Colonial Knife Co Providence R.I.

[B.Mauser]

I carry a big, fat Vic SAK in a belt pouch. The magnifier is the tool I use most.

I forgot about those. Sounds like a great idea. I have an old folding pocket magnifying glass that belonged to my father but I never seem to have it when i need it.

Thanks for all the time and effort you put into your reply about my Forest-Master, B.Mauser. It was very interesting, informative, and much appreciated! :thumbup: For what it's worth, here's another (not very good) photo of my Forest-Master:

The reason I include it is because of the can opener; you suggested that mine was probably a "Number 3" in your 9-knife photo, but my can opener looks much more like that on "Number 4". But "Number 4 was made from 1973 to ?", and my knife was with me more than 10 years before that! So I wonder if there was yet another version of "Number 3" with a different can-opener. Confusing, frustrating, intriguing!

- GT

Wow GT! Good eye, I completely overlooked the different can opener once I saw the black stag. Thank you for pointing that out. Confusing and frustrating is right! After seeing that my first guess would be from some kind of transitional period when they were switching over and wanted to finish up some left over handles. It has the black stag of number 3 but the same can opener as number 4 and 5. I might have to call it number 3.5! But that does not seem to match the time period you got this knife.

And that's another one I need to find for my collection. That's the 3rd Forest master I found this week I dont have. Well I will add this information and a picture of your knife to my files and keep working on this mystery.

Thank you GT!

One of my most unusual Colonials and one of my favorites, one I searched high and low for and found locally either at a estate sale or fleamarket/yard sale, an uncut Colonial GM Key Knife, this'll fit any GM vehicle up to and including the early 70s. Some day when I get the right vintage Chevy pick up or the perfect 69 El Camino.

Sorry, I make this mistake every time, it's a tinshell Imperial, close but no cigar IIRC Colonial made these too in the 50s and 60s, I need to do some more research I think...

That's OK, easy mistake to make. I dont remember seeing one of these by Colonial but its very possible. That is such a neat Imperial. And its not even cut yet. Nice! I bid on one of these before that was uncut and had a Chevy emblem on the handle. Lost it of course.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Not a pocket knife, but I wonder if you would know if this miniature novelty bowie knife is an Imperial or Colonial product? Thanks in advance ☺

 

[B.Mauser]

Here's some that I have. Pics aren't that great, sorry.

Here's some that I have. Pics aren't that great, sorry.

Great collection glennbad! I like that 3 blade anvil, I want one of those. Serrated fruit knife, dont see those that much.

But this black 2 blade jack with the amazing black celluliod handles.....WOW! That one is a treasure. Thanks for sharing them! I'm saving a picture of this one. :thumbup:

 

[B.Mauser]

Not a pocket knife, but I wonder if you would know if this miniature novelty bowie knife is an Imperial or Colonial product? Thanks in advance ☺

I dont recognize it. I cant say for sure but I dont think its a Colonial. Colonial had several small fixed blade knives similar to that. The Colonial Cub Hunter is the closes but its not the same. Square handles and different guard.

It does not look like any Imperial knife I have seen either but I cant say for sure its not.

There were other company's in that era that made knives similar to Colonial and Imperial. Thornton and Ideal Knife Co come to mind right away. And I'm pretty sure they both had some knives they just marked USA.

I will look around and see if I can figure something out about this for you tonight.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Many thanks, sir! ☺

 

[B.Mauser]

Well I am convinced your knife is a Thornton. Some they marked Thornton USA and some just USA. I found several online that were unknown. Then I found these for sale. They are marked as mostly Colonial with some Thornton and Pro-Cut.

There are 2 like yours in here. Its a Thornton. Pro-Cut doesn't do stamps with only USA and Colonial didn't make one like this.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Thanks again... Very cool picture of similar mini knives 👍👍👍

 

[flatblackcapo]

Hi flatblackcapo. Thanks for posting your Colonial. The ones that are inherited are the most special in my opinion. Its great to see you still have it.

That is a what Colonial called the Model 492, 2 Blade Jack. They made it in many colors. I have seen white, yellow, red, green and black.


Here is a catalog with your knife.

I have a white and black one. The black one is new and unused. The white one is the complete opposite. I got it for $2 with the tip broken off. I bought a lot of 6 knives for 12$ shipped. They were all either broken or rusty. 3 of them were trash but I saved a Kent, End of day celluliod that was just rusty. The last 2 were Colonials with the tips broken off.

I wharncliffed this white one and still carry it sometimes.

Thanks for the info. I dig the wharncliff mod'. :thumbup:

 

[meako]

My humble offering to the photographic feast.
The brown coloured Forest Master hasn't been seen yet .
The mountain guide is a beast with a giant spear blade ,huge hawkbill and chunky little sheepsfoot.
as well as can and bottle opener and a awesome awl /reamer thing.
These are among the first of my collection.
Cheers

 

[B.Mauser]

My humble offering to the photographic feast.
The brown coloured Forest Master hasn't been seen yet .
The mountain guide is a beast with a giant spear blade ,huge hawkbill and chunky little sheepsfoot.
as well as can and bottle opener and a awesome awl /reamer thing.
These are among the first of my collection.
Cheers

Hi Meako.

Humble yes but a very nice collection non the less. Nice clean old knives.

I have an Imerial that looks pretty much identical to the cracked ice 2 blade knife on top.

Your Brown Forest Master is in great shape. That one really gets my attention.:hypnotysed:

I have only seen a few of these Brown ones for sale so far this year. And one was in very bad shape. They are getting rare in good condition.

I sure enjoyed seeing them. Thank you

 

[meako]

No worrie
s.
I have Imperials too.
The Camp Master scout knife is v similar to the Forest Master.

 

[edbeau]

I am glad that the Ranger series was cleared up. When I bought a Longhorn many years ago, I did some research and came up with Imperial. Now I am glad to know it is a Colonial and it is a very decent knife. Always a wealth of knowledge on this forum. Here is a picture of what I believed was two Imperials that is really, an Imperial Backpacker 840 and a Colonial Ranger Longhorn LB125.

 

[deltaboy]

Cool.

 

[screened porch]

I came across another one; an atypical scout:

 

[ThreeDrobot]

Great time reading this entire thread this evening!!

 

[B.Mauser]

I am glad that the Ranger series was cleared up. When I bought a Longhorn many years ago, I did some research and came up with Imperial. Now I am glad to know it is a Colonial and it is a very decent knife. Always a wealth of knowledge on this forum. Here is a picture of what I believed was two Imperials that is really, an Imperial Backpacker 840 and a Colonial Ranger Longhorn LB125.

Very neat Ed. Thanks for the great picture showing how similar the 2 are.


The one thing that seems to stand out when I am comparing 2 similar Colonial and Imperial models is the nail nick. The rest of the knives can be pretty much identical but the nail nick is always a little different. As your picture emphasizes.

Your Colonial LB-125 has nickel silver bolsters and imitation saw cut Delrin handles.

Colonials biggest lock backs had the .125 wide blade which is where the name LB-125 comes from. (Lock back .125 wide blade.) There was also a LB-95. Guess what size the blade was?

I came across another one; an atypical scout:

Hi scrteened porch. Very nice old Colonial. Thanks for sharing the picture. I think your knife is from the late 40s or the 1950's.


I used to wonder why Colonial had scout knives that were marked scout in the 30s and early 40s and after that they were unmarked.


Then one day I stumbled on a thread right here on bladeforums by Codger_64. I was actually looking up information on an old Scout knife I bought made by Kent NY. Not only did I learn quite a bit of interesting information about Kent knives, I found something else interesting.

A lot of knife company's stopped marking their scout knives after 1943 because of a ruling from the Federal Trade Commission where they ruled for the B.S.A. against Camillus.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - 138 F.2d 824 (2d Cir. 1943)
November 12, 1943

More information on that ruling here for anyone interested.


http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/138/824/1481779/

Cool.

Great time reading this entire thread this evening!!

Thanks for posting guys. I sure am enjoying this thread and its great to know others are too.

 

[edbeau]

Brian,

The Ranger LB125 is constructed different from the LB7 in that it a layered handle not a solid brass or nickel silver. I just found the knife and will attach a few shots I just took. As you can see there are no pivot pin showing. I have never seen that many on the bay for sale. I bought this one quite a while back.

 

[B.Mauser]

Thanks for going to the trouble to post the updated pics of your LB125 Ed. Those are very interesting. I didn't know that.

 

[edbeau]

The pictures show a lot about the knife. Very different design! It is heavy but I don't have a scale to see the difference between a LB7 and the LB125. Some day I will get one.

 

[screened porch]

Thanks for the cite, B.Mauser.