All About Pocket Knives

Love that old Schrade Paul ...

Tony - All NICE Boys Knives IMO ..,

That's a dandy Paul!

Thanks guys, that schrade is one of the gems of my collection.

Haven't kept up with this thread for a while... but just got an addition that by reading about discovered belongs here...
altho there appears to be plenty of Holleys shown here in better shape (really like the Holley & Merwin Lee)...
I thought I'd post this on for prosperity's sake...

Definitely belongs here Ken ... and thanks regarding the Holley & Merwin ...

Finally took some photos of this one for this thread to share…

An unusual and rare to find Boys Knife were those designed as blunt safety knives .. This knife along with Joe's (FRJ) blunt safety knife from Northfield were together in one photo in the boys knife article a few years ago.. I am also posting a catalog cut at the end of the photos that Neal (Mason) kindly shared for a similar boys knife safety blade printed in 1900 though I am not sure of the company….

T Smith & Co / Cast Steel was a Sheffield firm and though Goins lists T Smith & Co from 1797-1800 but I think that may be incorrect. I’m guessing this knife was mid to later 1800s. Tweedale had a T Smith but he was only noted as a razor maker in the mid 19th century.

Knife is 2 & 7/8” with cocobolo handles, iron liners and threaded bolster. Though the end was blunted the knife was no doubt sharpened… Joe has a Northfield of the same exact safety design - size, blade shape, cocobolo wood etc I believe both of these knives were in the collection of Tom Heitzman at one time.
1900 Boys Knife catalog cut with rounded blade option

Very nice Lee, I don't think I've ever seen the blunt ones.

Thanks John ... Other than my knife and Joe's example I have never seen others ... I have seen boys knives where the tips were sharpened purposely to round them or they had been tipped ...

Nice knife, Lee, very interesting boy's knife! Interesting description on the catalog cut: MADE OF GOOD MATERIAL, BUT NOT HAND FORGED".

Great pictures of a very nice knife in great condition, Lee.

Thanks Dan and Joe ... Joe - you have pictures of your Northfield?? I could post the photo of both together as well

Dan - The description is quite amusing - guess given the year 1900 perhaps not hand forged meant drop forging (which was developed long before) - interestingly I learned when researching the PKBG&F Union that starting around 1900 companies began using drop forging for many reasons but one was to threaten the cutlers from striking - the management thought as more automated tools were available they should institute them in-house to show the cutlers (forgers) they were replaceable.... There was indeed alot of push and shove between management and employees in that time period of the cutlery industry ..

Check your e-mail, Lee.
I sent you some pictures of my Northfield if you want to use them.

There is a picture on page one.

Thanks Joe ...

Here’s the Northfield Boys Knife with blunt safety blade from Joe - a really nice knife and indeed rare ..
And here’s the photo of both our knives from the article:

My first knife as a boy was not nearly as good as these, but the tips were rounded...by my dad with a grinder.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:My first knife as a boy was not nearly as good as these, but the tips were rounded...by my dad with a grinder.

Thanks Paul ..

Too funny ... I see those knives pretty often with the grinder fixing that pointed end ...

This one should qualify as a boy's knife at 3 1/8"?

danno50 wrote:This one should qualify as a boy's knife at 3 1/8"?

A very nice Challenge Boys Knife indeed - nice score Dan ....

Thanks Lee.

Here is an article, from the May 1922 issue of American Cutler, about selling "good knives" to boys. Clicking on the jpgs enlarges them to be readable.

Thanks to this thread I purchased the August 2017 back issue Knife World magazine. The boy’s knife article was very well done indeed. Thanks to the authors!

Thanks Frailer - glad you enjoyed the article .. and welcome to AAPK !!

Here is a sweet little Holley that I got today. Walks and talks like Gene Kelly!
2 3/4" closed.
Shown with its bigger brother at 3 1/8" closed.

Nice score Joe ... The two look like almost identical brothers except for the difference in length ...

Thank you Lee, it's always nice to add another one to your nice thread.

Nice old knife Joe. I am amazed how good tools 100 years old survived.

A lot of people had pocket knives. ( as Dimitri does )