All About Pocket Knives

Eureka jacks are a rare old pattern. Anybody have any? Here's a couple of mine.
Both are H. Boker & Co's Improved Cutlery.

those are real beauty!
I love the bone
thanks for sharing these!

Looks like a neat pattern and is similar to a dogleg. Those are great. Approximately how old are they and how long are they?

Great lookin knives!!

WOW! Those are two incredible knives! I really like that bone-handled one.

great pattern . thanks for showing them

Those Boker eureka jacks are very nice.

You obviously have a fantastic collection of Bokers.

I have this one, a pseudo-eureka Robeson "Demonstrator" with the usual hard rubber handles and "ShurEdge" shield, which I've seen only on the Demonstrator marked knives.

I have never seen a bone handled version of this knife.

Charlie Noyes

Hi, greedy.
Those are two different frames with swell centers. And they are fine looking knives.
What makes a Eureka Jack?
Consider my knife, if you will.
Is it a Eureka Jack?
I can improve on the pictures if need be. Thanks.

FRJ,

According to Bernard Levine's Guide To Knives And Their Values 4th Edition, Eureka Jacks are also called swell-center serpentine balloon knives which have the blades on the same end (the bone handled one I listed fits this category) and also called swell-center serpentines with the blades on opposite ends (the ebony handled one fits this description) or cattle knife type double-end jacks. Eureka Jacks are generally considered a deluxe or fancy cattle knife pattern.

As for your knife, it is a swell-center serpentine pen knife rather than a true Eureka Jack. While similar in shape to a Eureka Jack knife and/or cattle knife, it is both slimmer in proportion and much smaller in size. The shape doesn't eleminate it as being a Eureka jack, but the size of it does. These knives I listed are fairly large working knives. The ebony one is 3&5/8" closed and the bone is about the same size.

I've attached some pages of info. about all three knives that you may find interesting. The scans aren't that great, but If you will enlarge them, you should be able to read them.

biglmbass

They are both somewhere in the age brackett of 1869 - 1914. The ebony knife is 3&5/8" long when closed and the bone handled knife is approx. the same size (I don't have it readily available to measure at the moment). They are both good sized working knives.

Thank you greedy, for your considerable response. I see now that my knife is not a jack (which I certainly knew) but aimlessly hoped to fall into that classic pattern.
I am learning. And am struck by this unique and stylish, uncommon design.
I have Levine's 3rd. and have found like articles. The cattle knife inclusion is interesting.
I do have this new Schatt & Morgan. A facsimile for sure. Thanks.

Here is my Eureka, A Walden Knife Co. 3 3/4" long

Grredy and Paul M - WHOA!!! KILLER KNIVES - WOW!!
What a great pattern and info - thanks Greedy. Paul - that is one of the finest knives I
have seen, thank you very much for posting it, and thanks again greedy for this thread.
I am pretty new to buying knives and there is still alot I have not seen. The feelings I get
when I see something like that make me think that this hobby/disease is right for me, LOL.
Thanks aapk for the site and to all the members who post, WOW!!!

IM

Paul M..................WOW! That is a beautiful old knife............a classic example in every aspect. Very nice. Thanks for posting it.

Paul M. thats a beauty. great shape with outstanding bolsters

Paul M wrote:Here is my Eureka, A Walden Knife Co. 3 3/4" long

WHOA BUBBA, STOP THE TRAIN!!!

That is one of the most beautiful knives I have ever seen!!!
I love it!





If ever I make a slipjoint from scratch......

Thanks Guys! It is one of my favorites. A very high form of the Cutler's Art.

A very rare pattern to be sure. Paul that Walden is spectacular!!!. I only have one , a re-make for sure pictured along side another re-make. Not sure who made em'. The Eureka is marked Diamond Edge and the Tear-drop is marked Bingham. Both are well made with great F&F. Slim.

Here is my Carrier Cutlery Eureka jack. Came from a salesman's roll that was found a few years ago at an upstate NY antique show.

Beautiful knife Michael.
Now, what happened to the rest of the knives in that roll?
Charlie Noyes

sweet bone there galvanic!
this is really rare patern, i've been looking for eureka jaks seen i read this thread, couldn't find one that affordable

galvanic1882: That is one KILLER looking knife.

very nice ! you have a great collection

The rest of the knives in the roll are owned by a dealer friend. I bought the only etched one in the roll. Attached are pictures of 2 more from the same batch. Check out the salesman's numbers etched on the back of the blades. The ebony jack is 3 3/4" closed and the other is 3 3/8" closed.

Those are great, galvanic1882. The bone on that bare end looks fantastic. I assume that's ebony on the last one?