A.J. Anderson, Fort Worth, Texas on the tang

[Texf6s]

Another HOK that I have that I never looked closely at before today. Bokker style pocket knife with bone handles. 2 blades each marked A.J Anderson Fort Worth, Texas
Larger blade has made in England on the opposite tang side. Bolsters have A.J.A on each side. Andre J Anderson had a Guns and Pistol shop on Houston Street in Fort Worth. Saw a picture of Houston Street from c.1907 so it was there at least then. Andre J. Anderson started his Pistol and gun business in Fort Worth in 1882 from what I read. It later became A.J. Anderson Gun Store as shown in the old photo. Can't find any additional information thus far on the web. Does anyone here have knowledge of this company and these knives which they imported?

[Ridgegrass]

Sweet! J.O'.

[peanut740]

Cool OLD knife!

[Texf6s]

Another HOK that I have that I never looked closely at before today. Bokker style pocket knife with bone handles. 2 blades each marked A.J Anderson Fort Worth, Texas
Larger blade has made in England on the opposite tang side. Bolsters have A.J.A on each side. Andre J Anderson had a Guns and Pistol shop on Houston Street in Fort Worth. Saw a picture of Houston Street from c.1907 so it was there at least then. Andre J. Anderson started his Pistol and gun business in Fort Worth in 1882 from what I read. It later became A.J. Anderson Gun Store as shown in the old photo. Can't find any additional information thus far on the web. Does anyone here have knowledge of this company and these knives which they imported?

Well, here's an interesting aside as I looked to research more about A.J. Anderson in Ft Worth Texas. Turns out the store opened in 1877 and not as noted in 1882. It is supposed by me that perhaps 1882 is when the store located to Houston Street in Ft. Worth. I am attaching a clip link from 1964 when the store closed in a bankruptcy sale as Archived from Univ. of North Texas in Denton. The clip starts with the banner Sam Bass once shopped the store. Sam Bass was a noted outlaw and train robber of the 1870's period and was killed in Round Rock, Texas just north of Austin in late July of 1878 by Texas Rangers. Click some of the links associated with the Sam Bass link for an interesting take on the take down.

So wait a minute..... how could he have shopped the store if it opened in 1882? That led me down a rabbit hole of course. The end result is a sharing of this bit of Texas history which was prompted by a pocket knife in my procession sold by A.J Anderson (made in England). Hopefully the link works to the news clip from January 4,1964 and on Sam Bass. As a native Texan, residing in Texas yet to this day, I found the research enjoyable...… All because of a HOK I have. I love that term HOK, gentlemen... Thanks for educating me with it.. Would still like to know who made the knife in England and branded the tang for A.J. Anderson and perhaps a range of years that might have occurred..... Does anyone out there have a thought?

WS4HRWNZTM
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67 ... 753795/m1/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Bass_(outlaw)

[doglegg]

Another HOK that I have that I never looked closely at before today. Bokker style pocket knife with bone handles. 2 blades each marked A.J Anderson Fort Worth, Texas
Larger blade has made in England on the opposite tang side. Bolsters have A.J.A on each side. Andre J Anderson had a Guns and Pistol shop on Houston Street in Fort Worth. Saw a picture of Houston Street from c.1907 so it was there at least then. Andre J. Anderson started his Pistol and gun business in Fort Worth in 1882 from what I read. It later became A.J. Anderson Gun Store as shown in the old photo. Can't find any additional information thus far on the web. Does anyone here have knowledge of this company and these knives which they imported?

Sweet find and history.

[terryl308]

Interesting ole knife, I too am a history nut, I live just about 30 miles west of Big Springs, Ne where in 1877 Sept 18 he and 4 other guys robbed the Union Pacific Train and got away with $60000 worth of gold coins and cash. The biggest train robbery at that time. I have never run into a A.J. Anderson knife however, Terry

[Mumbleypeg]

Great find, and interesting history. It’s always fun researching old knives, especially when we’re able to actually find something about them (it’s frustrating though when we don’t). I’m also a student of Texas history so your research is interesting to me. Ol’ Sam got around during his day. He was a prolific criminal who committed robberies all over north Texas. One of a long line of outlaws who met their demise at the hands of the Texas Rangers.

Being stamped with the country of origin likely puts it post-1890. The Tariff Act of 1890 required goods imported for sale in the U.S. be marked with the country of origin. That’s all I can contribute. Some others more familiar with English made knives my be able to guesstimate better.

Ken

[C-WADE7]

Here’s a little song to go along with the story.
https://youtu.be/QpA4NC7sHqo

[Mumbleypeg]

Thanks for posting that song about Sam Bass and Jim Murphy. I’ve heard Mark perform it in person several times. The story told in the song is pretty much an accurate description of actual events.



Here’s Mark onstage performing at a songwriters roundtable show with one of our neighbors (Kevin Deal) about a year ago. Mark has the black hat.

Ken

[Gone2Three]

Enjoyed the knife, some history and the search on it's background and possible origin
Thanks for sharing it

Randy

[Mason]

That's a fine old knife with interesting markings. The distinctive handle and bolster shapes implies that it was made by Taylor's Eye Witness, which was a trade name of Needham, Veall & Tyzack from Sheffield, England. While the model shown was probably produced right around 1900, the enclosed catalog illustration from 1928 shows a very similar model with a clip main blade instead of the spear main blade. Nice to read some history of the A.J. Anderson company, and also enjoyed the song.

[Texf6s]

Great find, and interesting history. It’s always fun researching old knives, especially when we’re able to actually find something about them (it’s frustrating though when we don’t). I’m also a student of Texas history so your research is interesting to me. Ol’ Sam got around during his day. He was a prolific criminal who committed robberies all over north Texas. One of a long line of outlaws who met their demise at the hands of the Texas Rangers.

Being stamped with the country of origin likely puts it post-1890. The Tariff Act of 1890 required goods imported for sale in the U.S. be marked with the country of origin. That’s all I can contribute. Some others more familiar with English made knives my be able to guesstimate better.

Ken

Thanks Ken, I am appreciative of that bit of 1890 tariff Act as I thought I read that somewhere about the country origin.

Some stories say that The Texas Rangers had Jim Murphys dad in custody. He was in poor health and they communicated to Jim that they would withhold medical care unless he turned informant against Sam Bass and his comrades, in which Jim Murphy complied. Further suggested that the Rangers needed a big capture or elimination of Sam Bass to ensure their continued funding by the state of Texas. The outcry from the public was garnering support in Austin for a new law enforcement formation to take care of the Sam Bass matter. The Rangers even contemplated Taking Sam Bass's body to Austin for display as the Texas legislative session was in play. Being that it was late July and no ice was to be had for the body, they decided against it. Anyone who has spent summers in Texas can vouch that they made a wise decision on that one. Law enforcement and politics..... always bedfellows even up to today.

[Texf6s]

Enjoyed the knife, some history and the search on it's background and possible origin
Thanks for sharing it

Randy

You bet, yall have treated a newcomer to your forum with grace. Many thanks.

[Texf6s]

That's a fine old knife with interesting markings. The distinctive handle and bolster shapes implies that it was made by Taylor's Eye Witness, which was a trade name of Needham, Veall & Tyzack from Sheffield, England. While the model shown was probably produced right around 1900, the enclosed catalog illustration from 1928 shows a very similar model with a clip main blade instead of the spear main blade. Nice to read some history of the A.J. Anderson company, and also enjoyed the song.

Very helpful Mason. Thank you

[C-WADE7]

Thanks for posting that song about Sam Bass and Jim Murphy. I’ve heard Mark perform it in person several times. The story told in the song is pretty much an accurate description of actual events.



Here’s Mark onstage performing at a songwriters roundtable show with one of our neighbors (Kevin Deal) about a year ago. Mark has the black hat.

031CC278-CBC8-4B98-87F6-535C371C94CB.jpeg


Ken

I’ve seen them both multiple times in concert years ago at Texas music revolution 95.3 The Range concerts and at the Love and War in Texas restaurant . They put on a good show. I saw Rusty Weir there many times and he put on a great show.