All About Pocket Knives

Searching for information on E. BYRON quill knife. I’m not sure if the handles are horn or tortoise shell. How old is it? I’m assuming it is a Sheffield Co.

Hello Mark, cool little knife!

Harold

Thank you, Harold.

Nice knife! Appears to be a quill knife from the early to mid 19th century. Clear horn can usually be told from tortoise shell by looking at it under magnification. Tortoise will be layered and look almost like wood grain whereas hormn will be smooth with maybe a slightly raised area around the dark areas.