All About Pocket Knives

Good morning everyone.

I decided to pull the trigger and get this old guy even though there are questions in its background.
(These are the sellers pictures)

The mark side appears to be bone and this is a large coke bottle (9" open).


The pile side cover has been replaced (maybe) but look at the pattern on the cover. Delrin or bone?


I can't make out much on the mark side tang.....


The seller says there is a "30" on the pile side on the tang.
and I can sort of make that out.......


Y'all got any ideas about who might have made this old guy?

I think the blade has been changed.

Maybe....

It sure looks nice closed.....


I'm sure there has been some work done on this knife BUT Do y'all recon this was an American made knife before it was "fixed"....

Looks like a Challenge brand knife. Or at least the mark side cover does.

Eye Brand Man wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 2:18 pm Looks like a Challenge brand knife. Or at least the mark side cover does.

Thanks for that comment...
I was hoping there was enough showing that would give an indication of the maker.

brass pins on the front & steel on the back scales....

Meridian_Mike wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 2:08 pm Maybe....

It sure looks nice closed.....


mark side cover.jpg


I'm sure there has been some work done on this knife BUT Do y'all recon this was an American made knife before it was "fixed"....

Hi Mike. Nice knife! I have a few of these and all but one were made in the U.S. and all are by different manufacturers. The one in the attached picture has an L.F.&C. N.B. Conn. tang stamp, and this one looks the most like yours of the ones I have. It measures 9 1/2" open. All of mine were missing the handle scales or they were messed up beyond redemption when I got them, and I put new scales on all of them. If I remember correctly, this one had a few fragments of bone still attached and I dressed it up in Gabon ebony.

I agree that yours has had one of the scales replaced, and I am guessing it is the pile side. From you picture, it looks like the pile side scale might be composite, and it looks like the scale isn't flush with the bolsters. So I assume either it has shrunk a bit or never was a very good hafting job . I would look for some bone that more closely matches the mark side.

Have you tried rubbing a pencil or some WD40 on the blade tang? Sometimes if I remove remove a bit of the patina that way, a bit of the tang stamp becomes visible.
Good luck!

Thanks Herb...

It is on the way so, I can't examine it closely yet.

Yep, I got this guy for a restore project (IF I can ever get back in my shop.... ...)

I am sort of torn as to whether I want to leave the mark side cover or just replace both.
I guess it all depends on whether I can find any sort of makers mark on the blade tang.

Mike Camillus and one other company used those giant shields on their coke bottles. I'll have to see if I can find the other as I'm not positive that yours is a Cammy. They had matchstrike pulls on many of theirs.

Eric

ea42 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 7:14 pm Mike Camillus and one other company used those giant shields on their coke bottles. I'll have to see if I can find the other as I'm not positive that yours is a Cammy. They had matchstrike pulls on many of theirs.

Eric

Thanks Eric!

Mike, I have both a Camillus and a Utica large folding Hunter coke bottle with those large shields. Like Eric said and on mime the Camillus has a matchstrike pull but the Utica has a non matchstrike long pull like on yours.

It's not Challenge.

Robeson or Continental?

When you get the knife, look and see if the staining marks match frame. That should tell you if blade is original to the knife.

Meridian_Mike wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:08 pm Yep, I got this guy for a restore project (IF I can ever get back in my shop.... ...)

I am sort of torn as to whether I want to leave the mark side cover or just replace both.
I guess it all depends on whether I can find any sort of makers mark on the blade tang.

Don't be to quick about replacing the handles on this one, I believe it is original and was made like that to demonstrate the different type of handle material offered by the manufacturer.

These were carried by knife salesman in a knife roll containing different examples of patterns and handle options which would be shown to potential buyers.

I believe it was made by Utica as they did a lot of contract work.

If you are going to resell it drop me a PM.

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:21 pm
Don't be to quick about replacing the handles on this one, I believe it is original and was made like that to demonstrate the different type of handle material offered by the manufacturer.

These were carried by knife salesman in a knife roll containing different examples of patterns and handle options which would be shown to potential buyers.

I believe it was made by Utica as they did a lot of contract work.

I'm with Dimitri on this one;I think it is a salesman's sample. I have an old IKCO 2 blade pen that has the same configuration:black synthetic on the mark side and bone(not Delrin)on the other. Here are a couple pics.

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:21 pm
Don't be to quick about replacing the handles on this one, I believe it is original and was made like that to demonstrate the different type of handle material offered by the manufacturer.

These were carried by knife salesman in a knife roll containing different examples of patterns and handle options which would be shown to potential buyers.

I believe it was made by Utica as they did a lot of contract work.

If you are going to resell it drop me a PM.

Very good point! I never thought about that...... That definitely makes me stop and think!

Thanks for stopping me from making a BIG mistake!!

knife7knut wrote: ↑Mon Jul 19, 2021 1:20 am
I'm with Dimitri on this one;I think it is a salesman's sample. I have an old IKCO 2 blade pen that has the same configuration:black synthetic on the mark side and bone(not Delrin)on the other. Here are a couple pics.

Well.... at least mine has some kin folk out there!

Thanks for posting yours!!