All About Pocket Knives

I picked up this Henckels whittler awhile back and wanted to post it for the knowledgeable collectors here to comment on. What I have been able to find is it is a pattern # 471 and 1/2, tapered back whittler with nickle silver bolsters, steel pins, and milled liners. Overall length closed is 3 and 15/16", and the master blade thickness is .160". My questions are was this made by Henckels or Boker, and is the handle material bone or stag? The handle material is very flat and thin and the color of the handle material is uniform black from bolster to bolster, making me think it must be dyed bone that was jigged to look like stag. But on the edges you can see lighter material showing. ????

I think that was made by Henckels and not Boker. The front handle looks correct but I think the back handle has been replaced. Any of those from that era that I have seen have the same jigging on both sides. I’m not an expert on Henckles but have had and handled a few. Hopefully some of the people with more knowledge will chime in.

A pretty fabulous knife OC. Looks like the handles are bone and stag. Cool find.

No expert here, but I agree with Mark that it is a pre-Boker Henckels. I think Mark's idea of a replacement is plausible; otherwise, I am at a loss to explain the covers.

My take is all original Henckels made knife. The handles are Henckels bone. They did not try to match the sides so that both look the same. They sought out pieces of bone that were the right thickness to fit well.
Excellent vintage Henckels in my amateur opinion. I have sold my 2 big Henckels catalogs so cannot check to be 100% certain. But i'm at least 95% sure.
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Thu Dec 09, 2021 4:42 pm My take is all original Henckels made knife. The handles are Henckels bone. They did not try to match the sides so that both look the same. They sought out pieces of bone that were the right thickness to fit well.
Excellent vintage Henckels in my amateur opinion. I have sold my 2 big Henckels catalogs so cannot check to be 100% certain. But i'm at least 95% sure.
kj

Roland, do you think this was most likely made in the 1950s?

"Roland, do you think this was most likely made in the 1950s?"
Henckels made the same patterns, same handle materials, no changes for decades, likely from 1900 or even earlier. Hence it is almost impossible to give a date for Henckels made knives.
Certainly could have been made in 1950's, or 1920's, etc.
kj

Here is a 3 1/2" Henckels made Serpentine Whittler. The stag is typical 'Henckels Stag' and the master blade has been ground from extra thick stock, which other manufacturers did not use. Master clip blade is saber ground but the lighting in mark side picture does not show it well.
kj

That is a beauty, Roland. Wonderful handles.

Very Nice Whittler Roland

Looks to be an extra fine Henckels.

That is a nice whittler Roland, beautiful.

Great looking whittler kj. The whittler is my favorite pattern!!

Jimbo

Oledadsknives wrote: ↑Sun Dec 18, 2022 12:56 am Great looking whittler kj. The whittler is my favorite pattern!!

Jimbo

FYI, unfortunately Roland passed away a few months ago.

Thanks olde cutler for letting me know. May God bless him!!

Jimbo

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Thu Apr 14, 2022 8:53 pm Here is a 3 1/2" Henckels made Serpentine Whittler. The stag is typical 'Henckels Stag' and the master blade has been ground from extra thick stock, which other manufacturers did not use. Master clip blade is saber ground but the lighting in mark side picture does not show it well.
kj

Love this one, it's so nice!