Is this a legitimate un-modified Lockwood Brothers "real lamb foot?" (warning big photo)

scotchleaf

scotchleaf

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Oct 23, 2006
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Something about this strikes me as wrong - does the stag look right? The pins are proud of the stag, and the blade won't close all the way.

FKQD3oI.jpg


jBLVn52.jpg
 
scotchleaf said:
Something about this strikes me as wrong - does the stag look right? The pins are proud of the stag, and the blade won't close all the way.

FKQD3oI.jpg


jBLVn52.jpg
Click to expand...
The pins, covers and bolster look correct from the photo's you posted. I have a few stag Lockwoods with hammered pins that are proud (common) in my opinon. Charlie, Jack or Duncan can add much more info then me. The blade as mentioned is altered, again common from sharpening with yrs of use. Not sure why it doesn't close completely (obstruction)?
 
Thanks! It seems as if I could get it to close if I ground down the part of the blade that is making contact, but I'll look for any obstruction first.
 
Many years of sharpening the blade have changed the end of it to be no longer like a lambs foot blade tip is supposed to be . If the edge was still straight out to the tip it would not be as proud as it is now .
Even as it is now , it is still a beautiful old knife my friend .
 
Those old knives typically were heat treated to a low hardness and if used and sharpened a lot will experience extreme loss of metal along the edge over the years. I bet the backspring is sunk in to the handle in both open and closed positions, and the spring is very weak now due to it and the tang wearing against each other.
 
The reason the blade won't close like that is because of wear between the heel of the tang and the inside of the spring, pretty common on old knives. The level of wear is increased with a square tang. Very old patterns took this wear into account, with handle shapes which would cover the point of the knife as it rose in the frame. Sorry for the very quick reply, only able to visit for a few minutes I'm afraid :thumbsup:
 
Looks like a Legit decent old knife that unlike many contemporary knives has had an actual working life.....;)

Hammered pins are often proud of the Stag but just LOOK at that Stag, fabulous old gear:thumbsup: And the small Rat-Tail bolster. I believe that Randy 3000 and Jack Black make important points about types of softer steels and construction methods which account for the blade's appearance and sitting proud of the frame.

We tend to forget that even in the past when pocket knives were more universal, a lot of people were not that skilled at sharpening..;) Modern sharpening systems are certainly more accurate and take off a lot less steel than somebody rather incompetently taking a stone to softer steels. Then there's the nightmare of Bench Grinders...the genocide of pocket knives..:eek:

It looks to me like a very nice knife to have in your collection. I'm sure many of us would be delighted to have it :D
 
scotchleaf said:
Thanks! It seems as if I could get it to close if I ground down the part of the blade that is making contact, but I'll look for any obstruction first.
Click to expand...
Bear in mind, if you do that, the nail nick will lower too, and may become hard to access. I've come across a number of old working knives that have been sharpened until the tip was exposed. The owner then lowered the kick until he had to grind a nail relief into the frame to access the nail nick. They must have gotten more years of work out of the old knife, but it would be a shame to grind any of that lovely stag away.
here's an example:
Robeson Shuredge 1.jpg
 
Old Engineer said:
Many years of sharpening the blade have changed the end of it to be no longer like a lambs foot blade tip is supposed to be . If the edge was still straight out to the tip it would not be as proud as it is now .
Even as it is now , it is still a beautiful old knife my friend .
Click to expand...

This is correct I think if you tried to take some meat off the " kick" of the tang,in an attempt to lower the blade tip ( the way it is now) below the liners,you will make things worse. Leave it be it's an old timer & nice too
 
Thanks r8shell, VCM and Old Engineer - hadn't thought of the issue of lowering the nail nick. I'll leave it as is, and display it open.
 
If that was my knife : 1. I would be a happy guy /// 2. I would carry it in a slip because of the Proud Blade Tip . /// 3. I would not change anything about that beautiful Old Jewel of a knife .
About the age : It is possible that it was made prior to 1892 because it Does Not have the word ENGLAND stamped on the tang . Lockwood Cutlery was sold as a business in or about 1927 .

Harry
 
scotchleaf said:
Anyone got a tip on how to correct centering?
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Don't. ;)

Seriously, with vintage traditional knives: if it's a user, as long as the blade isn't hitting the liner, it will function fine, and if it's a display piece, it matters even less. It isn't as simple a fix as adjusting the screws on a modern knife.
 
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