All About Pocket Knives

Hi all … I’m a sucker for old pocketworn stag. Here’s another from my collection. I can’t find a lot bout the marks though. Not noted in Goins. I found an old thread here from 2010 but not a lot of info. I’ve read that “… Thomas Lund established his business at 57 Cornhill, London in 1804 …. By about 1815 expanded the business to include the manufacture of cutlery, writing boxes and other fancy items…” . I assume that the knife dates to this period. I found it interesting that it says “….manufacture of cutlery…”, not just “retail of cutlery”. (Implies he was a maker?)
Very good quality.
Anybody know any more?
Would you still call this a split back “ whittler” or a “gentleman’s knife” ? (Having the nail file).

A really wonderful old knife. I'd call it a whittler. And I love those handles. Congrats on owning it.

Pad2 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2025 10:46 pm Hi all … I’m a sucker for old pocketworn stag. Here’s another from my collection. I can’t find a lot bout the marks though. Not noted in Goins. I found an old thread here from 2010 but not a lot of info. I’ve read that “… Thomas Lund established his business at 57 Cornhill, London in 1804 …. By about 1815 expanded the business to include the manufacture of cutlery, writing boxes and other fancy items…” . I assume that the knife dates to this period. I found it interesting that it says “….manufacture of cutlery…”, not just “retail of cutlery”. (Implies he was a maker?)
Very good quality.
Anybody know any more?
Would you still call this a split back “ whittler” or a “gentleman’s knife” ? (Having the nail file).

Yes, he was a knife maker, among many other things. A good bit of history in "The London Knife Book", by Ron Flook.
Also a William Lund appears in 1836. You may have read this information here.
A very nice whittler you have there.

Beautiful old whittler! Sorry I can’t tell you anything about the maker. I’d call it a two-spring whittler.

By definition a whittler pattern is one which the master blade rides, or operates, on two springs whereas each secondary blade rides on a single spring. The master blade when closed falls between the two secondaries. Knife makers have utilized several different designs to achieve the design. Including two springs like your example, the use of a wedge to separate the springs partway, the use of a piece of metal called a “catchbit” to separate the secondary blades (the catchbit also sits on top of the springs, between the secondaries). Probably the rarest is an old technique by which two springs are forged together but on one end only. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... =2&t=60976

A keyword search here for “split spring”, “catchbit”, “split backspring” Will find more discussion and pictures.

Ken
Edit: on closer examination I see a thin tapered spacer wedge between the springs on the end of the knife where the secondaries sit.

An awesome group of people here. Thank you all so much!
Pete

I'd just call it "gorgeous"! J.O'.

X2!!

X3 x1000

What's the length of? Excellent