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Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 7:10 pm
by Knife Trading Post
Interesting find here. Any input would be great.

Here are its characteristics:
-Bone or maybe celluloid handles.
-Single "blade"
-No tang stamp
-The "blade" is rounded, somewhat flexible, and not sharpened.

Most likely a knife but I think it has a small chance of being a feeler gauge...not 100% sure. Maybe used for scraping?

Anyone know what purpose this folding "knife / tool" might serve?

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 7:24 pm
by Mumbleypeg
Probably a folding palette knife. Used to mix paint on a pallette. Somewhere I have a reprint of a catalog showing some Russell Green River Works palette knives.

Nice find. Welcome to AAPK.

Ken

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 8:04 pm
by Knife Trading Post
Interesting. I think you may be correct. Most of the pallet knives that I found pictures of are fixed but I did see some folding. Thank you sir.

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 9:02 pm
by Ridgegrass
Pharmaceutical spatula? Could it be ivory? Hard to tell from the pics. No tiny blood flecks like bone. Anyway, it's a nice piece.

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:03 am
by Mumbleypeg
You might be interested in this thread on palette knives.https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=51646

A lot of pictures of folding knives. Those having pharmaceutical advertising are undoubtedly spatulas for sorting pills and powders. Pictures don’t tell how flexible the blades are, but in general if it is somewhat flexible it’s a palette knife, if rigid it’s a pill sorter. More can be found using the keyword search.

Ken

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:25 am
by Knife Trading Post
Looks like the mystery has been solved. Thanks everyone for their input and links.

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:46 pm
by Ridgegrass
So. What is the solution?

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 4:43 pm
by Gtrclktr-351
Mumbleypeg wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:03 am You might be interested in this thread on palette knives.https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=51646

A lot of pictures of folding knives. Those having pharmaceutical advertising are undoubtedly spatulas for sorting pills and powders. Pictures don’t tell how flexible the blades are, but in general if it is somewhat flexible it’s a palette knife, if rigid it’s a pill sorter. More can be found using the keyword search.

Ken
Thanks for the link. As a wannabe painter, I own a couple of fixed blade palette knives but never knew there were folding versions. Now, as a knife collector, I have something else to be on the lookout for.

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2024 8:18 pm
by Gtrclktr-351
Ridgegrass wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2024 12:46 pm So. What is the solution?
Suggested solutions:
1- folding palette knife
2- folding pharmaceutical spatula

The general consensus seems to be folding palette knife. Which, looking at the taper of the blade in the fourth picture, I am inclined to agree with. It could, just as easily, be the folding pharmaceutical spatula that you suggested. Either way, the solution is there, especially since the only difference would be blade stiffness making them almost interchangeable. And either way, I find it to be a very interesting piece.

Of course that is simply, my uneducated opinion, and I could be wrong. (With apologies to Mr. Dennis Miller. :wink:)

Re: Anyone know what type of old knife this is?

Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 2:09 pm
by Ridgegrass
::tu:: J.O'.