A Harness Jack to Take Me Back!

[waynorth]

One of our esteemed members, to whom I am ever grateful, found this HJ and offered it to me. He knows which buttons to push obviously!
A lot of you know I collect HJs, some know I collect Empires, and a few know I can't resist rare tang stamps.
Well this baby has all three!! It's a worn but full example with killer snap on both blades. A real nice knife! Uncleaned of course!!!
It was made by Empire for a short lived Hardware firm in Cleveland, Ohio, called McINTOSH HEATHER. They apparently operated between 1903 and 1911, which would put this knife in the 100 year old category. (I am still researching it.)
I've got my best Empires in a display I am building for the Oregon Knife Show in April, but I've pictured a few of this knife's wearier cousins with it, to show its DNA. Note some tang differences, and a very rare Sheepfoot blade on one, but they are all Empires. Thanks Steve!
I'm sure my excitement doesn't match Kamagong's, for his beautiful new daughter:thumbup:!
It couldn't . . . . but it's close!!

 

[ken erickson]

Nice one Charlie! A unique shield was used on these knives,I like it.

Hope to see pictures of your finished display for the show in April.

Ken

 

[DennisStrickland]

waynorth those are the ole time goodies. i used to have some similar from stilleto cut. probably all ebony xcept the honey bone. love those swedges.

 

[malextwo]

Great lookin' knives!!

Mike

 

[ea42]

Great find Charlie! I'd like to echo Ken's observation of those shields, I don't believe I've seen that style on any other knives but Empires. Interesting also how they changed tangs, I guess there's not much need for a protruding kick on a punch blade.

Eric

 

[JatMat]

Nice one Charlie, great knife!

 

[jackknife]

Charlie, those four jacks with the very dark wood handles, are they ebony?

It always seemed to me that on a lot of those old knives, ebony is a very tough long lasting scale material. I almost never see one with a split or crack in it.

 

[thawk]

Very nice. Like the Ebony and the shield too. :thumbup:

 

[knowtracks]

Beauty eh! I love that jigged bone too!:thumbup:

 

[DaveT63]

Beauties all, there Charlie!!!:thumbup:

 

[waynorth]

Jackknife, yes, they are all ebony! They have a gloss when you rub them, so it could be Gabon Ebony, which seems to finish to a more "buttery" look. But I am far from an expert!.

Ken, I'll definitely post pics! Wouldn't miss the opportunity!

 

[Rusty1]

What they all said!! Another nice find charlie. Superb to say the least.

Russell

 

[lambertiana]

That's a nice one! And I don't have a single knife with that shield, I need to get one.

 

[neeman]

100 year old!

Awesome!