Small Victorian almost lockblade

[btrwtr]

Here is an interesting little knife I've had for years. Very well made and only 2 3/4" long closed. Ivory handled with 5 tools including 2 cutting blades, button hook, scissors and manicure/file blade on bottom. The ivory does have several patches front and back. The most interesting feature of this little knife is that each of the impliments in the head end have what is almost a locking square on the tang (see the 4th picture). This little square makes for a extra firm snap on each blade as it falls into it's final open position. When closing, although the blades don't lock, there is a significant effort required to close each of these blades as the tang moves past the square. The small cutting blade and manicure file do not have this same feature. Can't say that I've ever seen this type cam on a knife before.

The only markings on the knife are D. 20. C on both the master blade and scissors. I'm not sure who made this little knife and haven't turned up anything in searching. If you have any ideas I'd like to know.

[PA Knives]

So this is a unique occurrence. I attended the Little Valley knife show this weekend. As I looked over the thousands of knives for sale I noticed this slightly different-shaped knife with a beautiful bolster. It was kinda tucked away in a role and not a premium old knife like sooooo many others. I asked about it and loved the craftsmanship that it must have taken to make such a delicate, durable and beautiful knife. The skills of those knife makers never cease to amaze me. I challenge any modern-day maker to create a knife of this intricacy. Now the funny part. Once home I immediately went on a search to find out more about this knife. Nothing came up until I put the tang stamp reading in quotation marks. This AAPK post popped up. I thought great, some news. As I read the post I was disappointed that no one had found any info. Then I studied the pictures and a light bulb went off. HEY that's the exact same knife I just bought. Whats the chances of that happening? Still no info so any help is appreciated but it shows I'm not the only who loves a knife like this. I wish I would have had it for my article on ladies' glove knives I recently penned for Knige Magazine.

[Dinadan]

Then I studied the pictures and a light bulb went off. HEY that's the exact same knife I just bought. Whats the chances of that happening?

That happened to me with a Hibbard Spencer & Bartlett knife that I bought several years ago. When I was searching this site for info there was one knife like mine. When I really looked at the MOP I realized it was my knife! And I still found very little info. But it makes a good story.

By the way, that is a very fine little knife!

[Mumbleypeg]

Beautiful little knife! Just the kind I like. I also am amazed at the intricate and precise workmanship of the small grooming/manicure knives of that “button hook” era. It’s unfortunate that so many of them are from unknown makers, and we can find so little about the history of those makers. Many of them pre-date the 1890s tariffs act that required a country of origin to be stamped on them, so we can only speculate their origin.

Ken