All About Pocket Knives

I'm not sure I've ever seen a Robeson MasterCraft pocketknife in a Congress pattern. If I have, I've forgotten.

MasterCraft was Robeson's limited line of knives with the bronze bearings on the back of the tangs to facilitate easy opening and closing.

The master blades on the knives were most often etched "NEV-R-BIND OILESS BEARINGS" within a flowing banner.

This knife turned up on Ebay this morning.

Seller states 3 5/16" long, which is not unusual for Robeson. I've several knives that measure in 16th, as opposed to 4ths or 8ths.

It's used, has blade wear and has been sharpened and there is a repaired section on the back side handle.

Still, it's a handsome knife and I suspect quite rare.

I'm not going to bid on it, but I saved the auction photographs to post here.

This was a fantastic piece of pocket cutlery when new.

The bronze bearing are clearly visible in Photo J. Enlarge it.

Charlie

One last photo showing the coined liners:

Charlie

In the old Robeson catalog that David Clark reproduced a year or two ago are multiple pages of their display cases, including a couple of MasterCraft cases.

I took a close look at those today and there are, at least, two congress patterns included, one with two blades and one with four.

Charlie

Charlie, I'm not familiar with the Robeson dating system. What is the era on this knife? I noticed that there is a Robeson Mastercraft 4 blade congress by Queen listed as well but much later of course.

If the dating on this postcard is accurate, Robeson introduced the MasterCraft line in about 1929. Given the card is announcing a "New" sales invigorator.

Emerson Case was hired to run the company about 1940 and the change from "MasterCraft" to "Perma-Lube" and moving the bronze bearings from the tang to the backsprings has been attributed to him.

So, I think the MasterCraft line ended in the early 1940's.

I have a Perma-Lube four blade scout-utility that was apparently purchased during WWII and sent to a sailor in training by his friends at Paramount Pictures.

Also have a small 3" PermaLube equal-end whittler.

Photos below. Left click to expand.

Most PermaLube knives had a bronze shield.

I have no real sense for how long they continued the Perma-Lube line, but I'm pretty sure they were discontinued prior to 1948, when they went to their strawberry bone. I've never seen a Perma-Lube with any bone other than brown/green.

As to the Queen reproduction "MasterCraft" knives, they do not have bronze bearings anywhere. It's just a name on a knife Queen thought they would make. Just like their "PocketEze" knives do not even have flush joints.

Charlie

That congress punches a bunch of buttons for me. Think I might make a bid or two. Thanks for posting it Charlie.

Thanks for the informative thread, Charlie.