All About Pocket Knives

While many fine knives and swords were produced throughout Europe in the 1800s, none came close to England in producing such a vast quantity of high quality cutlery. Here is an uncommonly large 19th century lock back folder from the long gone Sheffield firm of "Brookes & Crookes".

Beautiful knife Mason

Cutty wrote:Beautiful knife Mason

X2!!!!!!!!!!
The early English cutlery had some of the most beautiful stag anywhere.I have several pre-1900 folders and fixed blades and the stag is superb. I am currently trying to do some cosmetic repair on an early Manhattan Cutlery bowie that has some missing stag. Still looking for some appropriate pieces to blend in.

Thanks guys, and yes it's hard to beat old stag. Pearl and ivory are beautiful, but stag has such unique character with every piece different like a finger print.

Very nice!

My kind of knife, thanks for showing it to us.

Nice knife Mason. Yes I would say large, it seems to be about 6" closed. LOts of history there BH

That is a beauty!

Very nice old knife. I really like that type of stag.
Dan

That is a beauty, Fantastic stag


Tim

Thanks again all and I am constantly in awe of so many great knives which are posted throughout this forum.

This one is 19th century, and just under 5 1/2" closed.

You just cannot beat the stag handles the English cutlers used during this period on these knives

Another very nice knife, MB. Love the texture on the stag, very pleasing to the eye. Probably much more comfortable to handle than some of the gnarly stag on some knives.
Dan

Miller Bro`s wrote:This one is 19th century, and just under 5 1/2" closed.

You just cannot beat the stag handles the English cutlers used during this period on these knives

Great knife, and from one of the premiere Sheffield firms. That's a big handful of beautiful stag.
Thanks for the picture.

danno50 wrote:Another very nice knife, MB. Love the texture on the stag, very pleasing to the eye. Probably much more comfortable to handle than some of the gnarly stag on some knives.

Thanks Dan This type bone is very comfortable in the hand, as well as the end being wider than most, it makes for a sure grip too.

Mason wrote:Great knife, and from one of the premiere Sheffield firms. That's a big handful of beautiful stag.
Thanks for the picture.

I agree, Wostenholm made some quality old knives, glad you like it

Here is an automatic variation from the mid 1800s with lovely stag. It was produced by another fine old Sheffield firm by the name of "R. Bunting".

Mason, Dimitri - Those knives are Grrrrrrrrrrrr8! The olde European stag seems to be in a class all it's own. All the old stuff seems to be very gnarley

tjmurphy wrote:Mason, Dimitri - Those knives are Grrrrrrrrrrrr8! The olde European stag seems to be in a class all it's own. All the old stuff seems to be very gnarley

TJ, I think I have a different of what gnarly means than you do. I have always thought of the stag with a lot of relief and the large popcorns as gnarly? Whatever the terminology, the old English stag as on the 3 knives posted in this thread (to me a more smooth textured stag?) is my favorite.

Dan

Miller Bro`s wrote:This one is 19th century, and just under 5 1/2" closed.

You just cannot beat the stag handles the English cutlers used during this period on these knives

Here is a "newer" version of your knife from a 1897 catalog. The price shown was three times that of a similar size and style "Russell" knife from the same cataog.

Mason wrote:The price shown was three times that of a similar size and style "Russell" knife from the same cataog.

Makes you wonder how they could compete for sales with that much of a price difference

Here is an old HATCH BPORT CT English Jack which is about 4 1/2 inches. This is a very nice feeling knife. It's to bad about the handle and how deeply it has been buffed but its a swell knife for sure.

Here's a couple of oldies I've posted before.
The Congress is 4".
The jack is 4 1/8"
The stamp on the jack is hard to read. Looks to be: Johnson Western Works, Sheffield
Thanks

Beechtree wrote:Here is an old HATCH BPORT CT English Jack which is about 4 1/2 inches. This is a very nice feeling knife. It's to bad about the handle and how deeply it has been buffed but its a swell knife for sure.

Wonderful old knife with far more character than faults.

FRJ wrote:Here's a couple of oldies I've posted before.
The Congress is 4".
The jack is 4 1/8"
The stamp on the jack is hard to read. Looks to be: Johnson Western Works, Sheffield
Thanks

Two great knives, each with nice unique stag.

Wonderful old knife with far more character than faults

Thanks Mason, I agree.

Nice pair of knives Joe, I love the stag on that jack.

Try this again;D*&N Computer! Large stag folder with integral bolsters and stag handles.Either the blade or the pivot pin replaced.Probably pre-1860.