Does Anyone Like The Old Imperials?

Nice Imperials, everyone!

Here's a project that took me awhile to complete. The pic is an old one, I do have the missing knife.

ImperialDEcase.jpg


Glenn
 
Glenn, this is the one I received from you in the knife giveaway. I cleaned up the main blade a little more, sharpened it up, and it's now one of my favorite EDC knives!

Thanks!
Ron

Imperial.jpg
 
Glad you like it Ron.

That stainless takes a good edge, for being stainless. Good to see that knife getting some use.

Glenn
 
Glenn, they're remarkable, I particularly like those 2 Jacks on the right with nail nicks on the right side i.e. the same side.

What is the handle material?
 
willgoy said:
Glenn, they're remarkable, I particularly like those 2 Jacks on the right with nail nicks on the right side i.e. the same side.

What is the handle material?
Click to expand...

Sadly, they are just the stamped shell handles with a thin cell/plastic covering. Not much value in them. The thing about these shell-handles, they have always had good snap, and the steel takes a real good edge.

Glenn
 
Thanks for the info. They look really OK though, good to hear the steel is good-vital ingredient
 
Until I found this forum, I never knew anyone else interested, especially the shell handled ones

Ray

Impcheap005.jpg


Impcheap001.jpg
 
Ray5118 said:
Until I found this forum, I never knew anyone else interested, especially the shell handled ones

Ray
Click to expand...

There's a few of us out there. They're fun to collect, and still somewhat affordable.

Glenn
 
I saw an old Imperial scout knife with the older version of the can opener over the weekend, same as in Blues photo, and it was beat to hell and back. The blade barely had any tension to it. In retrospect, the blades were relatively intact and not too worn. I should have picked it up.
 
meako said:
Ray is that a skeleton key or what ?
Click to expand...

That was another gimmick knife. They would sell them as key blanks, then people could get the key cut for various things. That style usually had advertising on them. Of course, if you moved, or changed your locks, that knife would be kinda useless. I think I got one of those myself somewhere. Cool idea, though.

Glenn
 
I have two of the key knives. One blank. One, who knows. I always thought it was an awesome idea. Surprised it didn't catch on.
 
I have a bunch, I just gotta unpack them and take better pictures than the ones I have up on the trade forum.

So, they were made in the US, Ireland and England, where else were they made?
 
meako said:
Ray is that a skeleton key or what ?
Click to expand...

That is a car key blank marked GM.
You would take it to the hardware store and have them cut a spare key for your General Motors automobile.
So you have your knife and spare car key together.
I believe the other U.S. manufacturers were represented as well

BTW Bottom photo - the two knives on both sides of the two in the middle are "trick" knives that needed to be... Oh I can't give away
 
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I have a couple of the trick knives too. Pretty neat. One was my Grandpa's. My wife carries it.
 
nice Imperial collection you have, congrats.

mine:

Imperial México
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Imperial Fisherman
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Imperial Pen Knife
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