Holley Manufacturing Company A.D. 1844

[LongBlade]

Lyle - A few Empires of mine do have bar shields but are squared off - not with spear points except my Empire Bullhead I posted before but there the shield also has a curve top and bottom - but I would bet as you say Empire did perhaps use the same - I always wondered if some shields were mass produced and ordered by cutleries... I am sure many also made their own shields too..

KJ - Interesting!! ... so I assume this is a different guy than Ray Platts, Henry Gill or Arthur Wright who no doubt used Holley blades? I know FRJ (Joe) just recently posted his Platts jack made with Holley blades though you can see the Holley stamp was different than these hunters. Be curious to find out the name of the other knife mechanic and where he was located and selling these (just out of curiosity)... BTW - my hunter was a local find - not eBay ...

[wlf]

The first thing I observe Roland are the handles and pattern too I guess.

It's nearly impossible to replicate old bone and jigging that was used.I understand you were not referring to any particular knife,and neither am I.

Yes Lee ,I noticed the slight difference,but the similarities are striking.

[RobesonsRme.com]

That bone handled jack is impressive and I owned one exactly like it years ago. It might, indeed, be the same knife. Same bone, same blade, same mark, same condition. I got it at a trade day in Collinsville, AL in the late 1980's, before I shifted my interests to strictly Robesons.

I traded it to Joe Seale for a mint Robeson toothpick.

It was a hoss of a knife.

Unfortunately, I never photographed it.

Charlie Noyes

[kootenay joe]

"It's nearly impossible to replicate old bone and jigging that was used"
Lyle, this guy was not replicating. He was taking apart old Holley knives and using the parts to make 'new Holley' knives. His knives are all Holley parts but zero Holley workmanship.
LB, i will find out the name of the Holley knife mechanic and post back.
kj

[Mason]

Wonderful examples olderdogs1 and Longblade, and great information from kootenay joe regarding some Holley facts.

[CheckSix]

picked up my 1st Holley at the knife show yesterday... 2 blade Jack, smooth natural bone... mechanicals are great!

[kootenay joe]

Dave i think you have a 'good one' there, meaning all original. Handles look like bone but Holley did use ivory more frequently than other knife companies of that era.
kj

[Beechtree]

Here is the factory as it stands today. Fortunately it is in quite great shape considering how many cutlery factories were demolished after multiple periods of economic downturns since their heyday.

[Mason]

Here is the factory as it stands today. Fortunately it is in quite great shape considering how many cutlery factories were demolished after multiple periods of economic downturns since their heyday.

Wonderful pictures and great to see that the original building is such good condition. Love the big stone with the cannon ball in the middle.

[Beechtree]

Me too Mason. The picture below it is of a cutlers grindstone from Holley Mfg. that was used as part of the foundation for the grist mill stone with the cannon ball. It is a nicely done historical sculpture, although the grind stone is being a little covered by grass.

[petekuhn]

Not a very good picture. I don`t find many holly knives in my area but found this stockman last sunday. Still has a little of the etching left on the blade. A little beat up but I just leave them how I found them.

[djknife13]

Looks beautiful to me.____Dave

[Miller Bro's]

Not a very good picture. I don`t find many holly knives in my area but found this stockman last sunday. Still has a little of the etching left on the blade. A little beat up but I just leave them how I found them.

Nice find!

[petekuhn]

Not a very good picture. I don`t find many holly knives in my area but found this stockman last sunday. Still has a little of the etching left on the blade. A little beat up but I just leave them how I found them.

Nice find!

Thanks

[timdog44]

I see that this is a 10 years after post but I have this Holley Mfg Co MOP knife. 4 blades, one is a nail file and so I call it a gentleman's knife. There is a little chip out of the shell on the bottom.

[FRJ]

That's a beautiful little knife.

[Reverand]

Sweet!

MOP is so delicate, that knife is lucky to have only 1 chip after all of these years!

[stumpstalker]

This knife, owned by a friend, and marked Holley, was called in old sales catalogues according to LEVINE’s GUDE 3rd ed, a “balloon” or, "swell-center balloon”, although in the parlance of today’s collector I find that the pattern is more likely to be called a “tuxedo”.

[knifeaholic]

Some photos of the old Holley buildings (now empty) that I took last fall.

[Waukonda]

Some photos of the old Holley building (now empty) that I took last fall.

Great old building, nicely photographed, thank you for posting!

[peanut740]

Steve

[JohnR]

Picked this one up from Roger a few years ago. Large over 4" curved frame sheepsfoot, based on the style of the knife I would think it is a pretty early knife, still in very nice condition.

[djknife13]

Beautiful knife.____Dave

[1967redrider]

WOW!!! That one is gorgeous.