Almost purchased another Doctors knife, but...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
3,989
Some things just did not seem right for me.
It was a German made Doc's knife with mother of pearl handle scales, and a nice long bolster (almost barlow style). I loved it's look, based on online pics, but it had some blade etching to commemorate someone. Well, it was to honor the famous old west times Doc Holliday. That kinda seemed cool too, I mean Doc Holliday on a Doc's knife.
Now comes what just did not seem right for me.... Sure, Doc Holliday on a Doc knife... that is cool, but did not find it being made in Germany as cool. The knife by itself seems awesome.... but the Doc Holliday etching would seem more right on an American made knife. Doc Holliday is American history... but okay... maybe that is okay. Well, not the next issue... the blade having been etched, very nicely, I may add, was etched with the wrong birth and death dates. So, if it were not for the wrong dates, I would have purchased it, just because the knife is so nice... but man, what a mess up to get the wrong dates etched into the blade. Never really thought of something like that being an issue, one would ASSUME that someone would make sure they did their homework on such a thing... but I guess not.
 
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Seems his birth was 1851 and died 1887.... How they got their dates, I don't know. (Pic is just one I found online of the same model knife)

The more I think about it, the more I believe this was a great idea for a Docs knife.... but, with the major error in the dates, I would not buy this knife at any price. If given to me as a gift, I would likely store it away in a drawer.
 
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I'm trying to find the correct terminology with the etching - there are some knives that have writing/designs on them which are just on the surface which can be polished off - and others that seem to be more stamped into the blade with some sort of paint to make it stand out. In your pic it looks to be the second which to me is more of an engraving than an etching. Again I know my terminology is off here.....

Myself, I tend to stay away from blades with anything written on them. Not so much ones that have a surface etch as they are easily polished off. To me unless the wording/graphics on the blade are for something specific in your collection, I just don't like it much. Now add that you've found the dates to be wrong.......what a shame!
 
That knife looks wrong to me with the long-pull nick and the long bolster--or maybe it's the crowded engraving/etching. I wonder what the spatula blade looks like?

Ha ha, yeah, that's a pretty big mistake if they got the dates wrong. You can't blame that on a mistranslation. lol
 
Don't feel bad... When Case did their "Outlaws of the Old West" knives with blade embellishments, they left out one of the Ls in Doc Holliday's name on the blade art, spelling it "Holiday."
 
That's a shame. If it wasn't for the etch, and also the fact they mucked it up, I would buy one. It seems a bit difficult to find a good MOP knife these days.
 
That's a pretty knife anyway. I like the long bolster and mother of pearl. :thumbup:

Pretty funny about the dates. :p

Once while on a motorcycle tour of Colorado I hiked at sunset up to the Glenwood Springs cemetery where Doc Holliday was buried. I could compare the dates on his gravestone, except he doesn't have one.
 
Reminds me of a belt buckle I received as a gift one time with the statue of liberty on it.
Only problem was the torch was in the wrong hand.......
 
If the good doctor owned a physicians knife you can be pretty sure he used it to stab someone :D
Nothin wrong with a good German made knife IMO, some great deals to be found in early well make german knives.
I know you have a thing for Chinese knives but you should grab a Rough Rider gunstock bone handled Doctors knife and use it. IMO one of their prettiest patterns.

Best regards

Robin
Heres an Amherst cuttlery Drs knife.
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Knife looks right and doesn't have a spatula if memory serves. I guess I am a bird of a different color - if I saw an error on an etch, etc it would be a reason to buy not avoid.
 
I actually will likely add some German made knives... my only thing on this one is that I would have rather it been American made, to go with the American born Holliday. The dates are the deal breaker for me... but what a great idea... Doctor's knife named 'The Doc Holliday'... that did seem cool. As for taking off the etch... not something I would do. For me, if it has an etch, I want it to remain. Too bad their info waa wrong :-(
 
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
I actually will likely add some German made knives... my only thing on this one is that I would have rather it been American made, to go with the American born Holliday. The dates are the deal breaker for me... but what a great idea... Doctor's knife named 'The Doc Holliday'... that did seem cool. As for taking off the etch... not something I would do. For me, if it has an etch, I want it to remain. Too bad their info waa wrong :-(
Click to expand...

You never know. That wrong info might make it a real collectors item!
 
knifeswapper said:
Knife looks right and doesn't have a spatula if memory serves. I guess I am a bird of a different color - if I saw an error on an etch, etc it would be a reason to buy not avoid.
Click to expand...
Peregrin said:
You never know. That wrong info might make it a real collectors item!
Click to expand...
I'm with these guys; the incorrect etch would make it more appealing to me. And, in truth, often mistakes like that do add to an item's desirability/collectability. Sorta like a rare, double-struck coin, for example.
 
Yeah, you guys are likely right, but in the end I got'a like the item, and the etching would bug the heck out'a me... but, that's just me, and I am very much me through and through ;-)
 
Holliday was a Dentist. Maybe the long bolster along with no spatula makes it a Dentist Knife. Heck, I don't know - just made that up.:rolleyes: - the part about the knife not the Dentist part. He was a Dentist.
 
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