All About Pocket Knives

I am an amateur knife collector and found this beauty last year at a flea market for $30. I can find no maker's mark, only a "12" on one side and a "16" on the other. Can anyone tell me the age, maker and/or the value of this great old knife? It is very well made, very heavy, and has a great look to it. The bone is split on both sides at the very end, but it is in otherwise wonderful condition. Thanks!

I'll try shooting from the hip here, as it is early morning and I have not had enough coffee to go through my references. I'll do as BR Levine suggests, and read the knife.

Italian shotguns, cheap ones bought by the locals, do not have extractors. The 12 side will pull a 12 guage fired shotshell out of the chamber, and the 16 will do the same with that size bore.

Shooting and Drinking are very stringently separated here in this country, but that is not universal. A German shooting range will usually have a post set into the ground at a shooting station, so the shooter has a place to set his stien of beer. And an Italian would certainly want a corkscrew on his knife so as to enjoy a bottle of Chianti during his hunt. Despite this drink as you shoot thing, it is a fact that most American Hunters would not qualify for a hunting license in a European country without much study and practice. Just a side note there.

I'm betting your knife was made in Italy and is worth just about what you paid for it. I also guess manufactured in the fifties. I'd call it an interesting find.

phil

Gr8Scout wrote:I'll try shooting from the hip here, as it is early morning and I have not had enough coffee to go through my references. I'll do as BR Levine suggests, and read the knife.

Italian shotguns, cheap ones bought by the locals, do not have extractors. The 12 side will pull a 12 guage fired shotshell out of the chamber, and the 16 will do the same with that size bore.

Shooting and Drinking are very stringently separated here in this country, but that is not universal. A German shooting range will usually have a post set into the ground at a shooting station, so the shooter has a place to set his stien of beer. And an Italian would certainly want a corkscrew on his knife so as to enjoy a bottle of Chianti during his hunt. Despite this drink as you shoot thing, it is a fact that most American Hunters would not qualify for a hunting license in a European country without much study and practice. Just a side note there.

I'm betting your knife was made in Italy and is worth just about what you paid for it. I also guess manufactured in the fifties. I'd call it an interesting find.

phil

So the guard would double as a shell extractor? Is that how it would work?

That's a very interesting theory about this knife.

No, not a theory, about the guard doubling as a shell extractor. That much is fact. Take the knife to a gun shop and try it out on some 12 and 16 gauge shells.

I paged through BRLevines guide and found where he wrote about such knives. Page 306 of BRL's Guide, 4th edition. I have handled one of these knives, long ago, only had two blades, one of which was a corkscrew, and it was marked plainly as having been made in Italy. According to the 'Guide', this knife pattern is called the "Caccia Mugellano", or Mugelllan Hunting Knife. Levine goes on to write: "A Tuscan hunter's pattern made in Scarperia, widedly used. Usually has horn handles, iron mounts. Modern ones stainless. Derived from older sportsman's multi-blades. Only tool now sometimes included is the shotshell extractor."

I'll keep looking through my references. With any luck, another member can add more definite information.

Phil

Edited to add: I just searched ebay, and found this. Note that the seller does not mention the guard/extractor 'cause he knows not what it is. In the pic closeups, you can plainly see '12' on one side, and what looks like '20' to me on the other. 20 gauge is also a common shotshell size, but less popular in Italy than here. I may be mis-reading that.

http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-KNIFE-ITALIAN-A ... dZViewItem

A little searching netted me this off the net:

http://nicnac.net/en-us/dept_48.html

Phil

Gr8Scout ; Thanks for walking me through Levine's Guide and adding the page #.

I just recives the book from CCBILL!
This was the first time I got to us it with info on this site.
I fell smarter now like I know one more thing.
EZ old man do not get to smartie.

CCBILL thanks for selling me this book and adding the surprize too.
I will clean out the sand bar droppings soon.