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The Dixon has what is called pressed stag covers and is bone that has been heated and pressed in a die. I have a few though not Dixon but German made knives. I have seen quite a few Dixons like yours though.
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A Box O'Knives
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Campbellclanman
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When first pics of the box if Knives was shown I could see the end if this knife sticking out and knew straight away it was pressed Stag, and the pin of course leads the thinking immediately to German, interestingly no American company ( that has been found as if yet ) pressed Bone to result in “ pressed Stag” as the Sheffield and Solingen cutlers did - I wonder why ?
eisman
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I'll conjecture that prior to the Civil War cattle were a fairly heavy used resource. The war, and the westward movement, immigration, and population explosion after the war changed that quite a bit, and with the start of the cattle drives from Texas and the slaughter of the Buffalo bone was more readily available. Early American made knives I've seen are predominately done in hardwoods which were common back then. Stag too was common; deer antlers not being ground for meal, etc., like cow bones and everyone outside the cities harvested the local fauna. There was little need to manufacture a material when the original was there for the taking. In Europe, by then, stag was not readily available.
wlfryjr
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I have never seen definitive proof of the composition of pressed stag. If someone has I’d absolutely love to hear about it.
Sheffield had been pressing horn and there are articles and some information on that. However, when I began collecting knives, and still I’ve heard some believe this is real stag. As Duncan said, I’ve also never seen or heard of an American manufacturer use this material. Which leads me to believe that it was a short lived trial by German and Sheffield manufacturers, which was made obsolete by the advent of jigged bone aka bone stag or just called stag.
Sheffield had been pressing horn and there are articles and some information on that. However, when I began collecting knives, and still I’ve heard some believe this is real stag. As Duncan said, I’ve also never seen or heard of an American manufacturer use this material. Which leads me to believe that it was a short lived trial by German and Sheffield manufacturers, which was made obsolete by the advent of jigged bone aka bone stag or just called stag.
Campbellclanman
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Interesting information guys!
eisman
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The pressed stag on the Dixon (previous) when looked at closely, has the structure of bone (see the close up of the trademark). Antlers look different, grain wise. I wonder if they used glycerin to make the bone more malleable? Or did they use very fresh bone? Bone, once dried, is both rigid and prone to shattering/cracking along the grain.
Moving on...
When I first saw this I thought Schrade. But looking closer at the shield I couldn't remember seeing a Schrade with the crossed swords.
The green is verdigris that I missed when wiping this down. If you look at the "other stuff" there's a leather sheath, this knife was stored in that, even though it's not the right size.
Does anybody know who made these for Montgomery Wards?
The knife was used, but not much. The blades have been sharpened but retain their original contours. This is also (arguably) the newest knife in the collection, so I wonder if it was something picked up later in life, too big for the normal pocket carry, and the sheath was handy and pressed into service. Conjecture perhaps, but I can see it happening. My grandfather was the kind of guy who would do that, making do instead of buying something else.
I'd be interested in deciphering this stamp, especially if it could lead to a year of manufacture. MW's folded in the early 90's by my memory.
And then there's this; another well built knife that's a bit of a mystery. Absolutely no markings on it anywhere.
It's solid, clean, hardly (if any) used. I'm tempted to say it's still got the factory edges. The spring on the main blade is pretty weak. It holds okay, but there's no snap. The pen does not have that problem.
Moving on...
When I first saw this I thought Schrade. But looking closer at the shield I couldn't remember seeing a Schrade with the crossed swords.
The green is verdigris that I missed when wiping this down. If you look at the "other stuff" there's a leather sheath, this knife was stored in that, even though it's not the right size.
Does anybody know who made these for Montgomery Wards?
The knife was used, but not much. The blades have been sharpened but retain their original contours. This is also (arguably) the newest knife in the collection, so I wonder if it was something picked up later in life, too big for the normal pocket carry, and the sheath was handy and pressed into service. Conjecture perhaps, but I can see it happening. My grandfather was the kind of guy who would do that, making do instead of buying something else.
I'd be interested in deciphering this stamp, especially if it could lead to a year of manufacture. MW's folded in the early 90's by my memory.
And then there's this; another well built knife that's a bit of a mystery. Absolutely no markings on it anywhere.
It's solid, clean, hardly (if any) used. I'm tempted to say it's still got the factory edges. The spring on the main blade is pretty weak. It holds okay, but there's no snap. The pen does not have that problem.
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My guess is the Powr Kraft was made by Camillus and the unmarked was as well.
See Jerry's post ( I almost thought it was a 72 at first ) and found his post
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/camillus-72-whittler-pattern.1374662/#post-15844234
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eisman
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Done. Good info. Reading into that the 84-19 would indicate Montgomery Wards (84, and the pattern (19). I'm going to try and see if I can verify that.
eisman
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OK, I've let this slip, because i flat ran out of time with the holidays and work peaking. So, here's some more stuff from the box:
A Matched set of Camillus EZ Opens. One still with the factory polish, both with nice bone and hardly used.
A Matched set of Camillus EZ Opens. One still with the factory polish, both with nice bone and hardly used.
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Those Camillus EO's are sensational. Very nice condition. I have a very old one, probably pre-WW2, but it's not in nearly as good a condition.
Interestingly, those Camillus knives are almost identical in both size and shape to a GEC #15. Camillus just made them 75 years earlier.
Interestingly, those Camillus knives are almost identical in both size and shape to a GEC #15. Camillus just made them 75 years earlier.
That Pal dogleg is exeptiional - worth the price of the whole lot...