All About Pocket Knives

Got this in the post today.No maker's name.VERY thin blade with saw cut top that cuts on the push stroke.Nice scales held on with 3 brass screws.Only markings are an ad for Bixby's Jet-Oil Shoe Polish.Company apparently out of business in the 30's.Any ideas as to who made it?

JMO of course...but I don't think that knife was made for the kitchen, as the guard would surely inhibit the completion of any chopping or slicing stroke commonly used in the kitchen. I wish I could offer a guess...it does appear to be designed for some particular purpose or type of work.

Very interesting...have you tried Bernard?

Bill

I did post a query over on Knife Forums;no response yet.What mystifies me is the thinness of the blade.I measured it with a micrometer and it is only .034" or slightly over 1/32nd of an inch.The blade has an amazing amount of deflection;nearly 4" at the tip.Most saw blades(at least the ones on knives anyway)are designed to cut on the pull stroke whereas this one is just the opposite.Fish scalers are usually omni-directional.The edge looks almost as though it is convex ground and extremely constant front to rear.I doubt it has ever been on a stone or a steel.The three rivet/screw and full tang construction normally would indicate at least a moderately severe usage expectation.The ad for shoe polish is the real kicker although I have seen some pretty bizarre ads on knives before.Best one was on an unmarked folder with a corkscrew back engraved,"The Great United Stated Cookie and Plywood Co."!

The knife is very similar to another one I have that is double edged and is called a,"Duct Knife".

Looks like what I call a "Ham" knife.
Top is for sawing through bone, bottom for slicing.

Disston made a bunch back in the day. They called them "Saw Knives", same purpose.

The shoe polish deal throws me off. Could be a give away or something like that.

9ball

Ahaa ! At last, something even a newb such as I can comment on with complete confidence. The duct knife is exactly that. Malco is a well known supplier to the sheetmetal trade, and these knives are used for the fabrication and installation of fiberglass ductwork, which is put together with tape. A fast and dirty, cheaper alternative to sheetmetal.

Aluminum foil outer skin on dense, ridgid, fiberglass, with an interior coating which will erode, spewing glass fibers everytime you use your heat or airconditioning !

Fran