ever made.

Most of them looked like ivoroid. A good many were black. Some nickel-silver.
Various celluloids.
He had some in genuine pearl, bone and stag.
Almost all carried some form of advertising.
Charlie

Just came in the mail today. #89 Red Abalone Looking Glass.

Man, that's a class act right there. Very nice.

Well that the prettiest one I've seen. All gussied up and no melons to cut.
Thanks for showing that one, MTURBO. A real nice looking knife.

More Melon Testers.
Schrade made a pretty solid knife in this frame.

I recently got this 5 1/2" Hugo Koller melon tester. What a nice knife. Pretty much factory fresh.
Nicely built with quite wide liners. The covers are plastic.
Thanks for looking.

Here´s a recent pick up of mine, an ISKRA whatever that is? Never heard of this brand or name before. The blade also says ROSTFREI or stainless in English.

Jim

That's a beauty, Jim.
How long is it?

FRJ wrote:That's a beauty, Jim.
How long is it?

Thanks!

Well it´s a decent knife but not to any higher standards in my opinion. Looks good though and has a nice weight and "feel" to it, so I like it.
And I picked it up at a flea market for about 4 bucks so not a huge investment either.

It´s 5 6/16 when folded and just over 10 inches all in all.

Cheers!

Jim

Thanks, Jim.

Here is a different Melon Tester. All steel handles. 5 11/16" closed.
Thanks for looking.

Oh, Joe. I like that one. Classy.

Thank you, Jerry.

Glad to see the Melon Tester topic come back to life.
I have three Melon Testers that I have accumulated over the last few years. It was time for their cleaning and oil change anyway. They span from Western Central California to Eastern Central Florida, the citrus and fruit capitals of the USA.
The below "Schrade Cut. Co. Walden, N.Y." c-1904-1946 measures 4 -1/8" closed. Imitation Ivory. Both sides have deep writing engraved logos, not acid etched. Blade has a half-stop. Never used, carried or sharpened. Back spring is as tight as day one.
I have observed that we have many aapk members residing in Florida and many of you are most likely aware of "Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida." I was not aware of this location or its great citrus history until I researched the below Melon Tester a few years ago.
The current elongated pattern that we call "Melon Tester" was first offered in the 1930s is a long slim regular jack with a spear master blade (per Bernard Levine) perhaps that is why the older below Schrade appears to be a Slim Serpentine pattern with a Clip-Blade.
Pretty amazing to possess a Melon Tester/Advertiser that represents the very first citrus juice plant in the state of Florida.
I am without information on "Blackbird-Lucky Dog-Trump" inscriptions though. Perhaps seed companies?

Howey-in-the-Hills was founded by William John Howey and incorporated as "Howey" on May 8, 1925. In 1927, the name was officially changed to Howey-in-the-Hills to reflect the beautiful rolling hills and sparkling lakes, which he dubbed "the Florida Alps.” Mr. Howey envisioned a great citrus empire with the Town as its commercial and shipping hub. For four years, he housed visiting prospective buyers in "Tent City,” near the shore of Little Lake Harris.
The first citrus juice plant in Florida, was built by Mr. Howey in 1921, sold canned juice under the "Lifeguard" name. It and the original Vaughn-Griffin Packing Company has periodically modernized its capabilities since completion in 1930, first as Silver Springs Citrus Cooperative, and now as home to the progressive Silver Springs Citrus.
Griffin promoted major citrus reform in Florida, was a member and committee chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, and was a potent force in creating statewide citrus industry standards. Below is a two bladed "Tapered Swell-Center Serpentine" with engraved logos Florigold & Flo Indian River. Tang marked: Gerson Co. Boston 26 Germany. Marked Stainless on rear of Master Spear Blade, small blade has no markings. Overall length is 10-1/8" open and 4-½" closed. Imitation pearl.
I can find no dates of Mfg. for Gerson Co. However there is information that Gerson Co. only made "Melon Testers" they are (were) located in Boston Main and were also produced in France/Germany and Italy.
Apparently there were/are many citrus growers within the Indian River, Vero Beach area.
This knife is like new, never carried or sharpeneed. Florigold & Flo packing crate citrus labels that are sought by collectors or an enthusiast. Possibly a give away or advertising token.

My final Melon Tester was made by Jowika, a well made Solingen Germany made knife, also made in Ireland. Was purchased in the past by Imperial Schrade. The reverse side of the Spear Blade is a three liner stating: 1.Rostfrei 2.Stainless 3.Inoxydable. They covered all the bases there. It's 4-¾" closed, 8-3/8" open. Cracked Ice handles. Brass pins with a big Birdseye nose pin. Beautiful Nickel Silver inlay saying: Soilserv inc. Salinas for Shell.
Soilserv inc. is a Agricultural Chemical Company that is privately held in Salinas Ca.
Never used, carried or sharpened.
The "Shell" logo is pretty cool.

Dan, thank you for taking the time to post this history and interesting information.
And thank you for showing your very nice knives.
There is always something different in the knife world and it is always interesting when it is presented for others to learn from.
Great pictures -- Great history

FRJ wrote:Dan, thank you for taking the time to post this history and interesting information.
And thank you for showing your very nice knives.
There is always something different in the knife world and it is always interesting when it is presented for others to learn from.
Great pictures -- Great history

Thank you for your nice comments Joe.
And thank you for starting this thread and reenergizing it also.

And here are a couple more melon testers. The knife with two blades was posted elsewhere some time ago.
I recently got the single blade knife. I wish they weren't so blade worn but I like them just the same.

Henckels Melon Tester .... both at 4 5/16" closed.

Thanks for looking.

FRJ wrote:And here are a couple more melon testers. The knife with two blades was posted elsewhere some time ago.
I recently got the single blade knife. I wish they weren't so blade worn but I like them just the same.

Henckels Melon Tester .... both at 4 5/16" closed.

Thanks for looking.

Joe those are beautiful!! I have 1 melon tester that I have had for a very long time. Mine is just an old cheap imitation pearl sabre. Yours are awesome. I wouldn't worry about the blade loss with such beautiful handles. Congratts!! Stay after them!!

Thanks for the nice comment, woodwalker.

Here is a nice Ulster melon tester. It is quite long. 5 3/4".
Unsharpened and unused.

Here is another melon tester.
Not quite as blade worn but the long, narrow stag and bone handles do not hold up to much force.

Thanks for looking.