All About Pocket Knives

I have seen this "IMITATION PEARL HANDLES" on some knives.

The one I am trying to find out about is J. A. HENCKELS COPPERHEAD

The only thing that comes close to looking like it is "Buffalo horn handles with nickel silver bolsters and inlay shield."

http://www.ndsproducts.com/henckels.html

Do you think thats what can be called IMITATION PEARL HANDLES ?

If not then what is IMITATION PEARL HANDLES made of ?

justold52 wrote: If not then what is IMITATION PEARL HANDLES made of ?

Celluloid, Bulldog calls theirs Oyster Shell, same thing as imitation pearl. Many sellers call it imitation pearl. I even have sent knives back to the sellers because their pearl was celluliod. More than once by the way. Victim of lousy pictures.

Hi Ken,

There is a Henckels mop copperhead on this site.

http://www.affordableknives.com/catalog ... et_Knives/

It does not say imitation.

s-k

Thanks Hukk .

I just could not see how Buffalo horn would look like pearl.

Perhaps he made an error on his site. AGAIN

Thanks SK I have seen some Hinckles pearl go over $100.00

Soon I will be able to tell the diferant in Cell pearl and real pearl. (I hope)

I have a likeing for pearl with black.

justold52 wrote:Thanks Hukk .
I just could not see how Buffalo horn would look like pearl.
Perhaps he made an error on his site. AGAIN
Thanks SK I have seen some Hinckles pearl go over $100.00
Soon I will be able to tell the diferant in Cell pearl and real pearl. (I hope)
I have a likeing for pearl with black.

I've seen a set knives I liked very much using Buffalo Horn and pearl. One was pearl handle with Buffalo cigar band and the other was the opposite, Buffalo handle and pearl cigar band. the cigar bands were at a 45 degree angle, very nice set. That J. A. HENCKELS COPPERHEAD in the picture looks like pearl, I can see no reason why imitation pearl would have a number on the bolster.

So Hukk you are thinking like I am then.

I could not find any Henckels imitation pearl to compare it to.

I do not think that Henclels have gone to China yet.

That site that S-K posted for us. Shows it as real MOP, and it to has a number on the bolster.

Time will tell cuz I got the one in the photo for $47.00...

But how else can one learn if you don't get one in the hand or find one like it on the web ?

Perhaps this will help. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=004

JMO, as always.

I have not seen any Imitation pearl with any bright multiple coloring or "Fire" as some folks call it. Even the best is just reflective of a sort.
Buck also made a "PolyPearl" for WalMart that may've been polyester and/or polymer based.

Good topic Ken.

Bill

So El Lobo do you fell that this Henckels will be real MOP ?

Can you find any Henckles with Imitation pearl ?

El Lobo wrote:JMO, as always.
I have not seen any Imitation pearl with any bright multiple coloring or "Fire" as some folks call it. Even the best is just reflective of a sort.
Buck also made a "PolyPearl" for WalMart that may've been polyester and/or polymer based.
Good topic Ken.
Bill

I couldn't have said it better Bill. The thing about pearl is that just because it's exhibition grade - it doesn't mean that it will have all the fire and COLOR that this previously posted and FAVORITE Cuttin' Horse has.

For both real and imitation pearl I favor natural sunlight to find the "fire".
I like to hold it up in both direct and diffussed light to find colors, imitation never has any. Some real pearl may be milky also, but the texture is very different.

Go to this site and read the description of their pearl,

http://www.knifehandles.com

Go to Mother of Pearl and click on it. PS, the work on those knives is not good at all. One look and you can see the edges have not been rounded and are sharp and uncomfortable to hold. They will also be more prone to breakage, if not rounded.

I need another and better site, hopeflly someone can come up with a site describing pearl shell charactoristics

Hello Hukk;

Those are Awesome pearls. Thank you for showing both sides.
I see you know how to read a pearl knife like Clarance taught me.
If both sides don't do the same thing when you turn it then don't buy it.

So tell me any one is this knife I won on E-bay real MOP ?

Here is one more Pearl with Black that I like and it is real MOP.

justold, everything you have posted is real mop.

Bulldog makes a good one, so it is probably not a good example of oyster shell celluloid (also called cracked ice, pearloid, etc.). But you will not see the layers are colors nearly as well as mop.

Can anyone shed some light on Allante? I've seen it advertised and it appears to be some sort of imitation pearl. Really unsure if it is celluloid or not?

jim, this is the only ref. i have seen to allante pearl.

http://cgi.ebay.com/EXOTIC-ALLANTE-PEAR ... dZViewItem

just gotta say that Cuttin' Horse is amazing . . .

here's an interesting article on MOP . . . amazing stuff.

http://www.physorg.com/news102610698.html

Hey Jim,

If memory serves, allante pearl is crushed pearl combined with polymers to create a sort of celluloid material. The colors and "fire" are retained in the process. This is what I've heard......please, someone correct me if this isn't true.

Gary

Ken,
I agree with Mike, that it appears to be real pearl. It is advertised as authentic, and made in Solingen, on the paperwork (if the paperwork is included). So if you were to doubt it, I'd think you would have grounds to return the knife. Looks like a fine knife.

Here is a little "Fire" to keep you warm.....

Bill

jonet143 wrote:jim, this is the only ref. i have seen to allante pearl.

http://cgi.ebay.com/EXOTIC-ALLANTE-PEAR ... dZViewItem

That's a very beautiful and irredescent pearl there Johnnie. I beleive Bulldog Brand knives made a celluloid called Allante and another I have in my collection called Black Pearl. They are not real pearl but are celluloid. All of them are pictured on page 83 of The Pocket Knife Traders Guide by Jim Parker VOL. 3 They were used on very few production and a few prototypes.

Here's my Black Pearl Prototype, they were very rare in the first generation.

That's a good lookin' knife there Hukk...

More than mildly jealous Bill

El Lobo wrote:That's a good lookin' knife there Hukk...

More than mildly jealous Bill

Thanks Bill. I got the knife fairly cheaply, kinda backs up my opinion that the collector value on Bulldog stockman knives are a great value. Even Parker's books, have them undervalued, IMO. I think the 3 blade stockman is one of the most carried patterns there is.

Check out this link for polyester Allante Pearl. These look cool and looks like there is some irredecence.

http://www.masecraftsupply.com/Merchant ... ATLSHT4X35

Thank you all for adding things here.

I want to make this clear. The first J. A. HENCKELS COPPERHEAD is the knife that I am questioning. The seller says its Imitation pearl
I can not find any Henckels with imitation pearl. I bid on this knife thinking that the seller goofed. I do not have it yet, but when the snail-man gives it to me I hope I can tell if it's MOP. I have some Cell cracked ice so I know they are not real pearl.

Does any one know of or have a Henckels imitation pearl ?
Before I bid I did my best to find one like the seller was selling and came up with only real MOP.


I sure am learning a lot keep teaching me....

Hi Guys,
As to the question of allante used in some Bulldog knives, here is a picture posted earlier of a 3.5 inch Bulldog prototype stockman with what several on the site considered was allante handles. It is certainly different from the imitation pearl that Bulldog calls oyster shell. Oyster shell shows no color. The allante shows lots of pinks and greens and possibly other colors. By the way, I'm thinking about putting this one on eBay. Hope this helps some.
Jerry

jands40 wrote:Hi Guys,
As to the question of allante used in some Bulldog knives, here is a picture posted earlier of a 3.5 inch Bulldog prototype stockman with what several on the site considered was allante handles. It is certainly different from the imitation pearl that Bulldog calls oyster shell. Oyster shell shows no color. The allante shows lots of pinks and greens and possibly other colors. By the way, I'm thinking about putting this one on eBay. Hope this helps some.
Jerry

That knife is also pictured on page 83 of The Pocket Knife Traders Guide by Jim Parker VOL. 3 Good luck!

Looks like I did well on this J.A. Henckels copperhead knife for $47.00.

She IS real pearl.

I was checking every thing I could find on it. Now I have a question for you all.

Who made this knife for Henckel ?
How does one get to talk to some one if they have a warranty ?

If you look close on the right bolster you can see a black hole in the pearl and some chips at the sheald.

I have other J.A Hencles and they never give any papers about the knife company in the box or any address.