All About Pocket Knives

Found some Wostenholms and was wondering about them. Maybe someone can help.

Thouhgt this might be gentleman's mother of pearl but can'tbe sure. Help would be appreciated.

I'd just call it a pen knife but the Firth stainless stamp is of interest to me. Going from memory here but Firth was one of the inventors of stainless just after 1900. I think it came into use around 1910 or so but I have never seen a word in print as to when IXL used the stamp. I assume it was before the 'OIL THE JOINTS' stamp in 1930.
Maybe someone will come along who has some more exact info.

Ray

The Firth stamp was used approximately 1915- 1930 but may have been used longer, there are no set dates for stamps on English knives regardless of what books like to say. Even the dates of operation were rather fluid due to the marks being bought and sold with the materials of businesses. Records were not always well kept.

dang..i need that knife for parts... or one like it...mine still has a federal shield..the blades are just tangs..

Nice pen knife. Best bet on age is the interwar period. Firths stainless was used to about the mid 1930s. Apparently, it had the slightest amount of silver in it to aid in the prosecution of trademark violations.

Here's a page from the 1930s. There's a similar knife to yours on the left, bottom, middle. These have the Firth Stainless stamp.

I have a 3 3/8" Press Button bone double with a "Firth Steel" etch but the blades are carbon. I have seen a Few other Press Buttons also with this etch

Thomas Firth & Sons did make other types of steel before and after the invention of stainless. Sorry, I don't know anything about your knife and whether or not the etch refers to the same Firths.

The Firth's did market their steel to the US. Sheffield sold a lot more than pocket knives into the US in the old days.

This was an excellent thread! Just picked up a nice piece today and this answered all my questions;) found a nice sterling silver IXL with the firth stamp. Solid and sharp as a razor.

Cruiserh83 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:55 pm This was an excellent thread! Just picked up a nice piece today and this answered all my questions;) found a nice sterling silver IXL with the firth stamp. Solid and sharp as a razor.

Nice find! Welcome to AAPK!

As boy in 1950's our table cutlery had "Firth's/Stainless" stamped on the blade flats. Very common with older British cutlery.
kj

If I remember correctly, Firth was one of the inventors of stainless steel.

Ray