All About Pocket Knives

Found this ivory sportsmans knife, appears to be Sheffield made but maybe not as it has at least 3 different tang stamps. Humphrey, McPhearson Brothers and A. May&Co, which makes me think it's a put together knife. If it is it is very well done and the patina matches on all metal. Looks to have had little use and just missing the pick.
Any ideas on this one?

Can't give you any help John, but a great find even if it could be a put together knife?

I like it a lot. Looks like the blades are in very good condition with little or no loss, and great grinds. And ivory! Wow! Good catch.

WOW!!!! It looks to be all original to me.I've never seen a sportsman's knife with that many blades except exhibition knives.What a find!

Could be a store knife with makers marks too. I don’t know, except it’s a cool knife I wouldn’t be ashamed of.

That’s the neatest one I’ve ever seen. Wow!

That’s one heck of a hefty Sportsman Knife and in ivory a real stunner John .... with all those blades and implements it is like 5 or 6 knives in one ... Looks like there is even a gutting hook!!! The multiple stamps are interesting in one knife (I’m not aware of other examples of such unless blades were replaced) - I can’t tell from photos how well the pivot pin is flush with the bolster indicating possible repair for blade replacement - or as suggested maybe originally there was one cutler who received blades from multiple sources to make one big sportsman’s knife.. I haven’t checked all the makers you listed to see if there is some connection... but no doubt this knife is a beauty!! Another nice find John!!

LongBlade wrote:That’s one heck of a hefty Sportsman Knife and in ivory a real stunner John .... with all those blades and implements it is like 5 or 6 knives in one ... Looks like there is even a gutting hook!!! The multiple stamps are interesting in one knife (I’m not aware of other examples of such unless blades were replaced - I can’t tell from photos how well the pivot pin is flush with the bolster indicating possible repair for blade replacement - or as suggested maybe originally there was one cutler who received blades from multiple sources to make one big sportsman’s knife.. I haven’t checked all the makers you listed to see if there is some connection... but no doubt this knife is a beauty!! Another nice find John!!

wlf wrote:Could be a store knife with makers marks too. I don’t know, except it’s a cool knife I wouldn’t be ashamed of.

Thank you every one and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving,just got back home from my brothers.

Lyle, Lee, I think you both are on to something, I'm thinking the main stamp is the one for McPherson Brothers Glasgow, not a lot out there but what I could find is they were a cutlery, sporting goods, fishing store and manufacturer, however in one reference I found on a razor forum it is stated that they did not make their own blades but sourced them from other cutlers/manufacturers, whether true or not it is hard to tell because of the lack of information.
This from what I can tell is from a 1891 business directory,

http://www.glasgowwestaddress.co.uk/189 ... others.htm

Lee, the construction is good, most everything fits flush and even, pulls and snaps are very good with no play, the pivot pin is a different metal and could be fit better but I have seen pins of a different metal common to these early knives, if it was done at a later time someone did a fantastic job of fitting the blades.Knife is a nice size 3 3/8" and even with the 6 springs still fits in a pocket.

There is another more common horseman's knife on E-Bay right now from McPherson Brothers.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/BONE-STAG-MCPH ... :rk:1:pf:0

Fine old Horseman's model, JohnR and one of my favorite patterns. Knives like these were certainly meant to be used (more so than an elegant gentleman's model) and the original cost and quality more than justified the repair of broken or worn out blades. Repairing knives in the late 1800s and early 1900s was a common practice and often advertised by various cutlery companies. I have and have seen several English folders with different marked blades which had been replaced by good cutlers with perfect fit and finish.

John - Good background and I believe you no doubt figured out the retailer as McPherson - makes sense based on your research!! Whether it was repaired as Neal suggested by very good cutlers back in the day or made originally for McPherson using different makers blades is not sure - but at least I think you nailed down where it was originally sold ... Either way again it's a beauty

JohnR wrote:Found this ivory sportsmans knife, appears to be Sheffield made but maybe not as it has at least 3 different tang stamps. Humphrey, McPhearson Brothers and A. May&Co, which makes me think it's a put together knife. If it is it is very well done and the patina matches on all metal. Looks to have had little use and just missing the pick.
Any ideas on this one?

The saw blade is original to the knife the other three blades are replacements, those are unfinished notice the fine vertical lines on those blades only. That and the dissimilar metal pivot pin are sure signs of blade replacement.

Still and interesting and hard to find old knife