All About Pocket Knives

Good morning all.....
I cleaned up this Boker I got last week. I just love the scales on this guy. They strike be as beautiful and unusual.
Maybe y'all have seen these scales before.
Personally, I am so used to seeing Bokers with the brown scales so this one is really turning my crank.

Anyway... look at the pattern of layering. This doesn't look like bone to me.
SO... what do y'all think the material could be?
Sorry for the poor pics....
Here is a close-up....... Mike

Pretty sure that's horn. Look at switchblades they have the same material. I've never seen that on a Boker before, but that doesn't mean much.

10-4... I recon I need to take a closer look at horn and study it's characteristics.. I'm sure you could be right.
I guess this piece of horn started out life as white or something and then they dyed it yellow and red. The colors are just fantastic in my eyes.
Thanks for that input.

Mike

Mike that is a beauty. It looks to me like a celluloid handle that Boker called “NU-HORN”.
I’ve seen them in yellow and brown like yours, and also yellow and red.
IIRC, they used that material from the 1920s up til the 1950s.

akarangerbluedog wrote:Mike that is a beauty. It looks to me like a celluloid handle that Boker called “NU-HORN”.
I’ve seen them in yellow and brown like yours, and also yellow and red.
IIRC, they used that material from the 1920s up til the 1950s.

I see.... the colors and the grain just looked great to me. I wondered if this was a Boker specific scale material.
Thanks for that input.

Mike

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45303&p=458801&hili ... rn#p458801

This thread has pics of some more with that handle material

Yes!!
Thanks for that link!
I love the looks of those handles!!

Mike

I can't guess what those scales are with my very limited knowledge but I agree they are attractive. I really like the pattern and the knife as well, great find Mike.

I have what looks like the same knife made by Boker for John Primble. Has the Primble blades.

Redlegger wrote:I have what looks like the same knife made by Boker for John Primble. Has the Primble blades.

Well, Captain Red Legs Terrell....
don't tease us like that... let's see it.


Seriously... got a pic?

Mike

Oh crap..... I went out there to the bay..... and I found another one.
This one is now on the way to come see me.
More Nu Horn on the way.

(seller's pics) Mike

Mike we have similar tastes.
Here are two more of mine.

Handles are what I'd generically call butter and molasses celluloid. Lots of variations and many companies used it. Older forms of it have waterfall stripes that will show movement just like waterfall celluloid will.

WOW.... those are a couple of REAL BEAUTIES!!
Something about the contrast between the red and yellow is SO appealing to me.

If you have more of these... I would LOVE to see 'em.

Mike

btrwtr wrote:Handles are what I'd generically call butter and molasses celluloid. Lots of variations and many companies used it. Older forms of it have waterfall stripes that will show movement just like waterfall celluloid will.

I don't dispute you at all here Wayne. BUT... I have seen others call a pattern butter and molasses and to me, the colors are not as vibrant as this. The butter is yellow and the molasses is on the brownish side. But, again, that is just my take. AND I could sure be wrong. Maybe butter and molasses is a pattern (?).

The contrast between these 2 colors will knock your eye out. (You gotta be careful when you look at it.... LOL)

The red in these scales could be strawberry syrup I guess....... (Makes me want to go to IHOP....)

Mike

Meridian_Mike wrote:

btrwtr wrote:Handles are what I'd generically call butter and molasses celluloid. Lots of variations and many companies used it. Older forms of it have waterfall stripes that will show movement just like waterfall celluloid will.

I don't dispute you at all here Wayne. BUT... I have seen others call a pattern butter and molasses and to me, the colors are not as vibrant as this. The butter is yellow and the molasses is on the brownish side. But, again, that is just my take. AND I could sure be wrong. Maybe butter and molasses is a pattern (?).

The contrast between these 2 colors will knock your eye out. (You gotta be careful when you look at it.... LOL)

The red in these scales could be strawberry syrup I guess....... (Makes me want to go to IHOP....)

Mike

No dispute. That is why I said generically with lots of variations. A lot to like about them.

btrwtr wrote: A lot to like about them.

Sho' nuff!

Here are a couple more. The sailor in the first pic is my Father in law.

Here's a link to a short blog article I wrote about Boker's use of Celluloid and Pyralin in their pocketknife handles.
https://rickyray1830.wixsite.com/thebok ... e-material

Very informative blog post and excellent site, Blue! Looking forward to the completed work. It's good that someone is focusing on Boker. It seems they often get short shrift when it comes to historical treatments of cutlers even though their influence on both sides of the Atlantic is completely undeniable.

rangerbluedog wrote:Here are a couple more. The sailor in the first pic is my Father in law.

MAN.... I just LOVE looking at those handles!!

OH..... BY THE WAY...... is that a Hamilton 992 pocket watch?

Here is one that I just got off the bay last night.
(Not brand new looking but it's OK)
I like!!

Mike

Tsar Bomba wrote:Very informative blog post and excellent site, Blue! Looking forward to the completed work. It's good that someone is focusing on Boker. It seems they often get short shrift when it comes to historical treatments of cutlers even though their influence on both sides of the Atlantic is completely undeniable.

I'll second that!
Good read on the blog!
Thanks!!
Mike

Thanks Guys.
Mike you are pretty close on the Hamilton watch. It is actually a 974, made in 1919. It belonged to my stepfather, who gave it to me in the early 1990s. He passed away in 1995.

Considering that last knife you posted is almost 100 years old now, it looks pretty darn good!!!

rangerbluedog wrote: Mike you are pretty close on the Hamilton watch. It is actually a 974, made in 1919. It belonged to my stepfather, who gave it to me in the early 1990s. He passed away in 1995.

Considering that last knife you posted is almost 100 years old now, it looks pretty darn good!!!

Thanks Blue.... I have been specifically looking for those scales lately. I stumbled over that one while cruising the bay. Nobody bid on it so I just put in the minimum bid...... GOT IT!!

I have a Hamilton GR 956 with an interesting past. I picked it up at the antique store. As the story went.... the grandson of the P.O. was cleaning out his Grand Dad's house after he died. This watch was in a box of "junk" so he brought it in and sold it to the store.
ANYWAY... the interesting part..... EVEN THO' somebody tried to scratch off the name of the Soldier who owned the watch, it can still be seen on the back of the case.

"James E. Hancock..... Mindanao P.I. 1945"
Mike

Now that right there is a TREASURE.