All About Pocket Knives

I just bought a knife on Ebay that I really like. It's an I*XL knife by Wostenholm. I hadn't heard of Wostenholm until I saw this knife so I Googled "Wostenholm Knives" and really couldn't find out too much except that it's an old English Cutlery Co in Sheffield. I don't know if they are still making knives or not. This knife is not new, and it's not a big knife (3 3/4 in long), but it's a real sturdy knife. Blade and bolster material is at least 50% thicker than your standard pocket knife. The thing I'm perplexed about is that this knife didn't generate much bidding interest on ebay. There was only one bid besides mine and I bought it for $10.50. I've always assumed that the buyers on ebay know their stuff (I'm a newbie collector) so if no one bids on a knife it means it is not worth much and not a collectable item. I love this knife but I figure there must be a reason why no one else wanted it.
So.....I'd like to know more. Does anyone want to share their thoughts on Wostenholm knives? Pictures below --- Cliff

This is a good looking knife, but the reason there were few bids is because the knife is made in the orient. My Uncle has about a dozen of them.

I believe Parker Knives owned the rights to the name at one time and they were made in Japan in the 1980's.

ya gotta love multi-national corporations...like a shell game trying to keep up...
who built what for whom..and who gets the credit line

hey hukk..off topic...you are around santa rosa? know about the people who make black walnet gunstocks? and their scrap pile by the ariport?

Their early knives, before about 1971, were very good quality. Here is an old gunstock with horn handles from before 1890.

The original Wostenholm company dates way back, the Wostenholm name is now owned by the Egginton group in the UK, they still make knives using the Wostenholm name, see link below.

http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/

It is reputed that when they found the body of James Bowie the knife that was with him was a Wostenholm knife. see the link below to history of the Wostenholm Co.

http://www.tilthammer.com/bio/wost.html

Rusty1

That's a real beauty Paladin . Thanks for showing it. s-k

You're welcome SK. IXL has always been a favorite brand. I carried one for many years.

Ray

Here is a small one I found among my knives. I think I got in in Scotland in the 60's..It says
"James Patrick and CO.PTV.LTD SHIPOWNERS On the large blade tang it says "Firth Stainless" and on the small blade Tang it says "IXL George Wostenholm Sheffield England"
Also says "oil the joints " on the other side of small blade...

The Firth Stainless stamp always interests me. According to the Fourth Edition, page 104, Levine’s Guide … “In 1914, Joseph Ibberson, in collaboration with Thomas Firth and Sons, steel makers, and Harry Brearley, inventor, hardened and ground the first knife blades made of stainless steel.”
Your knife dates from 1930 to 1971 with the Oil the Joints stamp. I'm betting that it is a lot closer to 1930 than to 1971.

Paladin wrote:The Firth Stainless stamp always interests me. According to the Fourth Edition, page 104, Levine’s Guide … “In 1914, Joseph Ibberson, in collaboration with Thomas Firth and Sons, steel makers, and Harry Brearley, inventor, hardened and ground the first knife blades made of stainless steel.”
Your knife dates from 1930 to 1971 with the Oil the Joints stamp. I'm betting that it is a lot closer to 1930 than to 1971.

Here are a couple of scans from The Sheffield knife book

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Brearley is also worth a visit

This little Wostenholm mop has the Firth Stainless mark on the back of both tangs... no 'oil the joints'.

Do you think it was made in that earlier period from 1914 to 1930? I would think so.
I'm guessing, and I do mean guessing, there was some sort of agreement with Firth to use the stamp.

Another beauty Paladin. It is my understanding that stainless steel was not used for pocket knife blades until after (edited WWI) so I think my knife is probably from the 1920s. Firth supplied the stainless steel to Wostenholm and other companies. According to Knifemaking in Sheffield & The Hawley Collection, Firth's stainless steel was perceived as the best for sometime and there were examples of companies using the mark illegally. Firth added just a trace of silver so that their steel could be differentiated from other brands. s-k

I think that would be WW I, just a thought.
Rusty

Yes that is correct. That was a typo... it should read WWI . thanks Rusty. s-k