All About Pocket Knives

Did a search back a couple of years and cannot believe I couldn't locate a thread on this maker's knives. What started me on this was my recent acquisition of a bunch of old Russell blades. I finally finished cleaning them(as much as I'm going to)and mounting them in a display case(temporarily;I have a new idea for them).
My first Russell knife was an old kitchen knife that had been sharpened to the extent that most of the blade etch had been ground away.With bone handles and pewter bolsters it was in pretty sad shape but it was a Green River knife!
After that I acquired a couple of pruners(one had a straight line stamp;the other curved)with wood handles and then the pride of my Russells:a pearl handled folding spatula in mint condition.
Later on I added a carving knife set in the original box and a sharpening steel as well as an unusual palette knife/letter opener with a decidedly Oriental brass handle. I then found a very nice Barlow with a sheepfoot master blade and several kitchen knives including a couple of grapefruit knives and one for removing pin feathers and finally a set of filet knife blades sans handles. The last acquisition was the old blades.
So here is my small accumulation of Russell knives. Please feel free to add any that you might have. Also some of the knives are pictured against a backdrop of an old Russell letter dated 1906. Someone here on the forum sent it to me and I cannot remember who it was. If you are the person please tell me so I can properly thank you.

Very nice, Ray. Please show the pearl handled spatula bauble.

Here's a couple of Russell table knives.

Sorry;thought I had posted it. Bought it at an antique shop many years ago for $6.It was originally $8 but they were have a 25% off sale that day!

Ray you've always been a savvy shopper.

FRJ wrote:Here's a couple of Russell table knives.

Those are really nice! Thanks for posting them.

Thank you, Ray.
That spatula is really nice too. So clean.
I assume it is a pharmacist/doctor tool.

FRJ wrote:Thank you, Ray.
That spatula is really nice too. So clean.
I assume it is a pharmacist/doctor tool.

Although it can be used as such it is actually made for oil painting although I can't imagine ever getting paint on this one. The blade is extremely thin and flexible whereas a spatula used for pills is much more rigid and thicker.

I've seen a few folding spatulas meant for oil painting, and I've wondered about the fella that might have carried, and used one...

I came to one conclusion, that they must have been mainly carried as part of a paint "kit". You had to take everything with you if you wanted to paint outdoors, and space is at a premium when you are portable.

Just my thoughts...

americanedgetech wrote:I've seen a few folding spatulas meant for oil painting, and I've wondered about the fella that might have carried, and used one...

I came to one conclusion, that they must have been mainly carried as part of a paint "kit". You had to take everything with you if you wanted to paint outdoors, and space is at a premium when you are portable.

Just my thoughts...

I would concur that many of these were likely carried in an artists' paint kit although most of the one's I have are fixed blades.Being a semi-retired sign painter I also collect(accumulate)anything to do with sign painting and/or airbrushing including a few old sign painter's kits and a couple old artists' kits. Most of the palette knives I have found are very thin and flexible.One of them is so thin you can bend the blade almost in half and it still returns to it's original shape.
Strangely enough the one I carry in my regular travel kit has a very rigid blade;mostly to break through the skimmed over paint.A thin blade will not usually penetrate hardened paint but bend instead.
Here are a few of the palette knives I have(not including the one's in my paint kit).The last one(by Ulster)is for a druggists' use and has an ad for Tums imprinted on the handle.

The second one is the style I am familiar with from art class, and amateur type painting. I actually own a harbor front painting by an artist named "Ruby" (still unknown to me) that was painted entirely with a spatula. It is extremely interesting.

It's pretty cool that you as a painter appreciate these folding spatulas for what they actually are. I'm a marine fabricator, and I'd have to shoot myself if my work was all around me at home too.
Shoe maker wears no shoes kind of thing...

Here's an old folder. 3 5/16".

FRJ wrote:Here's an old folder. 3 5/16".

Beautiful old knife! Thanks for posting it!

Have been in communication with a Mr. James Terapane from the Museum of Our Industrial Heritage in Greenfield Massachusetts which has a very large collection of industrial tools from manufacturers in the Connecticut Valley and surrounding areas;among them a collection of John Russell artifacts.
I sent him pictures of the collection of knife blades I acquired awhile back and he seems to be very interested in them. I just received another e-mail from him regarding me taking some high resolution pictures of the various blades for possible inclusion into the museum's archives. He also mentioned that there is someone at the museum who is starting to manufacture recreations of some Russell knives although I don't know when they will become available or who the knife maker is. There are a lot of makers in the New England area so it could be just about anybody.
For those who may be interested in what the museum contains there is a website(the full name is the Museum of Our Industrial Heritage). I will keep everyone updated.

Here is a J. Russell & Co. GRW 3.375" split back Whittler pattern EE Pearl folder.

knife7knut, found the web site on the museum--very interesting! They have a good "write up" on the John Russell Mfg. Co.
Thanks for the info!!

http://industrialhistory.org/histories/ ... l-cutlery/

You have a beautiful and fine whittler there, Lloyd.
Can't be too many of those around.

Duffer wrote:Here is a J. Russell & Co. GRW 3.375" split back Whittler pattern EE Pearl folder.

knife7knut, found the web site on the museum--very interesting! They have a good "write up" on the John Russell Mfg. Co.
Thanks for the info!!

http://industrialhistory.org/histories/ ... l-cutlery/

That whittler is drop dead gorgeous! Thanks for posting it!

Thanks Joe and knife7knut for the kind comments!!

Thats where the often heard Mountain Man cry was during a altercation came from..........
***Stick Em Up To The Green River***

Stag
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/stagman

Nice thread of knives

Bringing this back to the top - A few months back I finally found a fish knife that tripped my trigger as I have been waiting for the right one to come along... This old Green River Works knife has a sweet checkered cocobolo handle and has an Abercrombie & Fitch etch along with Russell Green River Works. A&F was a high end retailer of fly fishing and fishing equipment starting in the late 1800s unlike major retailers who are here today. As an example their old bamboo rods were made by some of the more well known and quality builders of the day including Edwards. From a collectibility standpoint for old fishing equipment it is a desirable find. Interestingly the knife came with a Russell sheath that I have seen with Russell Hunters. Gunsil (Gene) had told me that Russell fish knives did not come with sheaths but it is possible and I am speculating that given A&F was a high end retailer perhaps they had these specific knives ordered with a sheath from Russell. I have to say the sheath fits perfectly on this knife. Nonetheless I can finally check that knife off my list though I would really like a fly fishing knife like a Case but would prefer an old Sheffield fly fishing folder ... thanks for looking!

That is a real old time beauty, Lee.
Good show!

Thanks Joe ...

Nice thread with some beautiful knives.

I just bought a J. Russell Green River Works kitchen knife today for a $1.00. Its a little different than the ones on the previous page with only 2 pins per scale and the handle is a bit more rounded.
The tang is tapered and the scales are smooth bone.

CASE made a very similar fishing knife to the one above. I have one with wood handle and one with green bone. The green bone actually is carried in my pack.

I don't collect Russell knives, but I do collect Cattle knives which is how I ended up with this JRussell & Co Green River Works 3 5/8" ebony handled Cattle knife. It's a shame they sell grinders to people who don't know what to use them for (see sheepfoot blade). Otherwise this is a very fine example.

It's good to see someone you like happy about finding a knife. Lee

Here's one I let swim away. I was approached by a dealer to authenticate a Russell farmers jack a few years back. I know little about Russells per say, but I've seen a few farmers jacks. My opinion was it just didn't look right,kinda clunky for a golden age knife. It reminds me of the Japanese Parkers. I may be way off ,but when a knife doesn't look right,I stop chewing and spit it out.

I hope Dimitri and Wayne take a look.

NOT MY KNIFE: