Help in ID ing tang stamp.

[Maintain]

Never ran across this one before. See pic. Says Prov Cut Co, Providence RI USA

[jerryd6818]

Your picture is very blurry but this is what it looks like.
Knife was made by the Providence Cutlery Company located in Providence Rhode Island USA.

Posted by Old Hunter back in 2015------------

"A Providence RI based company, somewhat linked to Colonial through blood lines, making the same type of inexpensive knives (shell handled knives) that sold on cards in gas stations, hardware stores, bait stores, fishing piers, etc. Usually decent steel."

[Ridgegrass]

Houston Price says 1880-1980, Levine says 1917-(c.1990's.) ?? J.O'.

[Maintain]

Quite a date range!

[Maintain]

Why is/was Rhode Island such a Mecca for knife manufacturers?

[SwedgeHead]

Referencing this post: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=24880

[knifeaholic]

Why is/was Rhode Island such a Mecca for knife manufacturers?

There were five manufacturers of pocket knives in RI - Federal Knife Co, Imperial, Colonial, Ideal Knife Co, and Providence Cutlery Co.

The common thread was, each company primarily made the low end "crimped bolster" or "shell handle" knives. Federal was an odd duck, I don't think that they used the crimped bolster method, but they innovated other methods of making inexpensive knives.

This was due to the fact that Rhode Island had traditionally been a mecca for manufacturers of jewelry and jewelry-making supplies.

Imperial Knife Co got started making "skeleton" knives for the jewelry trade. I believe that Colonial did as well.

I speculate that Ideal and Prov Cut were spinoffs of one or more of these larger companies.