All About Pocket Knives

I got this Thomas Wilton aka (John Watts) Manhattan Works Sheffield Farrier's knife circa 1892 off of eBay for cheap. It was being sold as a parts knife.
Took me 20 hours of labor, new stag scales, nickel silver pins and new corkscrew I hand forged myself.
I reshaped the damaged blades and attachments, adjusted the springs, replaced the corkscrew, cleaned and polished and sharpened the blades. I also incorporated 90% stops for safety on the blades.
The shield or cartouche was not inlayed and just laid on top of the scales and pinned like the original.
This knife now operates like a brand new one with a piece of history behind it.
But most important of all it is safe to use.
If you can't use a vintage knife safely then what good is it?

knives are quiet (27 years repairing and restoring vintage knives)

Sweet old knife there !! Great looking resto too.

Great job

Awesome! What are 90% stops? Welcome to the site.

Amazing work,

What a great job!!

trey wrote:Awesome! What are 90% stops? Welcome to the site.

When you open a newly made knife the blade will stop half way open this is a 90% stop or also called half stop.
This is a safety feature on most new knives so if the blade accidentally snaps shut on you when in use this feature gives you extra protection from cutting your fingers off. Vintage knives very rarely had this feature.
Flattening the back end of the blade at the pivot point square will give you this feature.
But keep in mind that the spring will have to be adjusted and you also may have to increase the size of your pins.

Nice turnaround.
However I must disagree with "Vintage knives very rarely had this feature" referring to half stops. I see many more vintage knives with half stops than new knives. One of the reasons new knives have half stops is from an effort made by knife companies to match vintage patterns, quality, and practices. (GEC for example)

Thanks for the answer. I've heard them called half stops but never 90% stops.

k-a-q,
Welcome to AAPK

Nice restoration job!
Forging the corkscrew looks like a challenge, but it was well met!

Great work!

Welcome aboard,
Dale

muskrat man wrote:Nice turnaround.
However I must disagree with "Vintage knives very rarely had this feature" referring to half stops. I see many more vintage knives with half stops than new knives. One of the reasons new knives have half stops is from an effort made by knife companies to match vintage patterns, quality, and practices. (GEC for example)

I am mistaken in the way I worded the statement.
I meant to say antique knives not vintage.
Antiques are 100 years or more.
Most of the knives I had as a kid did not have the half stop feature also.
I still have all my scout knives from cub scout and two boy scouts which are Camillus brand to my eagle scout knife which is an Ulster and none of them have the feature.
But I do have a number of other types that do.
So you are somewhat correct.
When I repair or restore a vintage or antique knife to be used again I always incorporate this feature for safety if it doesn't already have it.
Safety and respect come first when using a tool or weapon.
I have been messing around with knives since I was 5 years old and I am now 50.
I have never once cut myself with a knife.
With a screw driver or pare of scissors is another story but never a knife.
I was taught in the Scouts to respect your knife.
knives are quiet

I must say, you are extreamly respectful. I have been handling knives for a good long while myself and I have cut my self many times. Although not in recent memory, which is good because it plisses me off when I do. Knives are sharp.

Nice restored knife, by the way.

trey wrote:Thanks for the answer. I've heard them called half stops but never 90% stops.

Had me going a minute also. He means 90 degrees, not percent

Awesomejob, by the way!!!!

The main reason really old knives don't have half stops is that the tangs have worn round. You should have asked for a cork screw. I could have sent you another busted up one of those as parts. Nice work.

That looks just great. I would get frustrated with that many parts...

Nice labor of love...

Thanks for posting that. The pictures tell the story.

I just realized that this thread is almost 2 years old.

Oh well, I must have missed it the first time around. Doesn't make the knife any less spectacular!