All About Pocket Knives

Hello everyone

I found this knife recently and Im Having a devil of a time Identifying it.
It has a ribbon crest on the top of the blade Over a scene of Hounds cornering a Boar.

The tang on one blade is very faded but looks to be marked
"W M & J G"
"PARKER" I think Its rough
"Sheffield"

It is a stag Handle with 2 blades and is 6 inches closed and 11 inches fully open.
the second blade is very rough and ground down. the big blade is also rough but may clean up.
Any Ideas Guys?

Welcome! Nice knife. Love those stag handles, very cool. Don't recognize the markings. If it doesn't say England, just Sheffield, then it may be older than 1890. Thats about the time that knives being imported to the US had to have the country of origin marked on them. Sorry I cant provide more info. Perhaps another member will be along who can be of more help.

Knives like that are often quite old, 1830's to 1860's.

I have long desired a similar knife with running animals and a ribbon that reads, "ALABAMA HUNTING KNIFE".

Alabama became a State in 1831 and the knife is from about the same time or shortly after. Them English cutlers knew an opportunity when they saw one.

And Goins dates the mark on your knife 1841 - 1852, but gives no other information.

Charlie Noyes

DON'T CLEAN IT!!!

Wipe it down with mineral oil, U.S.P., available at your local pharmacy.

Charlie Noyes

I went and looked at the banner with a Loupe and It looks to say "Great Hunting Knife" If That helps

And anyone want to hazard a guess on value?

This type of English blade stamping which used various designs and slogans was called "Ciphering" and was used for a very short time period from the mid 1840s to around 1850. It was simply an art form which commonly displayed animals or patriotic sayings (usually meant for the U.S. market) and was found on some larger folders and fixed blade models. Aside from going out of fashion, it is believed that the multiple stamps could cause additional stress points in the blade which could result in the blade breaking under heavy use. These models are both uncommon and interesting, but the value is not greatly increased over a similar English knife without the decorative stamping.

Thank you for the info everyone

Charlie - Agreed. Someone already attempted to sharpen with a course stone but still is pretty raw.

This my kinda knife.

If it was stamped, "Alabama Hunting Knife", it would carry great value to me.

I have only seen one and it is in bad shape.

Charlie

Nice knife, I would love to find that laying around in a junk store.

Harold