All About Pocket Knives

Before WWII knife companies used quite a bit of Ebony wood on pocket knives.

When plastics came into use, some more common types of domestic wood was used but Ebony was dropped from use.

It was a very durable natural handle material to use on knives, and was a working man`s knife handle material.

Let`s see your Ebony wood handled knives in this thread

Here ya go.
Challenge Cutlery Co SHEFFIELD


Challenge "English jack" or folding hunter?


Edward Weck


Simmons Hardware

Nice ebony jacks!
I like ebony jacks & have a few.
I will post some pics when I get my PC out of the shop.

Great thread, I love these old knives!
Here's a Schrade Cut Co....

Love those Ebony Jacks! Takes me back in time!!

Here are some more. From the top, all Empires:
English Jack
LB Hunter
Barlow
Mid-sized Coke Bottle Jack

WOW! All very nice but that English Jack is the cat's meow

Empire made some nice stuff

Thanks for showing them Charlie

Charlie, those are all great.

That stabber jack from Empire is an unbelievably nice knife.

Charlie Noyes

Here are some old Robesons:

Nice stuff Charlie

Here are a few more............

Every time I see one of those Remington Scout knives with the hat shield and a wharncliff blade I feel a stab of envy. I've got to get one!! Anybody got a spare laying around?

Dale has one

Good luck getting it from him though

I have maybe 1-1/2 or 2 dozen old ebony knives. Most are Wolfertz and fall into the "relic" catagory, but a couple are special to me.

The first knife has initials carved into the handle, and the name Louis Buehler hand engraved on the master blade. A search for that name in census records discovered a 20 year old Louis Buehler, born in Wurtemburgh who, in 1880, was working in Philadelphia as " an engraver on gold." Hmmm...

The last photo is of another that's special to me as it's Ex the Upnorth Collection. Thanks again C.C. !

Fran

Oh wow!!! Really great looking knives, guys!

MB,

Can you tell me a little about the knife with the heart shield??

You got a good eye Kathy

It is an unusual little knife to say the least, from the blade combination to the shield to the tiny little nail nick on the edge of the button hook blade And it is a whittler pattern to boot

I have never seen a smaller nail nick than this one.

It is stamped Broch & Koch Celebrated Cutlery, have no information on who made this one at all.

Now, lets see some of yours and Brets old Ebony handle knives

That is ONE sweet little knife you have, MB! I love it!

I don't have anything too special to show, but here are a few..

Oops... I just noticed this thread refers to Jacks. Please forgive me for posting the others..

Charlie,

I just noticed, the first Robeson that you pictured looks very similar to the Pennsylvania Knife Co. knife that I have...

Kathy, MB started the thread and he posted something other than jacks, so, you were within bounds, I would think.

Charlie Noyes

You are correct! Thanks, Charlie.

Check these out together. The blades on mine are very worn, but I would even think they might have been similar grind.

Kathy, that Robeson Warranted jack was made in the 1890's by the Sherwood and Bingham cutlery in Camillus, NY, who Millard F. Robeson had contracted for his production after the 1890 tariffs made the costs of his German imports too high.

Robeson eventually took over the Sherwood/Bingham concern when they failed to make ends meet. He operated the place for a few years, then was induced to move his manufacturing to Perry, NY in 1900.

He took the foreman and most of the workers with him.

The Camillus works was subsequently sold to the Kastor Bros. so they could make domestic cutlery and avoid the 1890 tariffs, too.

It's hard to see in my photo, but the Robeson is a true tear drop shaped knife.

Charlie Noyes

Charlie,

That is very interesting. Your knowledge always puts me in awe.

Thanks for being a patient teacher!

Kathy

Kathy, my knowledge is pretty much limited to Robeson Cutlery Company history and whatever tangents it might have followed.

Anything else I might appear to "know" is just recollected fragments from previous readings or observations.

Thanks, though.

Charlie Noyes

Great topic........I've always loved ebony handled knives. Here's a few of mine: All are H. Boker & Co's Improved Cutlery.