shell handled knives

[Just Plain Dave]

I just realized something.

It may not be true in every case, but Jacks seem to have the small blade in front of the main blade.

While on a Peanut the little blade is behind.

Anyone can say for sure?

[Joe Dirt]

I've got jacks in both configurations.
I don't have enough peanuts to make that call.

I don't believe there any set standards, though.

There could be standards within any certain company???

Great knives all!!

..... Joe

[singin46]

I'll second that. Great knives and really glad the thread is still alive!

[Just Plain Dave]

What I can say with a high degree of certainty....

The little blade in front of the big blade to my way of think is how it ought to be!

On my yeller 'nut, it is scary getting the bear trap pen blade open.

On my old Imperials which also have half stops the little blade causes no drama.

[gino]

Here is some more shell handles I dug out.

[Joe Dirt]

Nice group, Gino!

The top one is only the second one I have seen with that handle. MB has the other one in the NOS box!
Pretty elusive scales!

I like the brown Richards with the big rivets also!!

..... Joe

[gino]

Thanks Joe!

[Joe Dirt]

Time to show an up-dated picture of my coffee table. (all stamped Hammer Brand)
As I've said before... it's all about the colors.

..... Joe

[gino]

Awesome table Joe. Those knives look great and a sweet way to display them.

[JWS]

Outstanding Joe. I know that took alot of work.

[Joe Dirt]

Thanks guys!

I made it from leftover hard wood flooring. It still has the tongues and grooves that make it fit together nicely.
My miters were so bad I had to cover them with brass plate. but it made for nice detail!
It overlaps the top of the coffee table and won't slide around.
The foam and felt lining was fun... my son calls me Martha Stewart!

I made a couple more, but haven't got around to putting them together yet.

..... Joe

[trutemper]

Nice group Gino!!!! And hey Joe...I need one of those cases(especially if all the kives comes with it) ....thats a really beautiful case!!! I happen to have some real nice red oak tongue and groove flooring out in my workshop too.....looks like I need to get to work on one of those!!!

Bob

[Just Plain Dave]

Here is some more shell handles I dug out.

That third one down REALLY trips my trigger!

[singin46]

Dang, I love seein these beauties! Even though I have many of them, there are colors that joe has that I will probably never own.

[vikingdog]

That is a really cool display Joe. What a great way to show off your collection.

[whitebuffalo58]

Here's a few.

Top 3 are Imperials, Bottom 2 are Hammer Brand. I thought I had all four in the Imperials, but can't seem to find the Mallard.

I think all 4 of these are Hammer Brand.

I like the psycho red! Probably the rarest knife in my collection is is the bottom knife, out of roughly 300 of the toothpicks, it's the only one i've ever seen with a single swedge blade.

The center 2 are a fairly common color. Although the 1 w/o a shield is a Hammer Brand. The bottom green is one you don't come across too often.

I'll try to get pics posted of my whole collection as time permits. Great knives ya'll!

[orvet]

Joe, I love that incredible coffee table!
I have a bunch of old hardwood flooring. My son used to install flooring for a living, so I got a lot of leftovers. Brazilian Cherry flooring can actually make a nice knife handle!

Would happen to have any plans of how you made it?


Nice ones White Buff!

[singin46]

Great collection whitebuffalo58! Some of those are very hard to find.

[jerryd6818]

Great collection whitebuffalo58! Some of those are very hard to find.

It just hit me. How do you know they exist to be hunting for them? Do you see them in someone else's collection, see them in a book, what?

[singin46]

Well Jerry, I have seen these on ebay from time to time and you will even see one occasionally in an antique shop here and there.

[whitebuffalo58]

Thanks guys. Jerry, before coming across each one, I didn't know they did exisit. That's always been part of the fun collecting the shell handles. Just when you think...surely I have one of every color...another handful of colors show up out of nowhere. I don't think anyone really knows how many there are. I've never seen a list.
Some of the guys have started giving names to them, that's fun too. But, i've always thought they likely had a number assigned to them. We need to track the origins of the cell. material and that could lead to a somewhat comprehensive list.
I'm with the others when they say, it's about the colors. But, I'll go a little farther in saying, don't forget how many different patterns they came in. Imperial was one of the most prolific knife companys in history. I don't think there very many patterns they didn't produce at one time or another. Like the colors, everytime I think...surely I have every pattern in a certain color...I discover another one. Even after more then 40 years, I'm still missing the Barlow and a small sleeveboard pen in the cracked ice. (the most available color there is) There may be others I havn't even seen yet.
Anyway, that's what appeals to me when it comes to the shell handled knives. Endless variety, endless discovery. You can fill an entire lifetime with them. WB

[Just Plain Dave]

I stumble over shell knives at Flea Markets and such. And since I KNOW good steel is hiding in there and they are something I can usually afford, I grab them!

[edgy46]

Has anyone seen a shell handled hammer Brand with brass liners? This one is the only one I remember seeing. Thanks in advance for any information.

[singin46]

Nice Bill, with that swedge on the blade, it's gotta be older.

[whitebuffalo58]

I think at one point in time they brass plated some of the liners. It was a very thin plating and tends to be worn away on alot of the ones you'll find. Not sure if you'd even call it a plating, it always looked kind of like an anodized finish to me.