All About Pocket Knives

Congress knives that is

This is a very appealing pattern to collect, they can be found with just two blades or more than six blades. Most of them have fancy bolsters and premium handle material, they will all have a sheep foot master blade to be called a true Congress knife.

Their heyday seemed to be in the last half of the 1800`s till about WWI after that knife companies all but dropped this pattern from their inventory.

Here is an excellent example of one from the pre WWI era by Wostenholm, pebbled stag handles, rat tail bolsters all the way around and the blade face is even stamped proudly proclaiming this to be a Congress Knife!

Let`s see some more of this pattern posted here.

Mighty fine MB.

Thank you 740

Beautiful knife MB

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... t=congress

Thanks Tim!

I thought I seen that topic title some where here before

Oh well, this thread will be for the oldies only

Here's a few:
Ward's B4Any 4 blade.
4 blade marked Silver Steel with an owl on the rear.
Beacon Knife Co Germany half congress
United Cutlery Germany half congress.
Unmarked miniature 4 blade(new).
Older Boker missing the shield.
Vucan Germany 4 blade with tortoise scales.
R.Bunting half congress

The congress pattern is one of my favorite. I keep hearing some people describing a two blade congress a "half congress". In that line of thought, is a six blade congress a one and a half congress? There is a three blade version I would call a congress whittler. I hardly ever see one. All in all, a very elegant pattern. I don't understand why someone would call some pen knives a half whittler either. They are either a whittler or their not. Alright, I'll get off my soapbox. Mark. PS. that IXL is beautiful.

Very nice examples Dimitri and knife-nut!!

singin46 wrote:Very nice examples Dimitri and knife-nut!!

That was knife7knut who posted several congress pattern knives. He has a awesome collection!

LOL, Dang it! I'm still getting you 2 guys confused sorry Knife-nut.

I know what you mean. All of those old knife guys look alike. I have even thought about changing my handle, but can't think of anything else I really like.

knife-nut wrote:I know what you mean. All of those old knife guys look alike.

Yup we shore do! You can always tell us shufflin' down the street with a glazed look in our eyes and pockets bulging with knives.And if you look closely you can pretty much guess how long they've been collecting knives by the number of scars and bandages on their fingers.

knife-nut wrote: I keep hearing some people describing a two blade congress a "half congress". In that line of thought, is a six blade congress a one and a half congress? There is a three blade version I would call a congress whittler. I hardly ever see one. All in all, a very elegant pattern. I don't understand why someone would call some pen knives a half whittler either. They are either a whittler or their not. Alright, I'll get off my soapbox.

I agree Mark, I think some people thought a Congress knife had to have four blades, as most of them do, and they started calling the two bladed versions half congress. I don`t really understand it and I think it just confuses new collectors.

2 3/8 inches of pearl Cattaraugus congress # 22823.

Speak of the devil there she is now! NIce

knife-nut wrote: I don't understand why someone would call some pen knives a half whittler either. They are either a whittler or their not. Alright, I'll get off my soapbox. Mark.

In complete agreement with that statement, this has always bugged me as well.
Some very nice congresses posted. As Mark said it is an elegant pattern, but I don't own any.
Dan

Nice little one. Neat how they turned the tang stamp 90 degree's to fit it on the tang. Mark.

Nice little pearl Catt.

Here is a rather large,at 4 1/2", 2-blade S & A Congress knife.

Huge curved crown shield and attractive jigged bone handles.

knife-nut wrote:The congress pattern is one of my favorite. I keep hearing some people describing a two blade congress a "half congress". In that line of thought, is a six blade congress a one and a half congress? There is a three blade version I would call a congress whittler. I hardly ever see one. All in all, a very elegant pattern. I don't understand why someone would call some pen knives a half whittler either. They are either a whittler or their not. Alright, I'll get off my soapbox. Mark. PS. that IXL is beautiful.

I guess you could cxall this one a "double wide"

knife7knut wrote:I guess you could call this one a "double wide"

The Germans ran with this pattern, I see more old German made Congress knives than American made ones, the English come in a close second.

I think I have a 12 bladed German congress knife in my collection, pearl handle just like yours, a "triple wide"

The sperry and alexander is outstanding!

Those pinched bolsters and jigging are mouth watering. Are the pins hammered or spun?

Thank you!

All the pins are hand hammered

Wow!!

That is one hefty congress!

That's a great looking Congress Dimitri!