Its French its old and thats all I know

southpaw357

southpaw357

Joined
Jul 24, 2015
Messages
350
Hi all, my father gifted me this slipjoint about 20 years ago when i was a young teen. He bought it from his friend who is an art dealer. All I remember about it is that it is French and its an antique. Can anybody school me on this one?
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I didn't see any info in my knife research books...the closest I got was a French maker by the name of Gilbert Collonge and there were no dates listed. Are there any more identifying marks anywhere??
 
Thanks for looking fellas! Those are the only identifying marks, i think. I will double check when i get back from lunch.


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Try Googling "gimel knives". Well known French company mostly noted for it's top quality switchblades. Sometimes associated with Bargeon knives. Just a thought.
Rich
 
Jolipapa will know for sure!:cool:

Interesting knife, shadow bone with nice worked liners and it looks big. A Laguiole type but it looks like some Spanish influence too so it's likely a regional pattern. Taking a wild guess, I'd say 1920s but it could be pre WW I even. I like the blade stamp, is that a walking stick?

Thanks, Will
 
Closed length 4.68". Blade stamp is a violin or fiddle i think. No other distinguishing marks.


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The stamp to me looks like a combination fiddle and umbrella, though the hook might be a J. The cross-bars look awfully long for tuning pegs. Gimel is of course a letter in the Phoenician, Arabic, Aramaic, and Hebrew alphabets, but who knows what else it might be.
 
It’s a French pocketknife, from the Fench cutlery region of Thiers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiers,_Puy-de-Dôme

http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/marques.htm

The ‘Gimel Violon’ (‘violon’ is violin in French) was a brand of David Gimel, which was later acquired by Gabriel Rousselon.
The ROUSSELON Company is still in existence today as Rousselon Dumas-Sabatier:

http://en.rousselon.fr/our-story/

The O.P’s knife is very similar to the Basque yatagan pattern pocketknife, the blade shape is definitely a ‘yatagan’:

http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/regionaux_A.htm
 
Great info littleknife thank you so much! Would you be able to estimate the period in which it was made?


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Hi southpaw357, sorry but I have no info regarding the exact time period.
My guess would be between 1858 and 1920.

According to the following site, the ‘violin’ mark was registered by Michel Chezal in 1809, the Gimel ‘Violon’ mark was in use since 1858 and was acquired by Rousselon in 1904.

http://www.marques-de-thiers.fr/articles/article_marques_centre.html

Since the blade is stamped with both the ‘violin’ mark and the word ‘GIMEL’ it must have been made after 1858.

This knife has a very similar, but not identical mark:

http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/images_JFL/P_Fra_CPoc_161.jpg

http://www.couteaux-jfl.com/pliants.htm

Look for
Couteau “Boule Yatagan”.
The site dates that knife to the 19th Century.

Your knife has the same or very similar marking. It looks to be less worn and patinated, but condition is not proof of age.
 
Last edited:
littleknife Very interesting info. I thought it had a Spanish flavour to it and since the Basque country is in both Spain and France it makes sense.

"Jolipapa! Ou est vous monsieur?":D

Thanks, Will
 
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