Anyone still carry a christy knife?

I don't think I've ever had one of those before. But I do recall at one point I owned something like that with a plastic(?) handle. Can't remember much about it though. It was when I was tweener and I ended up losing it shortly after I got it. I think it might have been my Father's.

Not to hijack, but anyone know what I might be talking about? I dunno, this thread got me thinking about it. Carry on.
 
Tdhurl1103 said:
I don't think I've ever had one of those before. But I do recall at one point I owned something like that with a plastic(?) handle. Can't remember much about it though. It was when I was tweener and I ended up losing it shortly after I got it. I think it might have been my Father's.

Not to hijack, but anyone know what I might be talking about? I dunno, this thread got me thinking about it. Carry on.
Click to expand...

I have a few in a box somewhere. They are called "slide knives".

Mainly used for advertising. Short,thin blade mounted in a small, plastic box. The blade was extended by lifting a plastic lever from one side, and then using the plastic lever as a pivot/lever, pushed the knife out the front and locked the blade in place by popping the lever back in the "hole" in the handle. Advertising was on the side opposite the locking lever.

No super star, but a great little pen knife concept that's great for opening letters and taped packages, sharpening pencils, etc. They did the job expected of them - gave the customer something useful and free that reminded them of the business they got it from every time they were used.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
I have a few in a box somewhere. They are called "slide knives".

Mainly used for advertising. Short,thin blade mounted in a small, plastic box. The blade was extended by lifting a plastic lever from one side, and then using the plastic lever as a pivot/lever, pushed the knife out the front and locked the blade in place by popping the lever back in the "hole" in the handle. Advertising was on the side opposite the locking lever.

No super star, but a great little pen knife concept that's great for opening letters and taped packages, sharpening pencils, etc. They did the job expected of them - gave the customer something useful and free that reminded them of the business they got it from every time they were used.
Click to expand...

Ahh, what you are referring to is the old Flip It. The Flit It was a great design for what it was. The plastic boy gave a nice place to puttee graphics of the company logo, or whatever it was advertising. The ones I recall all had a nice thin carbon steel blade that actually took a pretty good edge and cut well.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
I have a few in a box somewhere. They are called "slide knives".

Mainly used for advertising. Short,thin blade mounted in a small, plastic box. The blade was extended by lifting a plastic lever from one side, and then using the plastic lever as a pivot/lever, pushed the knife out the front and locked the blade in place by popping the lever back in the "hole" in the handle. Advertising was on the side opposite the locking lever.

No super star, but a great little pen knife concept that's great for opening letters and taped packages, sharpening pencils, etc. They did the job expected of them - gave the customer something useful and free that reminded them of the business they got it from every time they were used.
Click to expand...


You have to check out the current Christy Knife. Nothing on this thing is plastic or cheap.
 
jmarston said:
An old thread I know. I was looking one their website and they certainly seem like smart little knives!

I am in Canada though and international shipping costs more than the knife. That, combined with the slow Canadian dollar I am looking at about 65 dollars to get one of these knives to me door.

There must be another way!!
Click to expand...

Maybe getting one used on ebay? Might be tough, because even used, they sometimes go for about as much as new. It's a pity that the company doesn't seem to have a distribution channel. I've wondered how active a manufacturing concern they are, or if they're possibly assembling knives from a huge stockpile of existing parts.

The knife is definitely interesting. A clever design for the time that would probably appear to most folks to be akin to a common modern boxcutter. Except it doesn't quite look so disposable. Blades are very thin, around .025", with what appears to be a simple single bevel (Scandi grind!!). Except used ones often showing lots of wear from years of resharpening/quick and dirty grinding. As you could imagine, with a blade that thin, there's not much room for any other kind of grind.

They are light use, though more because of the slight flexibility in the handle than thinness of the blade.
 
I googled the Christy knife, went to the site. I might pick up a few of these as stocking stuffers. Very cool.

Thanks guys for answering and putting to bed my hijack question on the Flip it. That's what it was I had so long ago. A very cool little tool.
 
I usually throw one on the spare keys for the truck, I had about a dozen at one point but I have away all but 2, an old one and a newer one, they still make them, they have their own web site to order from. IIRC they did a 50 or 75 year anniversary gold plated edition.

Great little knife but it's just a rework of an old 1800s sliding pen knife, there was a more modern version by a company called Zeico made in the mid to late 80s but it seems like the Christy sliding knife is the one remembered.

Anyone remember that they made serrated bread knives as early as the late 1800s and the sliding lock pen knife, the only product they still make out of a full line of cutlery they had made till the 30s. Just proof that one good product can keep a company going through hard times.
 
Schrade made these in the 1940's, calling them Wire Jacks, and they came in five patterns of large Wire Jack knives. The #125 with a heavy guage Chrome Vanadium steel blade 4" closed (the other three: #150 clip point blade 4.75" closed, #175 hawkbill 4" closed with heavy guage blade, #225 Fishing Knife with serrated top edge of blade and 4.75" closed, and finally a 3.25" closed Scout Chow Kit.


 
My Dad always carried a Christy. He was in the paper business and they make a nice office knife for twine and packaging.

Cold Steel made a slider with a bulkier plastic handle, in three blade shapes. I still have one around here somewhere. Their tiny serrations worked well on plastic bands and sheeting.
 
Wake up thread! Lol
Not my 'go to' but used, carried. The brass one, the stock and one NIB saved for the the future!
 
34951tg.jpg

Sorry couldn't resist..:Do_O
 
Interesting knives that don’t get mentioned much here... I think my dad has one somewhere, I will have to ask him about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top