All About Pocket Knives

I picked this one up Sunday at the flea market.
I put it in my AAPK store last night and it was sold by this morning.

I would guess it was made in the '40s or '50.
It has nice bone handles. In the best condition of any of these I have seen.

Anyone one else have one or know any of the history behind them?

I don't have any info except for that I clicked on it as it was going by up top there and it took me to a case 5254

Hey there Dale, Bobby Paolantonio here, third generation Paolantonio, cutler, owner, and all around knife man. This is really something else!! I don't even recognise the blade design!
That's how old it is!! We made many hunter's through the years and If I had to say, this must have been one of the first! Definately mid to late 30's, no later. The condition is absolutely incredible!! One thing's for sure....it is VERY ,VERY rare and also very valuable!
An original Colonial in this shape and this old, is probably worth over $200.00 easy! If you find a couple of old Colonial collector's, they will fight over it for sure. The only problem is that most of the old collector's don't follow the internet and are hard to find!
If I were you and you wanted to sell this beauty, I would walk around a knife show down south, like maybe that big Parker show coming up, and show this baby around and I assure you, some of those old timers will be fighting over it!!
Good luck my friend, I hope I was helpfull with my assesment. If I had the dough, this discution wouldn't have even taken place!!
Sincerly, Bobby Paolantonio, Colonial Knife Company, R.A.P. Cutler, Heritage Cutlers...

Bobby,
Thank you for your reply, it is great to have experts on AAPK!
The knife sold this morning before I even made the first post about it.
I sold it for $40, and it was purchased by one of my regular customers.
I have emailed him a link to this thread so he can read what you posted.
He is a really nice guy; I am glad he got such a nice knife.

Next time I find an old Colonial I will post it here for you to see before I sell it.

Thanks again,
Dale

Wow Dale, that's what I call a good friend!! Two very important facts gives a knife it's value; #1. It's age...#2. It's condition...Your friend definately got the deal of the century!!

Out of all the Paolantonio's still alive there is no other family or company member who has the background and knowlege about Colonial Knife Company!! My cousin Steven has some Colonial Knife Corporation web site and all they sell are imports and other knife accesory's
and even though he is younger than me, he didn't spend the time in the factory that I did and I am quite sure he never made a single knife! I on the other hand had the blood and
incentive and love of making knives and still do. I'm not sure if you know that I have written an entire book about Colonial Knife Company, and is for sale for $25.00 on the auction site with AAPK here! The book is "My Family Business" and is a collaboration of the entire history of Colonial beginning with grandpa Fred arriving here in America in 1905.
In addition to many colored photo's of antique knives and many custom factory knives from my collection, I also give away free with every book, an antique small skeleton jewelry
money clip knife!! It can also be used as a book page mark and like I said, comes free with every book!
Please contact me if your interested and check out knife-auctions.com and also follow my blog at: myfamilybusinessbook.com..
Please feel free if I can be of further assistance.
Bobby Paolantonio.

Nice one Dale! Those older fixed blades are vastly underrated.My first knife(which I still own that I bought in 1954)was unmarked but I believe it may have been either a Colonial or a Utica and cost me 59 cents.I know this because the price is still written in pencil on the back of the sheath that the store owner Lloyd Allen wrote it. Believe it or not Mr. Allen is still alive at the age of 104! I spoke with him awhile back and he still remembered me and my grandfather who had to OK the purchase of the knife.

Anyway I saw this thread and decided to post a pic of a Colonial I just picked up a couple hours ago.Although it is only the blade and sheath what intrigued me was the size and shape of it.Looks to have had front and rear bolsters but not a guard and the width of the blade is quite large.

I'm in the process of cleaning it up and will likely make a set of scales for it;possibly of Lexan.The left had sheath is worth much more than the purchase price of the items: $2.

I posted this here in the hope that maybe Bonfire Bob would see it and comment on it.

Nice one Ray!

Judging from the notch in the end of the tang, it may have had a shell type handle.
Bobby P may know for sure about that.

Dale;

I have seen countless older Colonial knives, especially living here near where they were made, and that is the first example that I have ever seen with genuine bone handles (the first older one that is, not counting the 90's era RAP Cutler knives).

A very interesting find!!

Hello again Dale, Another classic old Colonial; an old H-1 or an H-5 Hunter, probably dating back to late 40's or early 50's! Keep in mind not all the holes in the blade blank were neccesarily used for assembly; some holes were just pierced as positioning holes during blanking. The half round hole and the exposed blade end are a dead giveaway the a shell type handle was applied to this blade. The handle was crimped on the end and that would leave the end of the knife exposed and that would show the obvious wear. That same blade design was used up to many years later and was eventually our #747 Hunter. It would be worth much more if a handle was original. Many handles materials like bone, wood, and having all those previous pierced holes should allow you to apply almost any handle material of your choice! Since it would not be an original factory knife, it would make a wounderful conversation piece to apply your own handle; even making your own guard for it!
Trying to find the original handles for it would be nearly impossible, so I would use this to make my own handle for it and make it a personal customized factory item. These early hunters rearly had finger guards but like I said, with all these previous pierced holes, the possibility's of personal customizing are endless!! We would all like to see it if you decide to make it a one of a kind customized Colonial!! Good luck Dale..Bobby P...

Thank you for the info Bob!

BTW, since Colonial made shell handled knives as well as Imperial, perhaps you know some of the history behind the licensing and patents.
I have been researching for information on early German patents on shell handle knives, but I have not had much luck. I contacted Bernard Levine (we are both members of the Oregon Knife Collectors Association) and he referred me to Mr. Henning Ritter of Hubertus in Solingen, Germany. He was unable to find anything searching the archives of the German Patent Office.

What prompted me to search was a couple German shell handle knives that Bernard dated near 1905 and perhaps earlier.

Any information you have about the history behind how Colonial came to make the shell handled knives would be greatly appreciated, especially as regards the licensing and patents involved.

Good morning Dale!!
Although Imperial Knife and Colonial followed the same path for years, keeping in mind Imperial were actually our cousins the Merando's and the Fizzono's, (spelling could be wrong), I have no personal information about any patents they had back then. There are probably very few people alive that do! As we all should know the Germans had some of the most incredible enginers in the world. My dad told me a story years ago about the time when we, the Americans, sent the Germans the smallest ball bearing ever made. Weeks later, they sent it back to us and we were somewhat confused. They put it under a microscope and found that the Germans had drilled a hole threw it!! True story, or at least as my father told it....Licensing back then, honestly I am not familiar with.

Thank you Bob, I know it was a long shot, but I had to ask no matter how slim the chance was; that is the nature of research.

I was aware that the folks at Imperial and the folks at Colonial were cousins.
The Mirandos were from Frosilona Italy, about 90 miles NE of Naples. Was your family also from Frosilona?

What fascinates me so much about the shell handles knives is that they were such a phenomenal success even during the Depression! It was almost a prefect storm; the bottom fell out of economy around the world and yet these inexpensive knives were such a great financial success for Imperial even in the midst of the Great Depression! And though the handles may fall off, the knife itself remains intact and usable 70 & 80 years later! The history of such successful technology fascinates me.

Thanks again,
Dale

Thanks you very much for your input Bob.I may just leave it the way it is as I have several other knives in similar condition.I've been collecting knives since I was 10 years old(1954)and my first folding knife was a Colonial fish jack pushbutton with green plastic scales.I have several of them in parts knife condition and will eventually make one complete to replicate the original.
One of my favorite Colonials is this one I picked up from e-Bay several years ago;a most unusual knife.

Wow Ray! That is cool!
I have not seen one of those before.
Neat knife!

HOLY MOLY!! What a classic!! Your welcome my friend, any time I can help!
This one is legondary!! God only knows what it's worth! I can say for sure, it's priceless!!
If there are a dozen of these in existance, I'd be shocked!! That same design was made in a red and blue pladd, and we used them as mushroom knives! That's cutting wild mushrooms from tree trunks and such! To the Italians, wild mushroom picking is about this time of year, all my buddy's are in the woods and the brown and yellow oak "Buttons" we call them, are an absolute delicacy!!
This knife is a legand in itself. We made many of these and I would date it early or mid fifty's, and in this condition, I don't know where to start at value!! I would begin well over
$ 100.00, and to the serious collector, much more...
If I were you my friend, I would be burried with this one! Good luck...

Now that is interesting-Thanks for the info Bob--only wild shrooms I know for sure about eating are morals & puffballs but I've seen the ones you talk about several times.

Hello Dale, I was just scrolling through our last few mail's and realized I never came back to you about the Mirando's and the old country. The Paolantonio's were from the same town but the correct spelling is Frosolone. I appologise for correcting you but I feel you'd feel better being very accurate! I mentioned to you before about my book and I am convinced you would absolutey LOVE this book about the entire Paolantonio and Colonial history! I spent many years collecting the most accurate information about the very begining when grandpa Frederick arrived here in 1903. My 40 or so years in the factory and running every machine in the place makes my book priceless! If you have a spare
$ 25.00, you will see that every penny would be well spent. If you like, you can send me a money order and I will have a book in the mail to you ASAP. The book also comes with a small antique jewelry skeleton. The back liner is made of nickel silver and is a combo liner and money clip! It works great as a book page marker.
Because of your knowlege and interest about Colonial, I think you will be very pleased.
Just let me know. Thank's Dale..Bobby P.

Thank you Bobby.
I am certainly not offended at being corrected about the spelling of Frosolone! I got the spelling from another source; I just don't remember which now. You're right; I do like being accurate.

I do intend to order your book later on this week. I'm getting ready to take my wife to the hospital early in the morning for knee surgery. I will have a little more time to order it when I get her back out of the hospital.

I am always excited when we get a new member on AAPK who has actual cutlery manufacturing experience, especially a member of the family that owns the company! Being able to talk and ask questions of, such a knowledgeable person is a knife historians dream. As knife historians go I am a rank amateur, more of a wannabe, but I really enjoy researching the histories of knives and knife companies.

Thanks again for your input!
Dale

Very good my friend! Send my luck with your wife and her surgery; been there, did that, and I got the steel and Titanium to prove it! No need to wait on placing an order for the book Dale, just conversing with you these past few weeks I can tell your an honest man.
Just shoot me over your address and I'll have a book in the mail for you, toot, sweet. When your able to, send me out a money order for $ 25.00 and that covers the shipping also. send too:
Robert Paolantonio
51 Morris St.
West Warwick, R.I. 02893
[email protected]
Thanks again, my friend!!

Thanks Bobby!

PM inbound.

Bonfire Bob:
I would like to get one of your books as well.I will send you a postal money order to the address you provided.Sounds like a good read.