All About Pocket Knives

Thanks Roger, thanks Lee. Lee, I've never seen another and yes it is funny that 2 crop up in a couple months, just never know what you will find with old knives.

That knife is swell John, everything about it.

Wow John R, great oldie. Beautiful bones, patina, EZ, everything.

That Thomaston certainly looks right, but it's a bit disconcerting that two pop up in rapid succession. I wonder if they came out of the woodwork together.

Thomaston is possibly the most rarely seen of the various makers of these knives.

Personally, I'd love to see somebody put together a collection with an example from each.

Levine lists fourteen possible makers and he didn't include Thomaston.

Charlie Noyes

I hate to be a wet blanket, but the first thought that came to mind when I saw the knife was, the handles look too new compared to the age and use the blades have obviously seen. The blades have a nice patina you would expect for a knife that old and the master has chips in it but the handles don't look pocket worn, and I don't see any cracks or chips in the bone. My eyes are old though so I'm probably wrong.

Nice find in any case!

Ken

Thanks for the comments everyone, the input on the knife is much appreciated.

Ken, I had to stop some active rust when I received the knife, I think the pits in the blade edge were from rust and that can be seen better towards the tip of the blade, you can also see rust areas in the blade that correspond to sitting closed for many decades, I'm thinking the lack of wear to the bone is because the knife was never really carried and just sat rusting somewhere for the last 100 years. Also the bone may look better because I soaked the knife in mineral oil when dealing with the rust.

I think the Thomaston is all original. The blade edge chips are due to rust so the blade looks little used. There is a dark line along the blade consistent with the spine of the manicure blade when blades are closed. This indicates knife lying around closed for many years. However none of this proves anything about the handles which show little to no wear. The handle pins are not spun which is how a WW I era knife should be.
Note: my opinion is not expert & my brain is on the decline.
kj

These pictures are of an Ostiso FineEdge large cigar at 4 1/4" closed. Goins indicates made between 1921 - 1923. I have a suspicion the back handle is a replacement.

I show an equal end pen in that flavor on page 35 in this thread. Great old knives.

Yours is a real beauty, Jerry.

Ooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeeee man, another great old, rare one with bone color to die for. Wow FRJ, that's a beauuuuuuuutaaaaay.
Hey tell me how you get the number of views to show under your pics? Don't see that on most of the other posts. Cool.

Here is a Big One for you. Over 9 inches long open. Miller Bros. Bought it this year at a Flea Market for $12 bucks

Thank you, Ivoryman.
I can not explain the number of views under the photos. Hadn't noticed it.
I did cut and paste those images from page 35.

Great knives guys!!

Here is a group of mine that took awhile to get. The surgical tool is marked J Martin Albany. He was a cutler in Albany NY that made surgical tools etc. When he died in 1871 W H Sample, who was an employee, bought the business and changed the name to W H Sample. All this info came from Goins'

Interesting surgical tool, great looking bare head jack too.

Can't read the stamp but is a budding knife. Nice knife

There were several of those buding and grafting knives that just sold on eBay. They all looked very similar with that gunstock slot. All of them had different tang stamps, one was an Empire , one was a Cattaraugus and so forth. I was afraid to bid on them not being familiar with that pattern. I can't read the stamp on yours but I would be skeptical about it's authenticity.

Can anyone make heads or tails out of this? Greg, I'm going to take the opposite tack and say I would not be skeptical about it's authenticity (whatever it is).

I may be wrong but I think it is actually a "Grafting" knife.
Grafting citrus trees was a huge pastime in the 18-1900's. The idea was to combine branches from say a lemon, and orange tree so you could grow both fruits on the same tree.
I actually know of a few of these trees out on Long Island... Cherry/Apple.

The way it worked was you would cut a branch off of one tree, and whittle a long thin wedge on the end. You needed a lot of the core exposed.
The second/receiving tree had a matching "V" notch cut into a branch, and that spud on the back of the knife was used as a gauge. When the spud fit cleanly into the cut notch... You had a proper set up. The branches were fit together with a grafting compound, and wrapped with cotton thread, then covered with muslin or canvas that was kept damp for several weeks to a few months.

The two (if successful) would graft together, and there you go! In a few years time... Orange juice for breakfast, and lemonade for lunch.

I don't think these knives are too collectible anymore no matter if they are called "budding" or "grafting" knives. No one really grafts much, and there are specialty tools today for the few folks that do.

Edit:
I should have addressed what I believe is an actual "budding" knife.
Generally they are hawkbill type knives used primarily for roses. I believe the process is similar but I really know little about it.

Jerryd, you may be right as I am no expert but here are two of the others that just sold . An Empire and a Northfield. The resemblance is uncanny don't you think?
There is no question that these are buding and grafting knives. I just question the authenticity of the makers mark.

Old '20s 4 line Camillus Equal End Jack with jigged black composite scales and tip bolster.

Here is a group of big folders. Several names for these but I prefer to call them toad stickers. 5 1/2" closed. Far left and right are slot knives or hobos.

Those are really cool!!

That's a pretty impressive picture Wayne

That stag on the Winchester is unbelievable