All About Pocket Knives

Well it looks like I need to start looking at older Boker's, these are well made knives. The Jack is a USA knife but the fishtail I'm not sure of. I must admit that I didn't look to close at Boker's for a long time....now I see that was a mistake. I guess I'll just have to try to make up for that now ! Maybe you guys can help me with the time frame when they were made.


Bob

If I remember correctly, the block Boker stamp on the fish tail was from the 1930s. The other one is probably late 1940s - 1950s.

Boker's made in Germany are excellent knives. But so are the Boker USA knives. The latter can be found cheaper than the Germans, but in my experience, are very well made. Carbon steel blades get scary sharp.

Bob, what's the closed length on your Jack?

Blue, Thank's for info, I didn't think the fishtail was that early, but that's nice.
I'm a little wary on the handles...they may be a celluloid.

Jerry, The jack is 4 3/8"...a good size knife. It has a pattern #9815.
I find it odd it doesn't have a shield.


Bob

I wondered. It's an 1/8" shorter than my Boker USA English Jack. Sort of similar knives. Top bolsters are different. In fact, for that small of a difference, I'd just go ahead and call yours an English Jack.

Edit: Actually, I just noticed mine is a #9815 so they are both English Jacks.

I found this picture in Bruce Voyles book Antique Knives and the bolsters match your knife, the ones on mine are a bit different. Now at 4 1/8" he calls it a slim jack but these aren't slim! Maybe they re-tooled and beefed it up.
I noticed the pins in our knives are not the same, mine are brass in the scales and nickel on the frame.

I like your knife Jerry....


Bob

Here's a couple slim jacks Bob.I like yours and Jerry's a lot. I like this pattern a lot,especially the so-called slim jacks.

These are H Bokers, 4 1/8", have flat beveled large bolsters and roped(?)and pinched pivot end bolsters.If you look real close that first one has a very faint Tree Brand etch. Can't see it in the pictures.

I need a secondary blade for the one.

Boker seems to have made their English jacks a little fancier than some others.

Lyle, that's not what I call a "Slim Jack". At 4-3/8" closed it's only an eighth of an inch shorter than the rest of my English Jacks while maintaining the frame robustness of the English Jack. Here it is mixed in with the others.

As to the issue of a "Slim English Jack", I'm in agreement with S&M when they named this little (?) 3-5/8" beauty Slim English Jack. It could be a Doctor's Knife if it had a flat end.

Lyle, Those are nice one's and the fancy bolsters give it some class. Wonder if these were more expensive than other patterns ?

Jerry, That's a impressive set you have...

For a long time I considered English jacks to be single blade, 4 to 4 1/2" slip joint or lock back.

Bob

That old Boker Fishtail looks neat. If I'm not mistaken, it's a good "user". Am I right?

jerryd6818 wrote:I wondered. It's an 1/8" shorter than my Boker USA English Jack. Sort of similar knives. Top bolsters are different. In fact, for that small of a difference, I'd just go ahead and call yours an English Jack.

Edit: Actually, I just noticed mine is a #9815 so they are both English Jacks.

What is the age of this knife ? I have exact knife with same shield but blades are John Primble with a star and 4942. Almost looks like a mistake. The Primble blades place it in 1940-1968 period.

This pattern is commonly known and called by the name "English Jack", but Boker just called them "swell-end jack" knives in their catalogs.
The star on the back of the tang stamp indicates that the knife in the most recent post was made by Boker USA for BELKNAP with the Primble trademark.
They usually used a Primble or Federal shield on the handle as well. The tree shield was most likely a factory mistake.
I'd say that one is very late fifties or very early sixties manufacture.

Here's a pic of a Primble 4942 pattern made by Boker from a 1961 Belknap catalog.

Thanks Sir. I wondered if it was a factory screw-up. Nice knife anyway.