All About Pocket Knives

Robeson's NO-RUSTAIN stainless steel knives were usually etched RUSTLESS - STAINLESS on the master blade.

Charlie

Not a "smidgeon" of an etch on this blade, Charlie. It has been used and scratched to some degree.
Beautiful knife you have there.
Thanks for looking.

Thanks, Joe.

The blue background in the shield is original.

NO-RUSTAIN shields were blue, POCKETEZE shields were red and MASTERCRAFT shields were black.

We don't see that consistently on the knives we find today, so I cannot state that Robeson was religious about doing that.

Charlie

Thanks, Charlie.
Mine shows no sign at all that it was ever blue but the background is pebbled.

I have some questions about 2 of my Robeson knives.
3 3/8" two blade EO Jack. The master tang is marked "Robeson" in an arch over "USA/Cutlery". The secondary Pen blade is unmarked.
I have thought that this is an older Robeson marking going back to circa 1900. But this pattern and bone jigging reminds me of the EO Jacks made for the military during WW II.
My questions are: is this an older stamping ? and, is this knife from circa WW II ? or is it quite a bit older ?

I will use the next post to ask about the second Robeson.
thank you for your help, kj

The second knife referred to above is a 4 1/4" Equal End Jack. The master blade has the Shuredge in script stamping on front tang and "12837" on the back. The secondary Pen blade is marked: "Robeson" in an arch over, " PAT./APP FOR". The bolsters and liners appear integral but using a loupe i can see they are not. The bolster ends have tiny projections that key into a notch in the liner. I will add a better picture of this later today. The liners appear to have been milled out to allow the ebony handle slabs to be inset. There are no handle pins so likely the handle slabs have been glued in place.
I would like to understand this style of construction and know app. when Robeson was using it and which other patterns were made this way.
thanks, kj

I think that the top knife is a WWII era knife, maybe sightly before to slightly after. It seems to be one of the more commonly seen Robeson knives and I think that I have seen some that were marked only "U.S.A."

Certainly someone with more certain knowledge will be along to confirm (or deny).

JMO

Please keep in mind that all published data on Robeson tang stamp dating is totally subjective and the only really detailed information that spoke in any increments other than multiple decades was published in Knives Can Talk! by Tom Kalcevic. He had access to old Robeson records, old Robeson cutlers and the spouse of Emerson Case, the former president of the company.

Are his dates accurate?

I have no idea, except that I could document at least two errors, based on Robeson letters in my possession, but they only put him off by one or two years, which I consider insignificant.

The tang stamp, ROBESON / U.S.A. /CUTLERY, Tom dates 1922 to 1939, in other words, right up close to the start of WWII.

How many blades so marked were still around when Robeson started making those EZ Openers for the war effort? Or, how accurate, indeed, is Tom's ending date of 1939?

Your EZ Opener is definitely circa WWII, regardless of the tang stamp.

An earlier stamp, circa 1900 to 1916, according to Tom Kalcevic, was ROBESON / CO. / CUTLERY and that is probably the one you were thinking of.

As to your 037 4 1/4" jack, the handles are not glued on, but held in place by slightly overlapping edges of the liners and bolsters, hence, no pins.

Bernard Levine discussed these knives two months running in his Whut Izzit? column in KnifeWorld Magazine a few years ago, including showing the patent description and drawings. I did not keep those and I cannot quote the patent dates off the top of my head.

They used the technique on several patterns, both large and small.

In his discussion re' pattern numbers, Kalcevic stated that the "8" in the third position, the position that described liners and bolsters material, as "Steel Frame Liner and Bolster". He did not state they were "integral", which, indeed, they are not.

Here are two other examples, first one is mine, second not.

Charlie

Charlie, thank you for specifically answering each of my questions.
I did not know that there are 2 Robeson arched stampings.
Regarding the big jack with the no pins ebony handle: the wood abuts the bolsters and does not appear to be overlapped. The spring edge liner does overlap the wood but the blade side liner edge has a gap between it and the wood, it does not overlap, yet the handle slabs remain tightly in place.
kj

Dr. Joe, the handles might have shrunk over time, but originally the edges of the handles were beveled and encompassed beneath the reverse bevels created in the liners and bolsters. "Crimped", so to speak.

I do not recall any discussion re' adhesives in the patent description.

Doesn't mean somebody hasn't applied glue to your knife in the interim, though.

Charlie

I will post some good close up pics of the handle but i need outdoor light so detail shows well. Today is about the 70th ? day in a row of rain. So pictures pending.
kj

Here is a really nice Robeson sleaveboard. In spite of its shortened clip blade it is very solid and strong.
The bone covers are still crisp to the feel. 3 11/16".
Thanks for looking.

Here is another Robeson sleaveboard, but a bit smaller. This little knife is in better condition. 3 5/16".
A very solid knife with nice crisp bones. A little beauty.
Thanks for looking.

Beautiful Robeson folders KJ, Charlie and Joe Here is a small Robeson Mastercraft EE folder 3"inches closed pattern number is 623671. I have been looking for awhile for a Mastercraft and finally found this example. The last photo if you look carefully you can see the bronze bearings on the blade tangs. Very smooth walk and talk on these Lloyd

A very nice and well built Mastercraft jack, Lloyd.

I guess i'm saying the obvious, but Robeson sure made fine knives. The only ones i don't like are the 'fake' Queen ones.
kj

kootenay joe wrote:I guess i'm saying the obvious, but Robeson sure made fine knives.

It's true, and they were so innovative and really always fine construction.


The only ones i don't like are the 'fake' Queen ones. kj

I stumbled into one of those once. It aint no Pocketeze, obviously................

I have an ivory handled Queen 'Robeson', somewhere, and it is a lovely knife. But i would prefer that it be accurately marked, meaning "Queen", because it is not a Robeson, was not made in the Robeson factory or made by Robeson employees.
kj

And this doctors knife is a nice knife too. It's just not a Robeson.
I guess it's a Queen. I don't really know. kj, do you think it's a Queen?

If it was made by Queen, i consider it a Queen knife.
Robeson was not just a brand name, it was also the manufacturer's name.
When a businessman purchases a brand name like say "Maher & Grosh" and has knives made with this branding, then to me, these are Maher & Grosh knives because it always has been a merchant name. There never was a Mayer & Grosh knife manufacturer.
kj

Here's a nice little tipped bolster Robeson.

EDIT: 3 5/16" closed.

Joe I like the lines and sweep of the frame/handle on that Robeson Very attractive What is the closed length of the folder? Lloyd

Thank you, Lloyd. It is nice. It's 3 5/16" closed.

I edited my original post to include length.

That's a nice little pattern and often referred to as a "Wharncliffe", but that's questionable.

I've seen these ivoroid handled knives with a "PocketEze" shield, the one I have doesn't have one either.

But, my bone handled example does.

Charlie

Thank you, Charlie. It is a very nice pattern. Typical of Robeson to come out with something so nice.
Sunken joints, various handle options and long blades in a 3 5/16" frame.