WINTERBOTTOM BONE PRESTO
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 7:46 pm
For years I thought Winterbottom described the type of jigging found on various knife handle so I looked into it a bit . I hope you enjoy the read , this PRESTO with "Winterbottom " bones has eluded me for years .
To the person that is not a collector or enthusiast of antique cutlery, the words “Winterbottom bone” must seem a strange pairing of these words. However, to those who love the old cutlery, those two words are very familiar and bring an instant picture to mind of distinctive and unique liner grooved and stained bone handled knives. The very distinctive visual character of Winterbottom bone was used for knife handles of some by America’s oldest cutleries; it was a bone handle material for pocket, hunting and table cutlery during the first half of the last century. Queen Cutlery of Titusville, Pennsylvania was the principal user of Winterbottom bone handle material, but it is also known that Case, Imperial, Camillus, Cattaraugus, Ka-Bar and others also produced some knives with Winterbottom Bone handles.
Who developed it?
The Winterbottom bone’s distinctive jigging and coloring was developed by Samuel Winterbottom of Egg Harbor, NJ. In the 1924 book, “South Jersey, a History 1864 – 1924,” Samuel is described as “Possessing artistic taste, as well as the skill of a fine artisan.” Samuel was a bone cutter by training and profession. He immigrated to America in 1885. This same book offers more of his personal history:
John Winterbottom, Mr. Winterbottom’s father, was born and died in Sheffield, England, and was a bone-cutter by occupation, his trade linking his name with the world famous cutlery manufacturers of that city. The family has followed similar lines of activities in England one hundred and thirty years. …
Samuel Winterbottom was born in 1857 in Sheffield, England, and in early life became employed as a bone cutter and manufacturer of handles of all kinds for knives, in association with his father.
To the person that is not a collector or enthusiast of antique cutlery, the words “Winterbottom bone” must seem a strange pairing of these words. However, to those who love the old cutlery, those two words are very familiar and bring an instant picture to mind of distinctive and unique liner grooved and stained bone handled knives. The very distinctive visual character of Winterbottom bone was used for knife handles of some by America’s oldest cutleries; it was a bone handle material for pocket, hunting and table cutlery during the first half of the last century. Queen Cutlery of Titusville, Pennsylvania was the principal user of Winterbottom bone handle material, but it is also known that Case, Imperial, Camillus, Cattaraugus, Ka-Bar and others also produced some knives with Winterbottom Bone handles.
Who developed it?
The Winterbottom bone’s distinctive jigging and coloring was developed by Samuel Winterbottom of Egg Harbor, NJ. In the 1924 book, “South Jersey, a History 1864 – 1924,” Samuel is described as “Possessing artistic taste, as well as the skill of a fine artisan.” Samuel was a bone cutter by training and profession. He immigrated to America in 1885. This same book offers more of his personal history:
John Winterbottom, Mr. Winterbottom’s father, was born and died in Sheffield, England, and was a bone-cutter by occupation, his trade linking his name with the world famous cutlery manufacturers of that city. The family has followed similar lines of activities in England one hundred and thirty years. …
Samuel Winterbottom was born in 1857 in Sheffield, England, and in early life became employed as a bone cutter and manufacturer of handles of all kinds for knives, in association with his father.
Was that knife rehandled or originally handled in Winterbottom bone? When someone mentions it I always think of Queen. Sweet looking Presto! 
