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- Dec 2, 2005
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About an hours drive from where I live theres a small and attractive mill town called Pateley Bridge. It has a classic example of a Yorkshire High-Street-on-a-hill, a steeply sloping main road lined with traditional shops; a butchers, bakers, greengrocers, and the oldest sweet shop in Britain, as well as a pub, a couple of cafes, and several antique shops. Its certainly a very nice place to visit if youre ever in the area.
Just off the High Street is the least pretentious of Pateley Bridges antique shops, run by a pleasant old man, who opens his shop for only four hours a week, with a long lunch during that time. He sells a lot of glass paperweights and inexpensive ladies brooches. The shop appears to be very much his hobby rather than a business.
The first time I called in this shop was a couple of months ago, and I enquired of the proprietor if he ever had any pocket knives in. Ive got a couple upstairs, he told me. Old uns, with bone on em. I expressed interest, but he did not offer to fetch them. As my bus was due, I said Id call back another time.
A few weeks later, I called back at the shop and reminded the gentleman of our conversation. I saw em in t'garage tother day, he said. This time he promised that the next time I came in, hed have them under the counter for me.
After two weeks I visited again, and was actually somewhat surprised when the old chap produced two slipjoints from under the counter. They were, without doubt, the two filthies knives I have ever seen, and one of them barely had any blades. I bought them anyway of course.
The first knife is this Wostenholm (above), which must have been a nice knife in its day. What on earth happened to it I dont know, but it was clearly owned by someone who beat the heck out of it. This was once a classy-looking knife, with its French Ivory covers and bodice shield, its actually pretty solid despite the abuse it was clearly put through. The knife was shockingly dirty, caked in dried plaster or cement, and filled with dried clay. As you can see, there is very little left of the blades, yet there is not the slightest bit of blade-play in either of them. Bearing in mind the position of the nick and pull, I figured that underneath all the encrusted mud, I might find the stumps of two other broken blades, but there are none in fact. I can only guess that the slightly larger blade was originally quite a long Clip, and that this knife was once a Serpentine Jack. Such a shame its in such a state today.
The other knife (above) was almost as filthy as the first, possibly they had the same owner, yet it is in better shape. It is also quite a dressy piece, and also has French Ivory covers and a bodice shield. The blades are sharp, worn, but not worn away. It is by Harrison Fisher of Sheffield.
Elsewhere on my travels I have recently picked up a few other pieces I have to show you.
This Penknife (above) is quite interesting. It is marked Foreign above Warranted above Forged steel. I think it is German. The covers have a natural grain, and I think are probably bone.
From the same place, I got this later Wostenholm Penknife in stainless. Inexpensively made, but made well enough, and in very good condition.
Superficially similar in appearance is this Richards, which could have come straight off the display card.
Also by Richards, this Penknife is engraved with the words Barnardos Helpers League Founders Service Award. The tangs are marked Stainless above Inoxidable above England and Richards above Sheffield above England, but the lamp-post motif used by the company is not included.
Also in new or near-new condition is this nicely made little Pen, bearing the legend Osborn Evershyne Steel. The blade tangs are marked simply Stainless Steel and Made in Sheffield England. Osborn were famous for their flatware, so I dont know if the knife was made by them or made for them by another company as a gift for Osborns customers.
Another Richards knife is this carbon-steel Serpentine Jack in Cracked Ice, and the familiar one-piece hollow bolsters/covers. Its in very good shape and the Pen blade doesnt appear to have been used, if indeed the Clip has.
Yet another Richards knife is this small carbon-steel Pen.
This trick knife is stainless and carries the name of John Watts.
This last knife is interesting. I took it to be an older Richards, but it is marked simply Made in Sheffield, England. The one piece hollow scale/bolster technology was invented in Germany by Lohr and Stiehl, and licensed to other manufacturers, including Richards in Sheffield. Richards were the only British licensee, and in Sheffield they were probably the only company geared up to make knives of this sort. So why isnt their name on the knife. Very curious.
Just off the High Street is the least pretentious of Pateley Bridges antique shops, run by a pleasant old man, who opens his shop for only four hours a week, with a long lunch during that time. He sells a lot of glass paperweights and inexpensive ladies brooches. The shop appears to be very much his hobby rather than a business.
The first time I called in this shop was a couple of months ago, and I enquired of the proprietor if he ever had any pocket knives in. Ive got a couple upstairs, he told me. Old uns, with bone on em. I expressed interest, but he did not offer to fetch them. As my bus was due, I said Id call back another time.
A few weeks later, I called back at the shop and reminded the gentleman of our conversation. I saw em in t'garage tother day, he said. This time he promised that the next time I came in, hed have them under the counter for me.
After two weeks I visited again, and was actually somewhat surprised when the old chap produced two slipjoints from under the counter. They were, without doubt, the two filthies knives I have ever seen, and one of them barely had any blades. I bought them anyway of course.
The first knife is this Wostenholm (above), which must have been a nice knife in its day. What on earth happened to it I dont know, but it was clearly owned by someone who beat the heck out of it. This was once a classy-looking knife, with its French Ivory covers and bodice shield, its actually pretty solid despite the abuse it was clearly put through. The knife was shockingly dirty, caked in dried plaster or cement, and filled with dried clay. As you can see, there is very little left of the blades, yet there is not the slightest bit of blade-play in either of them. Bearing in mind the position of the nick and pull, I figured that underneath all the encrusted mud, I might find the stumps of two other broken blades, but there are none in fact. I can only guess that the slightly larger blade was originally quite a long Clip, and that this knife was once a Serpentine Jack. Such a shame its in such a state today.
The other knife (above) was almost as filthy as the first, possibly they had the same owner, yet it is in better shape. It is also quite a dressy piece, and also has French Ivory covers and a bodice shield. The blades are sharp, worn, but not worn away. It is by Harrison Fisher of Sheffield.
Elsewhere on my travels I have recently picked up a few other pieces I have to show you.
This Penknife (above) is quite interesting. It is marked Foreign above Warranted above Forged steel. I think it is German. The covers have a natural grain, and I think are probably bone.
From the same place, I got this later Wostenholm Penknife in stainless. Inexpensively made, but made well enough, and in very good condition.
Superficially similar in appearance is this Richards, which could have come straight off the display card.
Also by Richards, this Penknife is engraved with the words Barnardos Helpers League Founders Service Award. The tangs are marked Stainless above Inoxidable above England and Richards above Sheffield above England, but the lamp-post motif used by the company is not included.
Also in new or near-new condition is this nicely made little Pen, bearing the legend Osborn Evershyne Steel. The blade tangs are marked simply Stainless Steel and Made in Sheffield England. Osborn were famous for their flatware, so I dont know if the knife was made by them or made for them by another company as a gift for Osborns customers.
Another Richards knife is this carbon-steel Serpentine Jack in Cracked Ice, and the familiar one-piece hollow bolsters/covers. Its in very good shape and the Pen blade doesnt appear to have been used, if indeed the Clip has.
Yet another Richards knife is this small carbon-steel Pen.
This trick knife is stainless and carries the name of John Watts.
This last knife is interesting. I took it to be an older Richards, but it is marked simply Made in Sheffield, England. The one piece hollow scale/bolster technology was invented in Germany by Lohr and Stiehl, and licensed to other manufacturers, including Richards in Sheffield. Richards were the only British licensee, and in Sheffield they were probably the only company geared up to make knives of this sort. So why isnt their name on the knife. Very curious.
