Imperial, a user grade jack knife

[Doug Add]

Gevonovich's picture of the Kent jack knife he rescued from being a cast away reminded me how much I enjoy using an older jack knife that has obviously been put through its paces by previous owners, yet is still a solid knife with lots of life left in it.

A few months ago I found this old Imperial from Providence, Rhode Island for a very nice price at auction. I believe it dates from sometime between 1940-1959. It has obviously been carried and used, but is as tight and solid as a new knife.

I am a sucker for big, wide clip blades, and good size pen blades. This one has both.

I also like long pulls on larger blades, and the serpentine frame shape. Again, this one has both.

One of the things I really like about this jack knife is its thin profile. At 0.3125" wide it is the thinnest double spring knife I own, and carries so nicely in the pocket.

I tried to show it against this straight edge, but it is not easy to see in this photo. However, if you look at where the blade tips are in relation to the scales, you can see that this knife has a gentle curve in the middle of the frame, almost like it was carried in a back pocket and sat on too many times!

Show us some of your user grade knives, ones you would never put behind a glass showcase or stow away in a safe, but put in your pocket and use to do anything and everything for which a pocket knife is intended.

 

[kamagong]

I'll play.

Here's an Imperial cattleman with a Camillus Army Engineers pocketknife.

I'm also quite fond of this large Eye Brand stockman. It was my main user for a long time.

- Christian

 

[Jack Black]

Some absolute beauties fellers :thumbup:

 

[Humppa]

I have here a nice Ludwig Groten, Solingen shadow pattern knife, I got from a kind friend here in Germany who´s grandpa had this knife during his life. The tip of the mainblade is broken and it has some bladeplay but this knife doesn´t want to be put behind a display

... and for sure, my #66 Serpentine Jack

 

[Gevonovich]

This Case has been my " use it hard, clean it, oil it, no worries" knife for years.

This 4" Queen is another more recent find used when I need something larger..... when "it has to be bone."

 

[coniferwoodsman]

Anyone of these four do the trick- Imperial Girl Scout- Post WWII Camillus- ca.1940-49 PAL- Pre-WWII 4-line Camillus

All the Best
Dave

 

[Vanguard41xx]

These two Hammer Brands were barely used, and make great carry knives.

 

[Vanguard41xx]

This Valley Forge cattle knife was used quite a bit, but happens to be one of my favorite old knives! Great carry knife, the right size for me and my uses.

 

[whetrock]

The Patina is forced, however I spare it no mercy, when it comes to completing tasks required of an EDC folder. This one is a "user" and has given stellar performance, so far.

 

[300Bucks]

My most used and often handled old Imperial........300

 

[mrrampro]

Wow that is a thin profile indeed. Thanks op for the post!

 

[TLARbb]

I have a few that would fit in this category. First, would be a KaBar jack I bought sometime last year. I cleaned it up and use it. But it doesn't get as much use as some others. Here's a pic:

Then, this year, I purchased this Ka-Lok to replace the one I lost years ago. It was well used, so it's no safe queen either:

And a Camillus easy open jack that I ran across that was looking for a new home:

And this Remington carpenter's whittler that was used a bit before I picked it up. Brass bolsters, which are a bit unusual:

This blackwood Queen City copperhead:

And of course, the amber bone mini copperhead that has become my favorite small knife:

Ed J

 

[IVANKERLEY]

heres my old Kent (camillus) sold by woolworths from the 30's to the mid 50's, ugly scales and mine also has the appearance of back pocket carry as it has a gentle curve to it also, which resulted in the crack in the scale, all in all not a bad knife though...
gene

 

[IVANKERLEY]

I have a few that would fit in this category. First, would be a KaBar jack I bought sometime last year. I cleaned it up and use it. But it doesn't get as much use as some others. Here's a pic:


Then, this year, I purchased this Ka-Lok to replace the one I lost years ago. It was well used, so it's no safe queen either:

oh man i like the looks of this! beautiful
gene

 

[TLARbb]

Thanks, Gene. I carried it Wednesday along with the redwood S&M Heritage jack. I had one when they were in production, but someone picked it up off my desk. I went a long number of years, then decided to look on the auction site and found this one. I've seen them there since as well, but this one being obviously used is the one I wanted.


Ed J

 

[screened porch]

Conifer, those scout knives just warm my heart. I've been buying those lately myself, after a period of thinking I had plenty.

Here are a couple of my roughnecks, over a couple of somebody else's heavy users.

Camillus all-stainless scout knife and a Hibbard Spencer Bartlett stockman that I got practically for free because it had no handle covers. (It's got my cheap and lazy epoxy putty handles now.)
The two hammer brands below came from the estate sale of the widow of a guy who had tools for everything from lumbering, to drafting, to something electrical, to blacksmithing.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Here's an old ,(50s I think) Imperial Whittler with Pearl Celluloid scales, had this one for about 15 years it was another yardsale find.

What I like about it is that instead of the typical tin shell scales Imperial usually is known for, this one has nickle silver bolsters and shield, brass liners and pins with actual celluloid scales.

The old Imperials are slowly becommin' scarce and hard to find one that hasn't been used to destruction as is the fate of many of the dollar knives of the day, as kids we played mublety peg(?), chicken, stretch and used 'em as throwin' knives so most are rusted, with broken blades and scales.

 

[TLARbb]

That's a good one Ted. I've never seen one of those in the flesh. At least I can't remember seeing one, or didn't recognize if I did.

Ed J