All About Pocket Knives

Hey Fellow Knife Nuts,
Just want to say I'm really enjoying this group and finding it real inforative. My question is about an old knife I picked up at a yard sale.
It's marked Ames Cutlery on both blades and is well worn and used. It
has white bone handles that darkened up when I got a little oil on them
when I was oiling the blades. It's 2&3/8" long and about 1/4" wide with a
long flat sheild. All the info I've been able to come up with says that Ames
Cutlery was in business from 1791-1834. Then changed the name to Ames MFG. They discontinued oprations in 1900. There is no record of them making folding knives. It's got a chip on back handle and a small
crack by pin on front. The blades are well worn and have seen lots of use.
I put it in a shadow box with a little metal tag. To me its neet. I don't have any ideal of the value or if they are a few or thousands floating around. Have any of you run across any? What info I got was from the
Standard Knife Collectors Guide by Ron Ritchie and Ron Stewart.

Not nearly that old. Ames was around from the early 1830s to the mid 1930s. Most likely its turn of the century give or take.

Howdy,

Levine's Guide lists...
Ames Manufacturing.....
Pocketknives marked Ames or Ames Cutlery, made in Germany, circa 1860s-1890s. Highly collectable.

Can't really see the marking, but sounds like a nice find.

Bill

cool knife.
levines: ames mfg. co. - knives marked ames - chicopee falls,ma. - mfr. and wholesaler - c1829-1935

marked -ames cutlery co. - imported from ger. c1860-1890s

goins: ames cutlery co. c 1829-1900. originally founded in chelmsford, mass. in 1791. moved to chicopee falls, mass. in 1829. rich history of foundries, bronze casting, war materials, swords, cannon ball, etc. also made leather belting for machines. introduced electroplating to u.s.a.

high on collector value.

Hey Folks,
Thanks for your replies. That lets me know more about my knife. I've
been fooling round with them sense I was twelve and I learn something new ever day. My first knife was a Schrade 80t bought in the early 70's.
I'm a member of the North Mississippi Knife Collectors Club and really
learn a lot from the group. This is one of the most enjoyiable forms that
I've ever found on the net and one of my fellow knife members from the club told me about it. I'll post from time to time and join in although my
knowledge is limited. Maybe sometime I can be of help to someone on a
question. Well goodbye for now keep your eyes open and your knife sharp!
Songsingingman

Hi SSM:
It would be quite a stretch, But let your imagination run rampant and some old guy who built swords for the civil war could have had a hand in building that knife. Thats a bit of history to think about.
moss