All About Pocket Knives

Quiet an impressive display of knives, Danno. I like that little slender one at the top and the Jacks at the bottom best.

Great old knives.

I don't think I've ever seen one of the knives that Sellens' calls "Japanese Pearl" the K0444.

The two knives with the "ears" appear to be Winchester-Walden knives unlike almost every other one I've seen.

Thanks for the kind comments doglegg and msteele6. Msteele, I was thinking the two jacks were most likely made by Winchester, but wanted to see what you thought of them.

Dan,I agree the jacks are Winchester.I have a Dogleg Winchester jack that is the 1st cousin to your KK dogleg.

Nice showing of some sweet Keen Kutters Dan ... The dogleg jacks are really cool - love the bone and those big master blades

Thanks Lee. Thanks for confirming Winchester as the maker for the jacks, Roger.

E.C.Simmons,St.Louis tang stamp,3 3/8" jack.A Tulsa pickup.

Nice one Roger! Great master blade, the combination of the sabre clip with the swedge and the long pull really works!

Thanks Dan,I thought you would like it.It is a hefty little knife.

Great work on your collection Dan, real special knives you got out there.

Like that pick bone Roger.

Thank you, Lyle.

A new to me 1898 3/4. This one has the same tang stamp as the two jacks I picked up at OKCA this spring (ears at the top of the wedge and Made in USA instead of the usual St. Louis Mo, under the Keen Kutter). Last pick is my two 1898 3/4's side by side.

Very nice EC Simmons collection Dan, you have almost more of those than my total collection of all my knives!!!

Got to say I'm drooling over your bone handled knives Danno, especially that dogleg and the big jack.
Same for that equal end bone knife of yours Roger. You guys have excellent taste.

Very fine examples of the Toothpick pattern here Dan. Old jigged bone is so nice.
The profile of the blades do not look the same. The 'dip of the clip' seems deeper in the lower knife blade. Is this just illusion from the upper blade being sharpened down some ? or were the profiles different when new ?
kj

thanks for the comments, Bill, Greg and Roland.

kootenay joe wrote: The profile of the blades do not look the same. The 'dip of the clip' seems deeper in the lower knife blade. Is this just illusion from the upper blade being sharpened down some ? or were the profiles different when new ?
kj

The blade shapes definitely have some differences, as Roland pointed out. The top one is sabre ground on both sides: the bottom one is sabre ground on the mark side and flat ground on the pile side. The centre pin is placed slightly farther back on the bottom knife. The centre pin is hand peened on the top knife, while being spun on the bottom knife. The cap (rear bolster) is also slightly longer on the bottom knife. The 1898 3/4 was offered for sale in the Simmons catalogs from 1913 through to 1940, and also in the Shapleigh 1942 catalog (from Sellens). It would have been made by at least three different factories over this time period and I would expect some differences over that time period.

thanks for the comments, Bill, Greg and Roland.

kootenay joe wrote: The profile of the blades do not look the same. The 'dip of the clip' seems deeper in the lower knife blade. Is this just illusion from the upper blade being sharpened down some ? or were the profiles different when new ?
kj

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The blade profiles definitely have some differences, as Roland pointed out. As well as the blade profile differences, there are some other differences between the two knives: the top one is sabre ground on both sides while the bottom one is sabre ground on the mark side and flat ground on the pile side; the centre pin is placed slightly farther back on the bottom knife; the centre pin is hand peened on the top knife, while being spun on the bottom knife; and, the cap (rear bolster) is also slightly longer on the bottom knife.
The 1898 3/4 was offered for sale in the Simmons catalogs from 1913 through to 1940, and also in the Shapleigh 1942 catalog (from Sellens). It would have been made by at least three different factories over this time period and I would expect some differences over that time period.

Is it common for Keen Kutter knives to have design differences but the same pattern number ?
Perhaps all KK patterns that were around for long enough to have been made by different manufacturers, show variation in design ?
There is a lot that could be learned about Keen Kutter knives. It is a 'complex 'brand'.
kj

Sorry for the double post, not sure how that happened?

kootenay joe wrote:Is it common for Keen Kutter knives to have design differences but the same pattern number ?
Perhaps all KK patterns that were around for long enough to have been made by different manufacturers, show variation in design ?
There is a lot that could be learned about Keen Kutter knives. It is a 'complex 'brand'.
kj

I would think that most brands/manufacturers would have pattern numbers that show variations over the years, if the same pattern number was produced for a lot of years? I think an example might be scout knives having different can opener styles within the same pattern number?
Sellens does list some variations in knives of the same pattern number. Things like slight changes in closed length, coined liners for certain years, handle material etc. I do have a couple of knives with differences from what Sellens lists: no coined liners, different handle material etc. It would be nice to have access to all of the Simmons catalogs which were put out over the 1905 to 1940 time period (there are 14 of them) and check them out personally. However, I don't, and Sellens did. I think he did a pretty good job of summarizing them, but I am sure he did miss some things. Also there are gaps of up to 4 years between catalogs and there may have been variations made that did not make it into any catalog.

Just got this one in today from Kootenay Joe. A K2245

Very nice Dan love the knife and pattern

Thanks Mike.

Great knife Dan Very attractive Cocobolo handles!

Dan, outstanding example of the pattern Doesn’t look like it was ever sharpened! Great acquisition

Great knife danno. Looks to be in very nice condition with just enough of the age showing to give it fantastic character. That pattern and the wood handles really appeal to me.