John Primble pen knife (Boker) new photos post 10

[sceva]

Well; I like small nicely made pen knives and this one caught my eye on the on line auction site. Terrible photos but enough that I took a chance with less than an hour to go ( less than $20.00)

I was originally hoping it was an India Steel works knife but with a quick check found that was a no. Seller said not used bust some rust. I didn't believe the not used but from what I could see from the bad photos it is not terribly worn and still has traces of the blade etch. Seller also says imitation bone.

What I believe it to be. Prmble; can you add anything?

John Primble # 5763 equal end pen knife, Belknap hardware & Mfg. ( 1940 - 1968??? ) and made for Belknap by Boker
I believe these had milled liners which would be neat.

Scales: In the photos they look like maybe jigged bone and an on line search shows handles of stag (jigged bone) pearl and composition.

My question(s) Did Belknap sell these with delrin scales as well as Bone, pearl etc?

Under $20.00, did I get hurt?


Either way, I think it will fit in my rotation nicely

Here are some of the listing photos; I will post better ones when I receive it.

 

[afishhunter]

I suspect bone covers from the photos.
To ME the covers are reflecting light more than Delrin does.
(Note: I may be mistooken. All I "know" is none of my knives with Delrin reflect light like that.)

For what you paid, I don't believe you got "burnt"/"taken to the cleaners", etc., (provided it is what the seller claimed.)

 

[sceva]

I also suspect jigged bone. We'll see when it's in hand.

I found links to two Belknap / John Primble catalogs on line;
One supposedly from 1950 shows handle scales of stag, new horn, pyralin, and pearl Other knives shown said Bone Stag so is stag jigged bone like the old Winchester catalogs or is it imitation bone? If bone why list both stag and bone stag? I also see it shows an oval shield which my knife does not have ( neither did any others I found photos of)

also what is New Horn?

The other (# 870) is supposedly from 1970 and only list the 5763 with Pearl scales.

Hopefully Primble will chime in with his knowledge.

 

[Hickory n steel]

This knife looks to be a dead ringer for the late 70's Boker 1064 I had.
I was sure the covers were bone but a couple members said they were most likely delrin.

 

[sceva]

That is likely the same knife as Boker made John Primble knives for Belknap. That sure looks like bone to me.

Does it have a model #

 

[Hickory n steel]

That is likely the same knife as Boker made John Primble knives for Belknap. That sure looks like bone to me.

Does it have a model #

Yes, it's a 1064.
I no longer have the knife but I believe it was stamped 1064 on the reverse of the main blade.
I was pretty sure the covers were bone, but a knowledgeable member or two who know bokers more than I do told me it was actually a jigged delrin.

I got it quite cheap, and ended up passing it along because I realized that I don't like cut swedges or tip bolsters.

 

[sceva]

I'm waiting to see if mine has the milled liners; I should know Saturday when it gets here. The catalog says milled liners but in looking at in line photos some of teh 5763's have them and some don't. My guess is that it depends on the time period that Boker made them. I am hoping mine has them ( and for bone scales)

 

[Primble]

I can't quite make out what the tang stamp says, but, if what you said is correct and it says John Primble Belknap HDW. & MFG., then it was made during that 1940 to 1968 time period. Boker made a lot of knives for Belknap hardware. Most likely to be bone and no you certainly didn't get hurt at that price ! If you find a star on the back side of the tang, it was absolutely a Boker contracted knife.

A lot of the old catalogs said stag when the knives were actually jigged bone.

Post some pictures when you get it. The pictures he furnished had bad camera shake.

 

[Hickory n steel]

If you find a star on the back side of the tang, it was absolutely a Boker contracted knife.

Being identical to a Boker I had confirms it.


BTW the Boker 1064 I had definitely didn't have coin edge " milled " liners, so I'd assume that this Bellknap doesn't either, but of course they could have payed extra to have it.

 

[sceva]

I can't quite make out what the tang stamp says, but, if what you said is correct and it says John Primble Belknap HDW. & MFG., then it was made during that 1940 to 1968 time period. Boker made a lot of knives for Belknap hardware. Most likely to be bone and no you certainly didn't get hurt at that price ! If you find a star on the back side of the tang, it was absolutely a Boker contracted knife.

A lot of the old catalogs said stag when the knives were actually jigged bone.

Post some pictures when you get it. The pictures he furnished had bad camera shake.

Arrived today


JOHN PRIMBLE
BELKNAP
HDW. & MFG. Co
and 5763 over a star

It is bone but the liners are not milled, does no milled liners make it later in the 1940 - 1968 time span?

Condition:
The good. This knife appears to have been used little. Blades still have their shiny ( crocus) glazed finish and the John Primble etching is there and I see no cracks in the scales so far.

The bad: It's a little dirty and there is surface rust on both blades but no major pitting.

My plan is to clean it up by hand ( no power polishing) to remove as much rust as I can, clean up the sharp corners on the scales and blend them to the tip bolsters then add it to my carry rotation and let it start developing a patina. I am a user not a collector.

I don't think it has much collector interest due to the rust ( It's not a rare knife) but I will wait to see if there are any objections or input as to why I should noy just use it.

 

[sceva]

Well; I didn't wait. Went ahead and did a little judicious cleaning / rust removal. I did not try to remove every last bit of frosting - staining; just removed the red rust and gunk. I lost pretty much most of the blade etch in the process but I figured I would. Cleaned it, hand polished a little, blended the ends of the scales to the bolsters ( one end was proud all around like it was never fit to them) and I touched up the edge which took very little effort. This little gem will go into my EDC rotation and will get used. I am assuming carbon steel so it shouldd start developing a nice patina ( why I don't sweat losing the blade etch)

I really like the sunken joints.

After photos.

 

[Primble]

I will take getting rid of corrosion over preserving a blade etch every time. Now you don't need to worry about preserving the etch anymore and you can use it with no worries.
I think you did a nice job on it. Now you know that it is bone, what time period ( when Belknap was still in business and ordered it made ), and the star confirms without a doubt that Boker made it for them. I doubt you can narrow the time frame down any more than 1940-68, based on the no milled liners vs. milled. Carbon steel ? Yep.

 

[sceva]

Already starting to develop a patina after slicing up a pear. Boker really crinks the blades in these You can see the slight angle when open. I also note they use a very small marking die to get it all on the tang, Not heavily stamped either.

I like the nice thin blades on these and they take a nice edge. This little feller fits in nicely with my other daily carry knives; mostly smalls like GEC 09 Esquire and 09 Pemberton or my (Modern from 2003) Schatt & Morgan Senator