Ancestor of the Sharpfinger??

orvet

orvet

Joined
Oct 11, 2005
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I saw this auction in ebay. According to C. Huston Price, New York Knife Company went out of business in 1931. Imperial bought the Hammer Brand trademark in 1936. This knife is stamped NEW YORK KNIFE CO in an oval pattern and has WALDEN in the center of the oval. I can't find any pictures of New York Knife Company actual tang stamps. Maybe someone has some knives or a picture of their tang stamps....LT?

If this is truly a New York Knife and if this is not a forgery, then could this knife be the ancestor to the Sharpfinger? :confused:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-York-Knife-...ryZ73524QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

A couple things bother me about this knife, it is in "MINT"??? condition and is at least 75 years old, it appears to be almost identical to a 152OT, and the sheath looks like one of the newer type Sharpfinger sheaths. I would expect such an old knife to show more age. I would also expect the sheath to look older. I just sent the seller a few questions, but haven't had time for an answer yet.

Lt, Codger, Larry, Phil, Glen, ANYONE have an opinion on this knife? Am I just being paranoid this morning? It just doesn't look right to me.

Dale
 
It looks like it came off the assembly line yesterday. ;)

Seriously, I know little about the UH or OT line, but that is a very modern knife. That blade style or pattern is not something you would see from a knife made in the 30's. IMO, fairly new...

I see knives with this stamp quite often on ebay, but never on a fixed blade. Odd???

They are often confused for schrades as well, because of the Walden connection.

Interesting piece, though. I seem to remember the NYK tang stamp being resurrected recently.

BTW, I believe I have purchased from this seller before, no problems. 75 seems steep to me though.

Glenn
 
The seller can't decide if it has wood handles or stag.Sheath is new style.I think I remember Codger doing a piece on these at some point but I can't find it.It's not what it looks like.A new knife .Arnold
 
These were indeed made by Schrade, though I can't tell you the year. They used the old NYKC stamp design on several patterns, including the Sharpfinger. I think they were an SFO for someone, but I don't know who. I know, not much info to chew on, but they are gennie Schrades, and they are modern.

Codger
 
I have seen these and other knives with the same tang stamp. I once contacted a dealer (not an eBay seller) who had some folders marked the same and questioned him about the relationship to Schrade and he said they were in fact made by Schrade because he bought them direct from the factory before they went belly up and had the invoice to prove it.

I believe they're the real thing, but they aren't very old. Here's another one by a different seller: 6636004192

db_3.JPG
 
I don't know about the knife, but the sheath is not very old at all. It would be interesting to find out how that tang stamp got there on what looks to be a "made yesterday" knife.

On the same general subject (sellers misleading on pupose or by lack of knowledge). Take a look at 6635797217 and 6637100059. Both 14OT, one worth $700.00 and the other worth just $9.99 at this point in time.....But the one worth $700.00 does have that valuable certificate.

Paul
 
The way SMKW/Taylor have been reproducing the old Schrade-Walden,New York Hammer brand,etc. tang stamps,nothing will surprise me.:thumbdn:
Ron
 
In the 80's or early 90's, Schrade made some genuine stag handle slipjoint pocketknife patterns for SMKW with the old New York Knife Company tang stamp. They were standard Schrade patterns, tooling-wise. I don't recall a fixed blade, but this sharpfinger would appear to be of the same SFO series.
 
Thanks for the info..........that makes a more sense. Most of the references in the books I have referred to New York Knife Co as a pocket knife maker. At least it isn't a fraudulent knife.

Thanks,
Dale
 
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