Old Pruning and Horticultural Knives

Bfeldman · Post by **Bfeldman** » Fri May 31, 2019 2:24 am

Here’s a few knives that fit the bill. The black handled one is a thiers-issard and the brown handled one is from m Klein and sons.

But the one I’m curious if anyone has any ideas about is the last one. No stamp, a very interesting locking mechanism and the guy who sold it to me gave me some story about it being made out of a railroad spike by a guy in Mexico but as I’m not sure I buy it.

doglegg · Post by **doglegg** » Fri May 31, 2019 2:31 am

Three cool ones Bfeldman. That guy in Mexico must have been a real craftsman as that is a cool knife.

Bfeldman · Post by **Bfeldman** » Fri May 31, 2019 1:55 pm

doglegg wrote:Three cool ones Bfeldman. That guy in Mexico must have been a real craftsman as that is a cool knife.

Thanks. I’ve never seen a locking mechanism like this one.

LongBlade · Post by **LongBlade** » Fri May 31, 2019 3:10 pm

I like the French 2 blade Hawkbill

.. though I think it was repinned at some point. The knife noted as Mexican looks like a Spanish Billhook folder - not sure about Mexico... maybe

...

Bfeldman · Post by **Bfeldman** » Sat Jun 01, 2019 3:26 am

LongBlade wrote:I like the French 2 blade Hawkbill .. though I think it was repinned at some point. The knife noted as Mexican looks like a Spanish Billhook folder - not sure about Mexico... maybe ...

Good eye. It definitely looks like it was reprinted which is interesting because it doesn’t show a ton of wear otherwise.

Eustace · Post by **Eustace** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:31 am

I am glad when I find old Bulgarian knives in such a condition.

LongBlade · Post by **LongBlade** » Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:16 pm

Nice set of knives Eustace

... A pruner and budding grafting knife as a pair is very cool

..

royal0014 · Post by **royal0014** » Mon Jun 10, 2019 10:08 am

Very nice set, Eustace

kootenay joe · Post by **kootenay joe** » Thu Jun 20, 2019 2:43 am

Some fine very old knives being posted. Lee's Billhook is a fine survivor, could easily be a 200 yr old knife.
Here is one i just fopund in my basement. I put it there some years ago because the blade looks rusted beyond saving. But today it spoke to me so i took some pictures. "H & J.W. King Warranted 1869". King was an importer so this might have come from Germany. Liners & bolsters are integral. Note the big swell of handle towards the butt. Snaps are all very crisp, has a half stop and no play, solid in open position. Pretty good for 150 years old.
Any advice on getting the 'scale' off the blade ?
kj

doglegg · Post by **doglegg** » Thu Jun 20, 2019 2:47 am

Eustace wrote:I am glad when I find old Bulgarian knives in such a condition.

Eustace, I somehow missed these until now. Great condition! Proud for you.

LongBlade · Post by **LongBlade** » Thu Jun 20, 2019 1:06 pm

kootenay joe wrote:Some fine very old knives being posted. Lee's Billhook is a fine survivor, could easily be a 200 yr old knife.
Here is one i just fopund in my basement. I put it there some years ago because the blade looks rusted beyond saving. But today it spoke to me so i took some pictures. "H & J.W. King Warranted 1869". King was an importer so this might have come from Germany. Liners & bolsters are integral. Note the big swell of handle towards the butt. Snaps are all very crisp, has a half stop and no play, solid in open position. Pretty good for 150 years old.
Any advice on getting the 'scale' off the blade ?
kj

Thanks for comment on Billhook - it is an oldie - some followup research indicates to me 1850 or later and most likely Italian in origin... though probably somehow imported and used here in the Northeast based on where and how it was found...

KJ - That is an old pruner for sure

- I know you mention possibly Germany but I wouldn’t know - I haven’t seen too many German made Hawkbills but not ones I would collect ... I’m not familiar with that stamp at all... but in terms of cleaning that knife it is pretty far gone.. looks to be very deep pitting and corrosion - I think buffing it to death may not even work

... personally I rather see it like this than a shiny and lousy facsimile of a knife!

I’m still sticking to pre-1860 for integrated liners/bolsters as I still have not seen many later examples and certainly none after 1900 despite that conjecture in another thread ....

kootenay joe · Post by **kootenay joe** » Thu Jun 20, 2019 7:33 pm

I think this one has integral liners/bolsters and it was made in 1869. Goins has some info on this brand.
I was not thinking of buffing, more like rubbing or flicking off the superficial scale that covers both blade surfaces.
kj

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 12:29 pm

I made a separate post about this old Keen Kutter K136 pruner in "Knife Q&A" but I fiqured I'd run some photos of it here amongst these other great pruning and Horticultural knives. Enjoy!

LongBlade · Post by **LongBlade** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 11:07 pm

Great looking Hawkbill Robo

... the etch on a Hawkbill is very cool and not something often seen

... Thanks for sharing it in this thread!!

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Tue Jun 25, 2019 12:10 am

LongBlade wrote:Great looking Hawkbill Robo ... the etch on a Hawkbill is very cool and not something often seen ... Thanks for sharing it in this thread!!

My Pleasure, Lee!

Eustace · Post by **Eustace** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:21 pm

My friend send me this pictures. Has anyone seen something like this?

LongBlade · Post by **LongBlade** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:56 pm

Very interesting knife Eustace

... I can’t tell from photos but is that a spud used to graft on the back end of knife or is it just an extension of the handle? Not sure from where it originated but looks European in style...

Eustace · Post by **Eustace** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:03 pm

I'm almost sure it's French. The stamp is "aparie" or "aparis"

LongBlade · Post by **LongBlade** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:09 pm

I believe your correct Eustace as the stamp appears French

- I didn’t pay attention to the stamp

... looks like a folding billhook (aka pruner) that has the handle open from a folding extension... pretty cool

...

kootenay joe · Post by **kootenay joe** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 5:46 pm

Does it have 1 blade and 2 springs ?
Does the handle extension fold closed when blade is open to keep blade locked open ?
"Aparie" makes me think of bee keeping.
Never seen anything like it.
kj

New_Windsor_NY · Post by **New_Windsor_NY** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 7:56 pm

Hi. I enlarged the stamp/mark in your last photo. The last 2 "figures" look like numbers, not letters. Maybe a 15 and not is or ir?
Just an observation.

New_Windsor_NY · Post by **New_Windsor_NY** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:14 pm

My GEO. SCHRADE pruner.

RobesonsRme.com · Post by **RobesonsRme.com** » Tue Jul 02, 2019 1:03 am

I knew a man from Mexico named, "Aparis".

So, I suppose your knife could be Spanish.

Charlie

New_Windsor_NY · Post by **New_Windsor_NY** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 3:49 pm

My latest pruner, this Geo Schrade. It's almost identical to the one I posted above, except the advertising is engraved/stamped into the blade, not etched on the blade like the previous knife. The tang stamps are different also.

FRJ · Post by **FRJ** » Mon Jul 29, 2019 11:14 pm

American Knife Co,. Thomaston. 1875-1895 - 4 3/8" closed.
It has earned all it's scars.
The same can be said for its neighbor, one town over, American Knife Co., Plymouth. 1849-1875 - 4 3/8" closed.
Great old Connecticut knives and stamps.
There is an interesting bit of history in Goin's encyclopedia about these two companies and the towns themselves,
including Northfield Knife Co.
I live in Plymouth.

Thanks for looking.

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