All About Pocket Knives

Got this knife at a garage sale over a month ago.
It was being used to open paint cans.
I saw the Russell Green River mark on it and wondered if it was for sale?
I ask the old Lady who was selling her stuff if it was for sale and she told me I could just take it at no charge.
Having a conscience, I gave her ten dollars for it.
The knife had tons of paint all over it but I could see that it was still in good shape.
Took me more than a month working a couple of hours a day with pick tools to remove all the paint.
Most of the paint was on the hemp wrapped around the wood handle which was the most difficult to remove without damaging the rope or have it unravel.
My question is, Is this a kitchen knife or camp knife?
Why the rope around the handle?
Is it reproduction or original?
The blade looks to be a boning blade?
How old is this knife and did I pay to much?

Any help would be appreciated.

J W

Cool old knife!
I think it is worth $10.
As to whether it is a camp knife or a kitchen knife, I suppose that depends on where one decides to use it, in the camp or in the kitchen. I am not sure there was a difference in the knives themselves.

The stamping on the blade is different than the etch on the blanks sold recently by Jantz supply. Yours has the arrow through the “R” with the line under the rest of the word like the markings on the new blanks I have. Goins shows that marking was introduced in 1920. From that I would deduce it is not one of the old ones made in the 1800s, and may even be post-WW II.

I can think of a couple reasons to wrap the handle.
The owner may have wrapped the handle for a better grip when their hands were wet or bloody.
I have also seen knives where someone had wrapped the handle because the handle had developed some cracking in the wood, (not uncommon in a kitchen knife where the handle is often wet). I have even seen them that have been glued and then wrapped for extra strength, especially in the days before the modern waterproof glues.

Those old carbon steel knives are the kind of knives I use in our kitchen because they hold an edge as well as most of the modern “super steels.” I have a bunch of mismatched, stained up, wood handled knives from various makers that are my favorite kitchen knives. The one thing they have in common is they are carbon steel and razor sharp!


It is a neat old knife, whatever the story behind it!
Awesome find and a nice job of cleaning it up.

What is the length of the blade, and the overall length?

The rope is not original to the knife it was added.

It is a Boning knife, it came in a 5" & 6" model.

knives-are-quiet wrote:If you got any proof it’s an add on , please feel free to show it.

All the proof I need is in all the original knife catalogs in my library.

They state the use, size, handle material, etc. that was offered for sale.

None of my catalogs ever mention a handle wrapped with rope.

You can go to the bank with this information

Miller Bro`s wrote:It is a Boning knife, it came in a 5" & 6" model.

knives-are-quiet wrote:If you got any proof it’s an add on , please feel free to show it.

All the proof I need is in all the original knife catalogs in my library.

They state the use, size, handle material, etc. that was offered for sale.

None of my catalogs ever mention a handle wrapped with rope.

You can go to the bank with this information

I had someone state to me to look it up in the 1933 Russell Green River Works catalog,
That it is a Ham Boning knife No 21013 , crucible steel blade, corded beech handle.
The handle and cord have been fashioned that way at the factory...
But I haven’t been able to locate anyone with this catalog.

J W

I don`t have a Russell catalog, but I do have several other vintage knife catalogs.

All the other catalogs spanning 1907-1950 do not have this cord wrapped around the handle.

That does not mean Russell did not use it, but I would be very surprised if they did.

Most of the old wood knife handle kitchen knives like these that were for professional butchers and the like, had the wood handles stamped with the model number and the makers name.

I wonder what is stamped under the cord on your knife?

Miller Bro`s wrote:I don`t have a Russell catalog, but I do have several other vintage knife catalogs.

All the other catalogs spanning 1907-1950 do not have this cord wrapped around the handle.

That does not mean Russell did not use it, but I would be very surprised if they did.

Most of the old wood knife handle kitchen knives like these that were for professional butchers and the like, had the wood handles stamped with the model number and the makers name.

I wonder what is stamped under the cord on your knife?

Took me too long to clean off the paint from the handle of this knife to remove the cord.
I am not that inerested in the value of this knife , just the history.
After properly sharpening I have been using this knife in my kitchen for the past couple of weeks. Fits right in with the other vintage carbon steel knives I have.
I used butchers wax on the cord instead of varnish which most people use on a corded handled knife for sanitary reasons. The knife keeps a good edge and feels just right in my hand.

knives-are-quiet wrote: The knife keeps a good edge and feels just right in my hand.

It is hard to beat the old carbon steel knives for edge retention and ease of sharpening!

I have so much stuff I don`t even remember what I have any more

I just found a reprint of an 1884 Russell knife catalog. It has every kitchen knife known to man in there. Some stuff I never even knew what it was used for.

Not one example of a handle with a cord wrapped around the handle. If I ever find a 1933 catalog I will check for it, but I doubt it was ever offered from the factory that way, but I always keep an open mind.

I am glad you are using it, most of these knives had the best steel as Dale mentioned.

The value on these old kitchen knives is relatively low compared to old pocket knives, so use them