All About Pocket Knives

I found this with my grandparents belongings recently and this site is the only place I found any info on ParisBead when I tried to research it but still couldn't find anything on this model so I was just curious if anyone here might know anything about it.

Any info is much appreciated, thanks.

Interesting! It looks like it may have been made by Colonial. I have a Paris Bead folding hunter/fish knife that isn't in the greatest of shape(short blade).What I found unusual about it is the rear bolster is part of the steel liners and the front bolster is welded on.Not sure of the exact year of manufacture but the use of steel bolsters and liners is usually indicative of early knives.

Nice knife, too bad about the stubbed blade. When I tried researching mine I seen some Paris bead coke bottle and fish knives and 1 colonial axe combo but still not exactly this one....

Here's some pics of the measurements in case that helps anything.

Possibly KA-BAR due to the positioning of the nail mark. Does it look like the nail mark was a match striker design?

No just a plain nail mark. Took a close up of it too

Definitely not KA-BAR, I think Colonial too. They are more cheaply made knives.

What is/was the purpose of this type combo? It seems the hatchet part would not be practical, put a lot of strain on the joint if any hacking was done and not heavy enough to be an effective cleaver, IMHO.
If anyone has used one, I'd like understand more about the combo's use.
Treefarmer

It does look exactly like this one I found on eBay and the ad says colonial and union cut co. but the axe tang has a union stamp on it and mine has none on the axe and just the Paris bead Chicago stamp on the knife tang.

I'm totally new to knives and i thought that Paris bead was the manufacturer and I was really just looking to figure out when it was made and a fair price so I can sell it

The ebay one you show looks like a Colonial that somebody cobbled a KA-BAR hatchet blade into. Without being able to see the close up of the tang marks it is hard to tell, but if the knife blade doesn't have Union Cut or KA-BAR on it it is definitely a cobbled knife. Yes, Paris Bead is just a retailer's name they did not make knives. A value on your knife would likely be more than $40 and less than a hundred around here. If you're selling just put it on the bay with a $9.99 opening bid in auction format, it will find it's right price. By the way, ebay listings are no place for facts, most sellers don't know much about many items they sell. BIN prices are no guide to value either, only "sold listings" will give any real idea of value.

Tree, supposedly these "cherry tree choppers" as they are sometimes called were made for cleaning game, that little hatchet is not meant to be swung but to be "batonned", or hit with a stick on the "head" of the little hatchet to cut through joint ligaments when dressing medium size game.

Here is a similar handle on a Colonial cleaver/hunter. Note the positioning of the pins and the nail mark.Looks the same to me.

I don’t know who all manufactured knives for Paris Bead, but if my memory serves me correctly and it often does not these days, they were a company that dealt in advertising items, kind of like Whitehead & Hoag of New Jersey, but of lesser quality.

I’ve heard Paris Bead Knives referred to as “ Carnival Knives” as they were allegedly often used as prizes at fairs and carnivals, i.e, the ring toss game. Ring the knife stuck up in a board and you win it.

Colonial is a good choice as maker and possibly Imperial.

Charlie Noyes

Quote: " were made for cleaning game, that little hatchet is not meant to be swung but to be "batonned", or hit with a stick on the "head" of the little hatchet to cut through joint ligaments when dressing medium size game."
Although this might have been how they were marketed, i cannot see this small light weight hatchet being effective when batonned. A saw blade on a knife is effective and fast.
I bet teen aged boys were the commonest buyers of these.
kj

In that regard, at least one, possibly two, high quality manufacturers made them with bone handles and a "SCOUT" shield or some derivation thereof.

They are highly prized among certain collector niches.

Charlie Noyes

Well thanks guys, I listed it on eBay as a colonial. The current bid on it is only $17.52 but it's got 5 1/2 more days to go so we'll see what happens I guess.

The listing is at https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Foldin ... 793101802/

1942?