All About Pocket Knives

THIS KNIFE IS A VERY THIN PRUNER WITH EBONY HANDLES. THERE IS A R ON THE FRONT TANG THAT LOOKS LIKE A RAILROAD SIGN MAYBE FOR READING RAILROAD IS WHAT WAS SUGGESTED. THERE IS A BEAR OR PIG STANDING ON THE BACK TANG. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHO THE MAKER OF THIS KNIFE IS THANKS DENNIS

A picture would be of great help

I can't speak to the "R" marking, but if it is a standing bear on the back of the tang then it might have been made by Hessenbruch & Co. In addition to their own line, Hessenbruch made a lot of knives and straight razors on contract. Pictured below is a straight razor I have that was made for a hardware company. Does this look like the mark on your pruner? If it does then what you have is probably a Hessenbruch contract knife.

That is exactly the bear pic. Pics on the way. It's been so long in posting I forgot pice. On there way

HERE ARE THE PICS AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHO THE KNIFE COMPANY IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT LOOKS LIKE PA RAILROAD. DOES IT NOT??????

It's similar, but I don't think it's PA Railroad. I did a bit of research and found a company called C.F. Rumpp & Sons. They were located in Philadelphia and founded around 1850. Don't know exactly how long they were in business, but at least close to a century. I found a picture of an old advertisement and one of a collapsible cup with this logo. I think this is the company associated with your pruner.

Nice old knife, ebony handles and a shield. What's not to like?

Isn't it amazing how quickly AAPK people come up with what are probably totally accurate answers to almost any queries posted re' an obscure piece of cutlery?

Charlie

What about the Keystone Knife Co in Germany?

What about that big "R" in the keystone and the standing bear on the knife?

Charlie

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. THIS SURE DOES HELP. THE COOL THING IS THE KNIFE IS 3 3/8" LONG AND VERY THIN,AS THE THINNEST I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A LITTLE PRUNER. DENNIS

SO I GUESS I AM STILL NOT SURE HOW THE TWO GO TOGETHER. T HESSENBRUCH & CO WAS OUT OF PHILIDELPHIA. THATS THE BEAR PART. AS WAS RUMPP AND THATS THE (R) PART. BOTH OUT OF PHILIDELPHIA. I WOULD SAY ITS OUT OF PA IN PHILIDELPHIA. THANKS GUYS.

Rumpp didn't make their own knives. Hessenbruch was a cutlery manufacturer. They paid Hessenbruch & Co. to make knives with the Rumpp logo on the tang to sell in their store.