All About Pocket Knives

Boker is a bit outside what I normaly do, but I picked this one up at a knife swap today reasonable. I believe it to be ivory, can anyone enlighten me as to its approximate vintage and is it ivory for sure?
Tang on the main blade reads BOKER over USA on one side, S471 on the other

I'm pretty sure that is Ivorine...french ivory...synthetic ivory. I base that on the fact that the lines/striations appear to be so regular in appearance. Boker did operate in the U.S.A. for a couple of different time periods. Hopefully someone can add much more for you.

Still, a fine looking knife.

Bill

Just for comparison, here is some Ivory where I hope you can see the irregular nature of the lines/striations...

Bill

I will agree with Bill, that the handles are indeed imitation ivory. Looks to be an earlier Boker USA made knife though, nice equal end

If I am not positive about a knife I always walk away uless I can get it really cheap, I traded a couple 15.00 knives for it so I guess I did OK.
Can anyne guess to its vintage?

According to Goins' Encyclopedia, that mark was in use between 1917-1986. I'll GUESS...1930s-1950s. I would not ask for a loan, using my guess as collateral.

I think you did fine on the knife.

Bill

I know little about Bokers but as far as the handle material what sticks out to me is the shrinkage next to the bolster. I don't believe you would find this in a "genuine" handled knife. Just another way you can usually tell imitation from the real thing.
Tom

I don´t know for sure about ivory , but I´ve been showed knives which were said to be genuine ivory with a shrinkage. But if it doesnt shrink its a good tip and I appreciate to get it confirmed so I dont get cheated to buy fake at Ivoryprices

But I do know that horn, like cowhorn shrinks on knifehandles, if it´s old enough that is. Perhaps some kind of drying out process or something. Both in the "height and length of the material.

that doesnt mean I think its ivory on the Boker knife. Nice knife anyway, whatever it is...

Some faux ivory shrinks and some does not. The regular parallel wavy lines is the key clue that it is man-made an not real ivory. Still a nice looking older knife s-k

I agree S-K, a lot of the celluloids and other man made materials don't shrink while a lot do. I have never had bone handles shrink. I would love to see some examples of some that have.
Tom

olderdogs1 wrote:I have never had bone handles shrink. I would love to see some examples of some that have.
Tom

Dont know if its much to see ... ... looks like any material with a slight space to the bolsters or a number to small overall, at the sides and so on. Its not uncommon. Of course its not possible to prove it wasn´t made like that from the beginning if they who made it thought it looked good that way or if they didnt had the skills to make it fit any better, but on the other hand, even if so it is still a natural material that gives the impression of being somehow shrunk, about similar to an artificial material.

But I dont think its surprising if a material that dries up, loses fat etc under a considerable time, slightly decreases in volume enough to leave a small gap to what it earlier were aligned to.

Come to think of it, look close at this one, the hornhandle knife, there is one example of what I´m talking about:
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... =30&t=8085

El Lobo wrote:According to Goins' Encyclopedia, that mark was in use between 1917-1986. I'll GUESS...1930s-1950s. I would not ask for a loan, using my guess as collateral.

I think you did fine on the knife.

Bill

My gues was 30's, mostly basedon the art deco look