Old folding knife from Solingen

[Galeocerdoshark]

After a few discoveries in my grandmothers garage previous summer, I asked her if she was sure she didn't have any old knives left. She said she thought she did, so she went looking for them. Today she showed up with an old Cigar box filled with old large kitchen knives. Some were from Solingen, there was a Wenger filet knife, a knife from La Rose,... and a smaller folding knife. Since folding knives are my main interest, this one got my immediate attention.
It looks a lot like some of the standard brandless knives -made in China and marked as 'Carpenters knife'- you can find in every local gardening shop or any DIY shop. But this one was old, and not marked 'made in China' but marked 'Solingen'. We've got a lot of kitchen knives ourselves from Solingen, because they're just very good at food prep with their thin, sharp carbon blades.

I am wondering what kind of knife this is. Is it just an 'unnamed' pocket knife from an anonymous knifemaker from Solingen, or does it have a known creator, does the knife itself has a name or number,... I was interested if any of you guys would know.
If nothing turns up, that's no biggie because I think it's still a nice knife for the collection.
It has some rusting, but I'm going to try to remove the rust while keeping the patina on the blade.
Anyway, on to the pics:

[Peregrin]

Moving this one to "Bernard Levine's Knife Collecting & Identification".

[Galeocerdoshark]

Moving this one to "Bernard Levine's Knife Collecting & Identification".

Allright, thanks! Sorry for opening the thread in the wrong topic.

[Ishrub]

Originally a 'Sheepsfoot', 'Lambsfoot' or 'Tabacco' blade I think. The lambsfoot version has a gentler curve.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade
"(9) A sheepsfoot blade has a straight edge and a straight dull back that curves towards the edge at the end. It gives the most control, because the dull back edge is made to be held by fingers. Sheepsfoot blades were originally made to trim the hooves of sheep. Their shape bears no similarity to the foot of a sheep.[9]"

[Galeocerdoshark]

Thought so as well, seems like the blade -just as many others from the same box- has been extensively sharpened, thus altering the bladeshape.

[bernard_levine]

Originally a spear point blade. Has been sharpened down a lot. LOOK at the back edge of sheepfoot blades -- nothing like this.

It is a boy's knife, probably retailed for a dime.

Usually when these had a shackle, they came with a chain (folded flat links) with a keyhole shaped loop at the far end, that fit suspender strap buttons.

With chain, might have retailed for 15 or even 20 cents.

If it was really made in Solingen (no way to tell - marking means little), it was by one of the low end mfr's such as Richardtz.

BRL...

[Galeocerdoshark]

Thank you very much for the info, appreciate it!

[Ishrub]

Originally a spear point blade. Has been sharpened down a lot. LOOK at the back edge of sheepfoot blades -- nothing like this.

It is a boy's knife, probably retailed for a dime.

Usually when these had a shackle, they came with a chain (folded flat links) with a keyhole shaped loop at the far end, that fit suspender strap buttons.

With chain, might have retailed for 15 or even 20 cents.

If it was really made in Solingen (no way to tell - marking means little), it was by one of the low end mfr's such as Richardtz.

BRL...

Thanks BRL lesson noted - here is a similar example

1912 WALTER BROS. & WESTERN POCKET KNIFE advertisement



Source page below

[bernard_levine]

On this catalog page, the 4th knife down has a sheepfoot blade, the 5th knife a spear blade.




Now compare their back edges to the OP knife.




Any doubts which it is?

BRL...

[rprocter]

"back edges" = spine ? Assuming so, i cannot see what about the spine rules out a Sheepsfoot blade. What am i not seeing ?
roland

[Ishrub]

I'll take a stab.

I think the spine is usually thicker on the top edge to support the cutting edge in a sheepfoot blade. The thick edge of the spine usually continues to the end of the blade and then quickly tapers to meet the apex of the blade tip on the bottom edge.

Spear points have generally a much thinner spine towards the tip of the blade and the blade is flatter in cross-section than the heavier V cross-section of a sheepsfoot.

[Galeocerdoshark]

If it was really made in Solingen (no way to tell - marking means little), it was by one of the low end mfr's such as Richardtz.

It was most likely made in Solingen, my grandfather -who died in 1991- bought it there a long time ago according to my grandmother (he was a trucker and often had to drive through other countries)


Thanks for the info on the original bladeshape as well guys, appreciate it!

[rprocter]

Ishrub, i agree with your post above, but the picture Bernard used for comparison of "their back edges" is a profile view so thickness of the spine cannot be seen.
roland

[bernard_levine]

"back edges" = spine ? Assuming so, i cannot see what about the spine rules out a Sheepsfoot blade. What am i not seeing ?
roland

You are looking in the wrong place. Look at the blade profile.

BRL...

[rprocter]

So "back edges" means closer to the bolster, is now how i understand this term.
roland

[Cougar Allen]

No. Look at the profile of the sheepsfoot blade in the ad. Could sharpening the edge eventually make it look like this knife? Next look at the spearpoint blade in the ad. Could sharpening the edge eventually make it look like this knife? It's not that difficult to see....

[rprocter]

Thank you C.A. I can see how shapening and resulting blade loss of a Spearpoint will give a profile like the OP blade.
I still am not clear what "back edges" is referring to.
roland

[bernard_levine]

You gots your cutting edge.

And you gots your back edge.

The edge that is not the cutting edge is the back edge.

BRL...

[DJD]

A simple way to remember it is to think of an airplane wing, only backwards. It has a leading edge and a trailing edge. The leading edge is blunt and the trailing edge is sharp. On a knife blade, the leading edge (the cutting edge) is sharp and the trailing edge (the back edge) is blunt. In otherwords, an airplane leads with the leading edge, which is analogous to the back edge, and trails with the trailing edge, which corresponds to the cutting edge of the knife, which leads with the trailing edge and trails with the leading edge.

DD

[rprocter]

I have been using the word "spine" for the "back edge" and thought that this usage was correct and commonly used by those familiar with knives, hence it seemed that "back edge" must refer to something else.
roland