All About Pocket Knives

Just purchased this amazing stag, 1930’s Hugo Koller whittler on eBay. I won the auction for $42.00 plus shipping tax = $52.00! I have seen these go for over two hundred. Handmade, three centered blades with three back springs and spacers. These types of knives are very hard to build. The locking main blade is without a doubt the best lockup, I’ve seen.

I have seen better textured stag on these, but it will do! No cracks at all either.

Kirk

I have never heard of them or seen one. Looks interesting and appears well made. I say good score!

rugmar wrote:I have never heard of them or seen one. Looks interesting and appears well made. I say good score!

Indeed a good score, thanks! They are very well made by hand. Hugo Koller has a lot of really cool, well made knives out there. They are pretty scarce but fo show up.
Like I said though. This style usually auctions well over $150.00-$200.00 I got lucky!

I have had one Hugo Koller knife, it was a budding knife. It was pretty plain Jane compared to your stag but it was one of those knives that you knew this was a high quality piece. I sold about seven years ago, in 2012 and have not seen another one since then. If I recall correctly I found some for sale in Germany at an orchard supply company and translated from euros into dollars they were up near the $80 to $100 mark as I recall.
Just holding it you could tell it was very well made and when you come with it, you got a sense that it was incredibly sharp and would stay that way.
No one knew what it was here in the US, or at least not many people who posted.

The COMPO on the handle is apparently for the international company by the same name, that produces organic-chemical brand name products for the home and garden. I think the company COMPO started in Germany and still appears to be in business from information on the web. I am not sure how old my knife was but I would guess it was made within the last 30 – 40 years. Goins' listed Hugo Koller as 1861 to present, but then again Goins' was published in 1998, so if Goins information was accurate in 1998, the company still may have ended in the last 20 years or so.


Beautiful stag on your knife, it reminds me of the old Henckels stag. Kind of makes me wonder if Koller contracted with Henckels?
Someone know knows Henckels much better than I do might recognize this pattern.

The OP knife looks to be a lockback whittler which is a rare whittler pattern. Still is considered a 2 spring knife, i.e. a true whittler. There are 3 spring knives set up like a whittler but not considered to be a whittler which is defined in part as having 2 springs & 3 blades.
So OP knife is quite rare and definitely a good score which i wish i had seen when still an open auction.
kj

Kirk, looks like you found a treasure there. What a fine looking knife. And gave us some education as well. Something else to watch for. Thanks.

orvet wrote:I have had one Hugo Koller knife, it was a budding knife. It was pretty plain Jane compared to your stag but it was one of those knives that you knew this was a high quality piece. I sold about seven years ago, in 2012 and have not seen another one since then. If I recall correctly I found some for sale in Germany at an orchard supply company and translated from euros into dollars they were up near the $80 to $100 mark as I recall.
Just holding it you could tell it was very well made and when you come with it, you got a sense that it was incredibly sharp and would stay that way.
No one knew what it was here in the US, or at least not many people who posted.

The COMPO on the handle is apparently for the international company by the same name, that produces organic-chemical brand name products for the home and garden. I think the company COMPO started in Germany and still appears to be in business from information on the web. I am not sure how old my knife was but I would guess it was made within the last 30 – 40 years. Goins' listed Hugo Koller as 1861 to present, but then again Goins' was published in 1998, so if Goins information was accurate in 1998, the company still may have ended in the last 20 years or so.


Beautiful stag on your knife, it reminds me of the old Henckels stag. Kind of makes me wonder if Koller contracted with Henckels?
Someone know knows Henckels much better than I do might recognize this pattern.

Great 'budding knife'! HK, made many different knives from what i've seen. They have a 4-5 pin one like this as well (I am looking for) Oops, yours has 4-5 ! I have seen it with colored scales as well... Great information you've left as well, thanks! Kirk

doglegg wrote:Kirk, looks like you found a treasure there. What a fine looking knife. And gave us some education as well. Something else to watch for. Thanks.

I did! Thank you! I don't know much yet about Hugo, just know they are fairly scarce and well made German knives....

KM

kootenay joe wrote:The OP knife looks to be a lockback whittler which is a rare whittler pattern. Still is considered a 2 spring knife, i.e. a true whittler. There are 3 spring knives set up like a whittler but not considered to be a whittler which is defined in part as having 2 springs & 3 blades.
So OP knife is quite rare and definitely a good score which i wish i had seen when still an open auction.
kj

Thanks for the info Joe! They make one just like it with the rounded off fingernail file blade... Next!

Kirk

Just purchased another Hugo Koller! This one is in the mail yet... I will post my own pics once in hand.

KM

Note: Just won another Hugo Koller, in wood to go with the alike stag one above.

Interesting and beautiful knife! I have a similar lockback knife that has a master and secondary blade with a manicure file blade on the back that acts as the lock release for the master blade. Made by Vom Cleff Cutlery;it also has some beautiful stag.

knife7knut wrote:Interesting and beautiful knife! I have a similar lockback knife that has a master and secondary blade with a manicure file blade on the back that acts as the lock release for the master blade. Made by Vom Cleff Cutlery;it also has some beautiful stag.

Thats a nice knife! As well, I think I might have a Vom Cleff ring turn knife? I know the name a sa good one!

Thanks for the great photos of this unusual knife.

Kirk

Well, I just won another Hugo Koller auction $47.00 looks mint (not sure what year?)
My first hawksbill really.. Not sure if I like that lanyard though. (aftermarket or not?)

Cheers

Kirk

That is a BEAUTY !!
Vom Cleff was not a manufacturer. I think Lutters made most of the Vom Cleff knives.
kj

kootenay joe wrote:That is a BEAUTY !!
Vom Cleff was not a manufacturer. I think Lutters made most of the Vom Cleff knives.
kj

Thanks!

Right, I figured just another name on a make. Like A. Kastor made knives for so many ‘knife makers’

Scored another Hugo Koller!

Kirk

Nice score Kirk!
I almost bid on that one because I really like the skinning blade, but it's a bit far afield of what I'm focusing on right now. Congratulations on a nice pick up!

orvet wrote:Nice score Kirk!
I almost bid on that one because I really like the skinning blade, but it's a bit far afield of what I'm focusing on right now. Congratulations on a nice pick up!

Thanks! Yes, It doesn’t really fit what I’m into as well. But Hugo’s are nice and I have the Hugo fever right now. Lol

...I'm a big Hugo Koller fan as well!

JulesVane wrote: ↑Mon Oct 06, 2025 6:25 am phonto (18).JPG
IMG_6295.jpg
...I'm a big Hugo Koller fan as well!

Fantastic group!

Wonderful collection. Can you share some information/history of Hugo Köller knives? A search here found several examples but very little info otherwise. Aside from the listing in Goins’ there doesn’t seem to be much about them.

Ken

Weee Dogies!!!!

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Mon Oct 06, 2025 4:02 pm Wonderful collection. Can you share some information/history of Hugo Köller knives? A search here found several examples but very little info otherwise. Aside from the listing in Goins’ there doesn’t seem to be much about them.

Ken

Thank you! I can only share what I too found online. I recall that when I got my first "Camper" model leverlock, I was contacted by Neal Punchard that told me that knife was 1940's, and that if he had it in his hands, he could tell by the build whether it was pre-WWII. I just received this spear point 8" (11cm) today...

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Mon Oct 06, 2025 4:02 pm Wonderful collection. Can you share some information/history of Hugo Köller knives? A search here found several examples but very little info otherwise. Aside from the listing in Goins’ there doesn’t seem to be much about them.

Ken

Here's my post from TalkBlade Forum, you may find interesting... https://www.talkblade.info/viewtopic.ph ... 74#p299774

Thanks, I learned a lot reading those posts.

Ken