All About Pocket Knives

Picked up a Griffon pearl whittler today in relic condition(broken pen blade;massive wear on remaining blades;chip in the pearl)only because I have never seen the stamp before. I have a couple of Griffon knives;one marked Germany and the other marked Worcester(Massachusetts)but this stamp is a new one to me. Goins only says 1893 to 1955 and the Worcester stamp as being from 1919-1921 but no dates for the Bridgeport stamp. Anyone have any more info? Will post a pic later;just got home after an all day lettering and striping session on a vintage fire truck and need to rest. Have to go back tomorrow to finish it.

Ray, I agree it's a rare stamp. But coincidentally there was one sold on eBay a couple of weeks ago - only one I've seen. Not the same pattern as your knife. This one has bone handles and looks to be all intact. Is yours stamped like this one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/EXCELLENT-RARE- ... SwR55ZoJmQ

Ken

Here are the pics.Glued down the errant handle and re-profiled the two remaining blades slightly so they don't sit proud anymore.Bought several other knives from the same person for a total of $14. Also the antique shop owner gave me a 61048 XX with a bad pile side handle to fix.

Mumbleypeg wrote:Ray, I agree it's a rare stamp. But coincidentally there was one sold on eBay a couple of weeks ago - only one I've seen. Not the same pattern as your knife. This one has bone handles and looks to be all intact. Is yours stamped like this one?

Coincidentally, I believe the lockback I carried today has (used to have) that same stamp. Under a loupe I can make out the script "G", the "B'PORT" and what appear to be similar double-quotes around the name, plus on the mark side tang there is a stamp of what is probably a gryphon but appears to be a winged cat (I see no beak and barring a clear head profile a gryphon is essentially indistinguishable from a flying feline ).
The "Griffon" stamping is well and truly wiped out for the most part, however...I tried some flash and brightly-lit photos at various angles to get the best possible photos for my tang stamps album but nothing comes out even remotely acceptable.
These were the best pics I could get with a strategically-hung 150W shop light...

That is definitely a Griffon Bridgeport stamp and a great knife! I think the griffon on yours is a slightly different variant and one that is usually stamped Lion Cutlery Company on the pile side with the griffon.

Mumbleypeg wrote:Ray, I agree it's a rare stamp. But coincidentally there was one sold on eBay a couple of weeks ago - only one I've seen. Not the same pattern as your knife. This one has bone handles and looks to be all intact. Is yours stamped like this one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/EXCELLENT-RARE- ... SwR55ZoJmQ

Ken

C'est moi Ken ... that Griffon is even nicer than those sellers pics... and in the minty range with crocus polish still evident on blades, polish still in liners, crisp stamps ... I'll get better pics when I get a chance and post them!!

Griffon Cutlery made some nice knives - I haven't seen as many Bridgeport stamped knives compared to those made in their German site which are more numerous (but that is my perception in keeping an eye out for them)... I have one Griffon Worcester which only existed 1919-1921 (maybe 2 ) - but for sure a 2 blade congress in bone I posted awhile back... I also have a jack I posted on AAPK before but the stamp was simply Griffon Cutlery Co (or Corp) - there were no markings in terms of location which makes me think it was in their later years in mid 1900s sometime... They changed their name to Griffon Cutlery Corp in the later years - even their headquarters in NYC changed the building headquarter name painted on a wall to the new name (which by the way still exists in NYC on the building though very much faded)...

Glad you got it Lee! I wasn't a bidder on it, just a "drive-by" looker. When I saw it I thought it was an uncommon stamp as I hadn't seen a Griffon marked Bridgeport before. Then when I saw Ray's post it rattled my memory, so went back and searched eBay for it. Looking forward to some more pictures of it.

Ken

Here's a couple of Griffons from Bridgeport.

Hey Guys, I love these Griffon knives. Here is one in Genuine Stag
Kind Regards,
Mark

HELLO, FIRST POST ON KNIFE FORUM. INTERESTING. WHILE RESEARCHING A KNIFE I'VE HAD FOREVER I FOUND THESE EARLIER POSTS.
I HAVE A LOCK BACK GRIFFON KNIFE. B'PORT, CT. AND STAMPED BOTH SIDES AS YOURS ARE.
IT'S 8 1/2" OVER ALL IN LENGTH, IN GOOD CONDITION.
IS MY ASSUMPTION CORRECT THAT B,PORT STAMPED KNIVES ARE AMERICAN MADE; NOT GERMAN?

NEW TO AAPK & BUYING KNIVES ON EBAY JUNE 2023.

THANKS

Lonczyn wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 6:31 pm HELLO, FIRST POST ON KNIFE FORUM. INTERESTING. WHILE RESEARCHING A KNIFE I'VE HAD FOREVER I FOUND THESE EARLIER POSTS.
I HAVE A LOCK BACK GRIFFON KNIFE. B'PORT, CT. AND STAMPED BOTH SIDES AS YOURS ARE.
IT'S 8 1/2" OVER ALL IN LENGTH, IN GOOD CONDITION.
IS MY ASSUMPTION CORRECT THAT B,PORT STAMPED KNIVES ARE AMERICAN MADE; NOT GERMAN?

NEW TO AAPK & BUYING KNIVES ON EBAY JUNE 2023.

THANKS

I believe your assumption is correct. The German one's I've had didn't nave Bridgeport on them.

to AAPK, Lon!

Here's a German Griffon stamp.