All About Pocket Knives

Howdy all!! I'm new here and just getting into cleaning / rebuilding older knives and doing some research. I came across an old Southington Cut Company wood handle pocket knife but can't find any information on them at all so any help will be greatly appreciated. I think he referred to it as a doctor's knife but don't know why. Thanks in advance and I can post more pics if it'll help!!!

Samaurai308, if you go to Southington Cut. Co. you will find several pages of information and knives on that thread.
Also other related threads. Also in knife Lore.

Welcome here; enjoy yourself.

Thanks Joe. I’ve been finding a lot but nothing remotely close to this particular style at all. I’ve never see a knife like this one. I know it’s between 1867 and 1908 when they switched to hardware but can’t find this in any catalog page I’ve found yet. Definitely gonna keep lookin though. Thanks for the help!

Samaurai: That old knife is a variation of a "Physician's" or Doctor's knife. The but plate is called a pill buster, though I don't know what the reason would be for "busting" a pill? It appears to be ebony or some exotic wood dyed or "ebonized". Probably hard to put an exact date on it.
Welcome to AAPK. You'll find lots of camaraderie here. J.O'.

Thanks JO. I can see a pill buster being useful actually. If you crush a pill and then either sniff it or ingest it, it will hit your system faster than waiting for the body to break it down over time. Thanks for the info, I'll start looking in that direction!

Here are a few I dug up quickly.

I can't read the stamp on the top celluloid knife.
The pearl is a hard to find Rhode Island Knife Co. USA.
Bottom two are Robesons.

Well, of course I got carried away. None of these are Southingtons but why would I let a little thing like that stop me.

Sorry Samaurai308.

That’s ok FRJ. Those are gorgeous pieces for sure!! I just haven’t found a Southington. Been looking for a couple months and starting to think there may not be a lot out there to find.

It's up for grabs now on Ebay...

Randy

Samaurai308 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 9:40 pm Thanks JO. I can see a pill buster being useful actually. If you crush a pill and then either sniff it or ingest it, it will hit your system faster than waiting for the body to break it down over time. Thanks for the info, I'll start looking in that direction!

to AAPK S308! The chances of the pill buster being used by a physician or doctor to crush pills in order to "sniff" or "ingest" them are highly unlikely. Legitimate pills for regular customers will always come in solid form, it's only the addicts that would wish them crushed for sniffing or injecting. The reason a P or D might crush them could possibly be to mix them with another crushed pill or by itself, and then pour that mixture or single compound into a gelatin capsule for people who have problems swallowing a dry pill, or even possibly for mixing them in a solution to be ingested by an infant such as applesauce. It's also quite dangerous to crush some medications with time-release properties, since you may get a bigger dose at one time than what it was designed for. That is strictly my opinion and might be totally incorrect, but I'd be fairly certain it isn't for sniffing or ingesting by non-addicts. That's a cool knife you have, please post pictures after the restore!

Samaurai308 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:33 pm That’s ok FRJ. Those are gorgeous pieces for sure!! I just haven’t found a Southington. Been looking for a couple months and starting to think there may not be a lot out there to find.

Samaurai308, just so you know, Southington ended production in 1905.
They are are worth owning when you can get them.

EDIT: or selling them when you can sell them.

Nice old knife. Hope you get the $400 you are asking. BTW, the blades are not stainless steel, so you might want to correct that in your auction.

I don’t think I can do it the justice of a proper restoration so it needs to be in the hands of a true professional for this one. I can do late 1900’s, 1960’s and newer, but I’d honestly be afraid to ruin it.
As far as the pill crushing, just look at BC powder for headaches. same principle.

Thanks Herb! I missed that!!

Samaurai308 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:57 pm I don’t think I can do it the justice of a proper restoration so it needs to be in the hands of a true professional for this one. I can do late 1900’s, 1960’s and newer, but I’d honestly be afraid to ruin it.
As far as the pill crushing, just look at BC powder for headaches. same principle.

True, but we were talking about P's or D's crushing pills. I'm sure the producers of BC powder don't employ P's or D's in their factories to crush pills prior to packaging, don't ya think?

Ok, then why do hospitals issue pill cutters and crushers? They gave me one for my first back surgery. Besides, I NEVER brought up drug addicts, YOU did. BC powder was an example of why people would crush pills for faster effects. If you don’t like the opinion, make sure you argue BOTH sides of the argument not just drug addicts moron. I actually thought this sight might be good for knife information but I must be a silly pill crushing drug addict. I’ll go ahead and remove myself. Have a great day.

Madmarco wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 12:10 am

Samaurai308 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:57 pm I don’t think I can do it the justice of a proper restoration so it needs to be in the hands of a true professional for this one. I can do late 1900’s, 1960’s and newer, but I’d honestly be afraid to ruin it.
As far as the pill crushing, just look at BC powder for headaches. same principle.

True, but we were talking about P's or D's crushing pills. I'm sure the producers of BC powder don't employ P's or D's in their factories to crush pills prior to packaging, don't ya think?

It would have been for an old time doctor to do himself before he gave it to his patient.
I suppose he could also dissolve it making it easier for the patient to take.

Samaurai308 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 12:17 am Ok, then why do hospitals issue pill cutters and crushers? They gave me one for my first back surgery. Besides, I NEVER brought up drug addicts, YOU did. BC powder was an example of why people would crush pills for faster effects. If you don’t like the opinion, make sure you argue BOTH sides of the argument not just drug addicts moron. I actually thought this sight might be good for knife information but I must be a silly pill crushing drug addict. I’ll go ahead and remove myself. Have a great day.

Whoa hold on junior! I thought we were having an adult discussion about the possible uses for the pill crusher, and I did say I may be wrong. If my mention of drug addicts strikes a nerve with you that's your interpretation, not mine. I'd hate to see you leave over a difference in opinion, but if you're gonna call people morons, not so much.

During the heyday of these knives there were few if any gelcaps to be found. Medicines were carried by physicians in small glass bottles, usually in pill form or powder. The thin blade was used for scooping powders from the narrow bottle openings as well as for cutting pills and scraping slightly hardened powders from the bottles. The spatula (when present) was used for salves and mixing medicines. The pill crusher end was used for crushing pills and powders in a small mortar. Lots of remedies were mixtures of different ingredients. Many were ingested by dissolving in liquids such as teas. The OP's knife appears to have the remnant of a pen blade in lieu of the spatula which was also common among the physician's knives. Too bad it's seen so much abuse.

Eric

Hey, I totally understand and agree Eric. My contention was that the purpose of the instrument wasn't used to crush pills so they could be "sniffed", I've yet to read on a prescription bottle "Sniff powder twice a day, can be used with or without water"!

Madmarco wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 12:57 am Hey, I totally understand and agree Eric. My contention was that the purpose of the instrument wasn't used to crush pills so they could be "sniffed", I've yet to read on a prescription bottle "Sniff powder twice a day, can be used with or without water"!

I hear ya, never seen that in a description. Heck back in those days opium and morphine were practically available right over the counter.

Eric

Yep, up until 1902 Coca-Cola had cocaine in it. It sure doesn't take much to set some people off, offer an opinion and you're a moron.

I'd apologize to the dude for hijacking his thread, but it appears he took his bat and ball and went back to JerzeeDevils where they abuse each other regularly.

ea42 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 12:51 am During the heyday of these knives there were few if any gelcaps to be found. Medicines were carried by physicians in small glass bottles, usually in pill form or powder. The thin blade was used for scooping powders from the narrow bottle openings as well as for cutting pills and scraping slightly hardened powders from the bottles. The spatula (when present) was used for salves and mixing medicines. The pill crusher end was used for crushing pills and powders in a small mortar. Lots of remedies were mixtures of different ingredients. Many were ingested by dissolving in liquids such as teas. The OP's knife appears to have the remnant of a pen blade in lieu of the spatula which was also common among the physician's knives. Too bad it's seen so much abuse.

Eric

Well said, Eric; thank you!