All About Pocket Knives

I’d be tempted by this one. I have no idea if it’s worth the asking price, but it is unique and a beautiful piece IMHO. Anybody know anything about the maker? Any idea how old it is? (the seller has provided a pretty good description already, implying it may be French or German, ~1890-1950)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/QUALITY-Antiqu ... %7Ciid%3A1

Ken

The scale really sets that one apart. Can't be German as it is illegal there to make a knife with out a cork screw. It is a very cool old knife. Do you think the hook is for hanging the knife up when it is used as a scale?

I think it is French. A google of "Brevete SGDG" turned up some hits for French knives.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/748545997/ ... t_detail=1

I also found that "Brevete" in French means "Patented", and "Brevete S.G.D.G." was often stamped on patented items (of all types, not just knives) in France. It apparently actually stands for ""Brevete San Garantie Du Governement", which translates to "Patent without government guarantee". I guess that might mean "Patent Pending"?

Edit: And, now that I read the entire Ebay listing, I see that is already in the seller's description!" Doh!

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:07 pm I’d be tempted by this one. I have no idea if it’s worth the asking price, but it is unique and a beautiful piece IMHO. Anybody know anything about the maker? Any idea how old it is? (the seller has provided a pretty good description already, implying it may be French or German, ~1890-1950)

Ken

Here is the seller's description. Click to ENLARGE.

Hey, you never know when you might have to cut some glass after a long day of fishing! Very nice knife

doglegg wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:02 pm The scale really sets that one apart. Can't be German as it is illegal there to make a knife with out a cork screw. It is a very cool old knife. Do you think the hook is for hanging the knife up when it is used as a scale?

My guess is the hook is a gaff for landing fish. If it was for hanging the knife it would need more curvature, to keep it from sliding off whatever it was hanging on - especially with a wiggling fish on it!

It also looks a lot like a hoof pick, but if your fish has hooves, I’m outa the boat!

Ken.

The handles look like they could be real tortoise.

I'm inclined to think this is French made. The design on the handle is sort of "floral" containing various curves; sort of vine-like. It is, to me, feminine, i.e. French. A German design in my view would be more Teutonic, something harder like a hammer or possibly a Luger.

Definitely French and I believe it is a horseman's knife;although I am not quite sure why a scale is needed on one.The hoof pick and saw are pretty much standard on those and the Seton's needle can be used for leather repair as well as veterinary use.The handles definitely look like tortoise shell. I checked a French website of maker's names but could not come up with those initials.As the title says,"If I had the money I would buy that in a heartbeat!"

Nice opportunity for a Kiwi to pick up a sweet piece of knife making history.

man, I went to check out Ken's knife and ended up spending over an hour looking at all the cool stuff that guy has for sale! WOW!

I am surprised this knife speaks to you. There are many vintage Sheffield knives of similar pattern with much better workmanship. The vintage French knives i have owned (not many) were all much inferior to vintage German and British.
I looked at the other knives he has listed. They could all be fakes. I am not saying they are. I am no expert in old large fixed blades, but they are the type of knives that have been faked for many decades.
I see this old French multiblade that might have been re-pinned as a $100 knife at max on a good day.
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:37 am I am surprised this knife speaks to you. There are many vintage Sheffield knives of similar pattern with much better workmanship. The vintage French knives i have owned (not many) were all much inferior to vintage German and British.
I looked at the other knives he has listed. They could all be fakes. I am not saying they are. I am no expert in old large fixed blades, but they are the type of knives that have been faked for many decades.
I see this old French multiblade that might have been re-pinned as a $100 knife at max on a good day.
kj

I too looked at the other items he had for sale and you might be correct on the authenticity(or lack thereof)on a couple of the items.specifically the knives marked Lingard and Woodhead. Both of these old names were a favorite of counterfeiters back in the 1970's;especially ones with tableware handles.The seller may or may not know this fact.
As to the relative value of the knife;that is strictly in the eye of the prospective purchaser. I like it because it is unusual and that is what I look for in knives now.As I likely will never have that kind of money to spend on knives anymore I can only look at the pictures I have saved to my computer.

Thanks for all the comments so far. The knife caught my eye due to the unique features I have not seen on other knives. Yes, it is very similar in shape and construction to horseman’s knives I have seen previously. But the fish weighing scale, ruler, and whatever that wheel is, set it apart. I can’t think of any reason for those tools being on a horseman’s knife.

I’m thinking the seton’s needle might be used for patching sailcloth, or fishnets. The wheel which the seller says looks like a glass cutter might be for cutting sailcloth - just a wild guess as I’m not sure how that might work. The bill hook blade could serve that purpose also.

In any case I thought it to be a unique piece, which is why I posted it here for discussion.

Ken

That’s one of the most interesting knives I’ve ever seen. And the rest of the stuff that guy has, wow! I’d love to see that guys collection in person.

Very cool. As petesknives mentioned earlier, the little wheel is for cutting glass. I cut glass for 22 years and have seen very few knives with a glass cutter, never in person though.

OK, so now I'm wondering why a knife would have both a fish scale AND a glass cutter?? And no corkscrew?? This must have been from a very dark time in French history...

I'm like Roland, the French cutlery I've see was inferior to about all other countries knives, but I've not seen them all.
I think French, when I see proud pins on most older knives. I'm not a fan of French knives.

wlf wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 7:39 pm I'm like Roland, the French cutlery I've see was inferior to about all other countries knives, but I've not seen them all.
I think French, when I see proud pins on most older knives. I'm not a fan of French knives.

Just to explain a bit further, the vintage French multiblades i have bought on ebay looked pretty good, better than OP knife. But then i when i got them the fit was so poor i felt disappointed. The seller had not mis-represented the knife. The disappointment comes more from in hand than visual.
I do not enjoy saying anything negative about a knife that another guy likes but i think it is important to state our own experience with a knife or knives honestly. Otherwise the whole forum becomes 'fluff'.
kj

Jody744 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 3:48 pm Very cool. As petesknives mentioned earlier, the little wheel is for cutting glass. I cut glass for 22 years and have seen very few knives with a glass cutter, never in person though.

Right you are, this Imperial is the only pocket knife I have with a glass cutter, and the only one I have ever seen.

I did own and sell a knife that is very similar to the listed knife. The overall quality was quite poor and the OP knife might be a bit better than the one I owned. The the scale mechanism on mine was poor quality. Blades were thin and poorly fit. It was old and novel but that's about the best I could say for it. Certainly not up to the standard of most German or English made multi blades.

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 11:08 pm

Jody744 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2020 3:48 pm Very cool. As petesknives mentioned earlier, the little wheel is for cutting glass. I cut glass for 22 years and have seen very few knives with a glass cutter, never in person though.

Right you are, this Imperial is the only pocket knife I have with a glass cutter, and the only one I have ever seen.

IMG_3394.JPG

Here is one stamped,"G&J Products" inside a square that I believe was made in Germany