All About Pocket Knives

is there a few different variations in the tang stampings of cattaraugus Cutlery co. Little Valley N.Y??ive seen two and wanted to know if the second was correct...it has Cattaraugus on top(straight...not half circle design like most ive seen)Cutlery Co.(below Cattaraugus)and Little Valley (below Cutlery Co.) and below Little valley is N.Y... CORRECT TANG STAMPING OR SHOULD I BE LEARY???What period does this place knfe compared to the normal half corcle stamping??Thanks here is the auction,let me know what you think Dave http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=006

read the knife, not the stamp. this takes time, study and if possible touching(fondleing comes later after you own it ). if you can post a pic or a link to the knife in question it would help.

ive added auction link,thanks Dave

some think no pat. on blade could mean the knife was assembled after catt. closed. the seller is not highly thought of. stay away imo.

Dave,
At the risk of being a little presumptive, I'd bet you don't own any reference books.
They are so important to everyday collecting activities it is hard to describe.
I'd suggest you try to get ahold of a Goins Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings. Mine is copyrighted in 1998 and I believe that is the latest edition. The author is now deceased so it may be a little expensive but it will be money well spent. There is a wealth of information in the book. Also, consider Levines Guides to Knives... 4th edition. There are newer editions but the author disavows them. This is another expensive book but worth it in the long run.
There are numerous others that you will want to get at some point and most of them won't be as expensive as these two. Our own David Anthony has a great book about the knives of Pennsylvania. There is Sargents book and he is working on a new edition right now, there are several by Ritchie & Stewart. Also, C. Houston Price's book is a dandy. All these will give certain threads of information that will help you to progress in this addictive endeavor that we all love.
You may be able to find them in member stores, Im not sure. I'd also check Ebay, Amazon and such.

Ray

Paladin is certainly shooting straight with you ( ), and giving you some very good advice.

Goins' book is still available here...

http://www.knifeworld.com/colkniv.html

I would also suggest Gerald Witcher's fine book, available here...

http://www.nkcaknife.org/nkca_products.htm

All/any books are good, especially the ones mentioned. But these two are a must if you plan to collect long discontinued, or very popular older knives.

JMO.

Bill

thanks soooo much,i will work on getting both books and i will stay away from the knife in question,thanks and God Bless Dave

Dave, you can't have to many books. Watch used book stores, antique stores, auctions. I have found many books at good prices just by watching for them while looking for knives.

Stockman

Paladin & Bill, thanks for the book info. And Dave, thanks for bringing up the question - I have been meaning to ask for a while now!
Rustle

The jigging on that handle looks very strange for a Catt. in my opinion.

is the catt folding hunter in question the real deal or is it not???Was thinking of going after it...it is a beutiful knife....but again i will not have a fake catt in my collection,i have not seen a tang stamping from catt like this,but i am also a newer collector thanks Dave http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3DWatching

JRFAN1 wrote:is the catt folding hunter in question the real deal or is it not???Was thinking of going after it...it is a beutiful knife....but again i will not have a fake catt in my collection,i have not seen a tang stamping from catt like this,but i am also a newer collector thanks Dave http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3DWatching

IMO, it is not a good knife and the seller has been a regular in our Counterfeit Forum.

THANKS FRED AND PALADIN,I WILL STAY AWAY FROM THIS KNIFE AND SELLER,TOO MANY QUESTIONS AND TOO MUCH $$$ SURROUND THIS KNIFE AND SELLER ITS A SHAME WE HAVE SELLERS OUT THERE,IM ALMOST TEMPTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS AUCTION,BUT I WILL KEEP MY NOSE OUT OF IT THIS TIME OR SHOULD I??THANKS AGAIN GOD BLESS DAVE FRED:CHECK YOUR E-MAIL,THANKS

JMO, but the stamping is inconsistent in depth also. Some letters deeper than others.

Dave,
Good decision on this one, I think. As to make comment on the auction, it has been done before, to no avail.
Since you like Catts, I'd add the Ritchie and Stewart book "CATTARAUGUS CUTLERY CO" to my wish list. It can be had all over Ebay, plus the other usual scources, Amazon, etc. It is not an expensive book and has great photos and detail.
Have you searched the AAPK stores for Catts? hint, hint

Ray