All About Pocket Knives

M.B. gave me an idea, by asking me a question about punches. I have logged quite a few pictures of different kinds, but there are often new ones turning up. If you have one that's a little different, or want to ask about one you have, I thought we could have a discussion about them. I'll start with these. You should be able to "click" them up and read the tangs, but I believe they were all made by Utica!

First pic below is the Cooper punch patented in April, 1905, and used on Robeson pocketknives of various patterns for many years.

Second is a strange double edged punch that I've only seen on this particular pattern stockman.

Third is a sharp edged punch used on the 433 pattern Carpenter's Choice knives.

Last is a chisel-punch used on two patterns of WoodCraft knives, one had three blades like this one, the other had two blades.

Charlie Noyes

Here are a couple

nice bone on those HJ's Charlie.

LC, that 75 looks pickleized

My original question to Charlie C. was, are there many punch blades with a nail nick in it.

All the boy and girl scout knives I posted in The All scouts Knife thread do not have a nail nick. Why would you need one when it has a nice lip along the edge to lift it with?

So, I was looking at a near mint Utica utility knife I have and that is when I noticed a nail nick in the blade, something I really never paid attention to before. To begin with the metal on a punch blade is very thin, especially on this Utica, so to cut the nail nick is a very delicate operation. It is pretty much an unnecessary step in the production of a knife, if the punch has a lip on the edge. Now if the punch blade does not have the lip on the edge , then it is necessary to have a nail nick. Usually the punch blades without a lip are much thicker steel.

I noticed all the punches Charlie posted have a nail nick, ironically all made by Utica. Does anyone have any other antique knives by other companies with the nail nick?

M.B.

Here are four Keen Kutters, with the forged over "lip" AND a nail nick!

Here are some older Case 6228Ps. They have flat faced punches, with a regular nick.

muskrat man wrote:nice bone on those HJ's Charlie.

LC, that 75 looks pickleized

Yes sir your right

Here's a punch on a Schrade scout, its a bit different in that it has a notch at the base and the concave ground side has a gold tone, possibly having something to do with the production process.

AKC, the notch is a choil, to make it easier to hone the edge.
The gold color is the oxide from when it was heat treated.
Often Remington punches have that gold or a dark grey tone.

They are not always colored, but if the inside of a Schrade or Remington punch is shiny, rest assured it has been "cleaned"!

Nice Scout, BTW!!!

upnorth wrote:They are not always colored, but if the inside of a Schrade or Remington punch is shiny, rest assured it has been "cleaned"!

Thanks that's a good bit of information to know.

Some arcane details for the obsessed few!
O.L.Harrison patented a punch in 1902 with a big "rollover" blade.
You all may have seen one on a New York Knife. It's the one without spiral grooves on the outside, and with a laminated tang. They laminated the tang for ease of manufacture, a deviation from the patent drawings.
First 4 pics.
The Wardlow knife is the only knife I have seen where the tang is solid, just like the patent specs.
Either made by Walden, or NYK; not sure which!
Last 4 pics.

Nice old knife Charlie


Looks like it was made by Walden to me

MILLER BRO`S wrote:Nice old knife Charlie


Looks like it was made by Walden to me

As opposed to NYK, Dimitri?? I can't tell.
I don't know them visually as well as I should. Does it look like other Waldens you have, or have seen?

Charlie,

Yes as opposed to NYK.

I had at one time an old ebony wood handle Walden Knife Co. punch jack that looked exactly the same as your Wardlow. The thing that stands out in my memory is the longer than usual front steel bolster. I have a NYK punch jack somewhere and the bolster is shorter than the Wardlow. I am pretty sure your knife was made by Walden.

Details, details !

Actually, that is where the answers lie!! Thanks Dimitri. Now I'm going to look for further proof!

But my question to you is; you say you HAD a Walden Harness Jack!!
Pray tell, why wasn't it sold to ME, instead of someone else,
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???

upnorth wrote:But my question to you is; you say you HAD a Walden Harness Jack!!
Pray tell, why wasn't it sold to ME, instead of someone else,
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???

I sold that 10 years ago or more, I did not know about you then Charlie

I love it when Charlie gets indignant!


Dale

MILLER BRO`S wrote:

upnorth wrote:But my question to you is; you say you HAD a Walden Harness Jack!!
Pray tell, why wasn't it sold to ME, instead of someone else,
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???

I sold that 10 years ago or more, I did not know about you then Charlie

You remember something you did TEN years ago???

I pictured you as an old guy; I guess you are a young gu. . . . . . .
. . . . . .zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

upnorth wrote:You remember something you did TEN years ago???

Charlie, 10, 20, 30 years ago no problem.

It`s 10 minutes or 10 seconds ago that I have trouble remembering!

MILLER BRO`S wrote:

upnorth wrote:You remember something you did TEN years ago???

Charlie, 10, 20, 30 years ago no problem.

It`s 10 minutes or 10 seconds ago that I have trouble remembering!

SO TRUE!!

Here is a old Nap punch with a Pat'd number of 1-29-07 on the punch. Levine's pg. 25 says Carman patent punch blade dated April 7 1908 (884,350) made by Napanoch Knife Co.
Is the date on the punch blade for the knife itself? This punch is for a old Nap tool knife. I tried to scan the other side of this punch and could not get a clear picture, no way. All
tools for this knife is stamped as the punch. Maybe I have answered my question!!

Here's a recent acquisition with punch.
If anyone knows the origin or history
behind this one, sure would like to learn more.
Tang on both blades has 'Shapleigh' over 'St. Louis USA'
over 'M.I.Germany'.
My Final Jeopardy guess would be another Parker issue of a defunct
trade name on a pattern of their choice made by same folks as the
Bulldog brand (since this knife has similar bells & whistles.)
Just a guess I could be wrong...again.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.

3 9/16" buffalo horn equal end stockman w/punch.

Another of Parker's "factory finds" of unfinished knives!!

Pretty well made knives! But the story sucks!!

Here's one on an old HIBBARD, SPENCER, BARTLETT & Co








Main blade has no snap and sits high in the saddle. Blades have been on one of those damned electric sharpeners too. Seller neglected to mention that.

It was cheap.