All About Pocket Knives

Here is a nice old camper with the Clauss stamp.
A rock solid bolt of steel and bone.

What a classic Joe. Knife, wrench, can opener, punch in another day it was ultimately useful. And in our day still functioning. Beautiful old bones. What a great pick up.

That is a really neat old camper knife. Great looking bone. I have heard but have forgotten what the square opening is for in the bottle opener?

That’s a winner all the way around. Love the bone, and the press to light key too!

I think the square is a Prest-o-lite key for use on acetylene gas valves such as used on early car headlights, lamps, etc...
Cool knife!
Keith

I really appreciate all the nice comments, guys. Thank you.

Joe, what a great find! The Winterbottom bone makes me wonder if it was made by Queen.

Yours is only the second Clauss 27 I have seen. The Clauss 27 pattern I have has a slightly different blade configuration (no Prest-o-Lite wrench and different can opener) and appears to have Case green bone.

Congrats on a great old knife!

Ken

Froe wrote: ↑Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:21 am I think the square is a Prest-o-lite key for use on acetylene gas valves such as used on early car headlights, lamps, etc...
Cool knife!
Keith

Thanks for jarring the memory on the square wrench function. Sure enough, that info was in a back corner of the brain, high up on a shelf in an old jar.

John

Great stuff! I assume Klauss was not in itself a cutlery? If I ever score a knife with a Prestolite key I will have to get me an acetylene lantern for my bicycle (they had them, also).

tongueriver wrote: ↑Sat Nov 16, 2019 4:18 pm Great stuff! I assume Klauss was not in itself a cutlery?

Yes and no. Apparently early on they manufactured cutlery but then contracted to have it made by others with the Clauss name on it. Here's some good info viewtopic.php?f=35&t=22652&hilit=Clauss#p192950

Most knives marked Clauss in the first half of the 20th century were made on contract by Case, Queen, or Robeson. All of high quality.


Ken

This is an example of a Clauss knife made by Case. (Photos from Steve)

___________
Mike

Thank you for the nice comments.
Ken, thank you for the information and I'm glad you have a 27 also. This is my recently purchased and only one.

Mike, that is a fine, clean old Clauss jack. Good show!

If I recall correctly that key for the Pres-To-Lite acetylene lamps is also the same size as the shaft of a door knob.I have a knife advertising paint that has a paint lid lifter in the end(similar to the straight slot screwdriver on a horseman's knife)and a square hole cut through the handles.On the spine of the knife is a fold out square tool of the same dimensions.I believe it was used to operate a removed door knob when painting doors.

Ray, the square on my camper is 3/16" square. Much too small for a door knob shaft for an entrance door.
Your nice knife apparently allows one to open a door with out a knob or handle with shaft in place or
use the square blade to open a door with the shaft removed. Early latches still worked with the shaft removed.
A minor frustrating dilemma until you found something to jimmy the latch or if you kept a spare shaft on hand from an old set.