All About Pocket Knives

Here is a recent purchase, E.C. Simmons Keen Kutter Barehead Jack 3 5/8"
The handles appear to be black cell, Brass Liners, steel bolsters and the blades seem to have quite a bit of original finish with great snap! Any thoughts on age and was this a common handle material for this style of knife? Thanks

Paul,
Great find! That is a beautiful, full master blade! Looks to me like a K2463, available with the crest shield from 1924 thru 1934. was listed as a stag handled knife, which was usually jigged and dyed second cut stag, although the coloring and time period could signify cell.

Eric

Thanks Eric- I do like those big jacks from the Walden, NY area. I will keep it dry and out of direct light and hope it does not gas out!

Paul,
I got to digging around in an old reprint of a 1924 Keen Kutter catalog.
Eric is right, the K2463 was listed as stag. I am attaching the listing of the K2463.

It almost looks like the K2285 as far as the handles goes, except that it is listed as 3-1/2”. This appears to be jigged Cocobolo.

I don’t know how accurate the measurements in their catalogs were, but I have seen several examples of later Schrade catalogs where the lengths are listed wrong. Perhaps the length of the pattern was changed at some point?

Great old knife anyway!
I am also attaching a pic of the cover of the old catalog that the two pics came from.

Nice find,
Dale

Edit: Wow, can you imagine buying these for $12 or $15 per dozen wholesale?

Thanks Dale! I figured you would come thru with some catalog info and pics.
Someday I will find an actual bone handled one.

I have one thought on that knife...BEAUTIFUL

Sunburst