All About Pocket Knives

It is COOL lookin! I have really been keeping a eye open for shell handled knives lately at the flea market and such and have also really begun to apreciate the different colors more than I ever have.

That's good Gino, you literally don't know what other interesting handles are out there. There could be a handle floatin round that none of us have seen yet.

Guys, I don't think there's an end to the colors. Just when I think i've seen 'em all, another new one shows up. Personally I hope I never find the end of the rainbow. It's what collectin' the shells is all about.

WB

You're eggzactly right WB!

Here's three i've picked up fairly recently, all Hammers.
I've got a couple of others in the black/gold (I always called it Texas Tea), the other two I hadn't come across 'till I found these.

Cool finds WB, your JackMaster Fisherman's Knife is called a "Lock-Bak" even though it's technically a linerlock design. And they're about as hard to find as a "Crossbar" knife. They are listed in the 1952 catalog. Great score!

Thanks Perry! Yah, I always did wonder 'bout that lock-bak thing. This one is the large 5" model.

WB

Yep, that's the only size they made 'em in.

Nice snags WB! Very cool

Did they call the 4-1/4" model something else? I have a few of those, too. I think they may be Imperials and not Hammer Brands though. I'll have to look and see.
Thanks, Gino! Findin' a new one is always a thrill!

WB

Knice scores WB!!

I just landed this Knife/Car Key Hammer Brand. It's on eBay now. But I thought the colors were amazing...

A fairly well used Colonial and two decent Imperials.

Nice OH, that red Imperial with the shield is awesome!

Thanks Gino! The backside of that red knife is much prettier than the frontside, I will have to take another picture and post it.

Thanks Scott, I like that key knife too! I have the HB large toothpick and barlow in that color.
OldHunter, i'm with Gino, that red's a real eye popper!

WB

White Buffalo, thanks for the compliments - not being a "shell" collector, but more of a junk accumulator, I bought it about a month ago with a Girl Scout knife, just because I liked the red color myself. Here is a view of the backside - more attractive in my opinion than the frontside.

One last shell handle in my collection. I had forgotten to even take a picture of this one, another of my Ol' Granny's (Great-Grandma) knives that I was given when she passed in 1970. This one is a Providence Cut. Co. pen knife, the snap is gone in the pen blade and I can't resurrect it - the clip blade snaps like a mousetrap though!

It always those dang clip or pen blades that retain snap, never the mains.

Awesome colors guys!!
Looks like the "shell fever" is starting to spread.

WB, the 4 1/4" knives were first marketed as the "Sportsmaster" all the way
back to the beginning - 1936. Later, the 4 1/4" 2 blade and also the 5" 2 blade
fish knives were marketed as the "Sportsmaster" too.
In '55 they made a 5" 2 blade fish knife with a stainless blade that was etched.
It was the first and last year for that knife - also, it was the ONLY Hammer Brand
shell handle ever to have an etch at all!

..... Joe

Yep glad I got most of what I wanted before the gold rush started again.

Gonna drive the prices up to where no one can afford um!
Let's see... from 30 cents to 10 dollars in only 65 years...

Sounds like a firm investment to me! ....
The quality is in the colors!!

..... Joe

I know you're jokin a little Joe but you're right about the colors, if they are clear and bright, have zero cracks or chips in them and all the blades still there, I'M IN!

nice shells

Man, NICE one cato! Love the colors!

..... Joe

There ya go cato, nice full blades and nice handles too!