LETS SEE THOSE MAGNIFICENT HARNESS JACKS

[waynorth]

I don't know if this qualifies as "Magnificent" but I do like it a lot.

Magnificent it is!!!!

 

[r8shell]

Nice "barnboard" celluloid, r8shell!

Barnboard! That's a good name for it.

Magnificent it is!!!!

And greatly appreciated, Charlie!

 

[waynorth]

New York Knife Co. Harness Jack with the Scout Emblem and the ever so nice J.E.Fuller Spiral Punch.

Just astounding!! HJ Official Scout!!!??? Wow!!!

 

[lambertiana]

I don't know if this qualifies as "Magnificent" but I do like it a lot.

Nice example of a really good celluloid.

 

[Campbellclanman]

I agree with the rest of the gang R8shell, very cool piece!

 

[Honest_Thomas]

My one and only M-HJ..

 

[Campbellclanman]

H Honest_Thomas A formidable beast that Harness Jack is! What a beauty!

 

[Will Power]

H Honest_Thomas Some more very effective patinization from you, nice working tool

 

[Honest_Thomas]

H Honest_Thomas A formidable beast that Harness Jack is! What a beauty!

Absolutely, ticks so many boxes for me personally and such a handsome knife.

H Honest_Thomas Some more very effective patinization from you, nice working tool

Thanks Will. I did try to keep this shiny but the patina makes it infinitely more useful, usable and I do quite like the look of it in “User” mode

 

[lambertiana]

My one and only M-HJ..

If you are only going to have one, that is the one to have.

 

[marantz]

Now this one was a surprise, poor photo's once again when looking to buy it, I knew that it was a lower tier Harness Jack.

When it arrived home I was quite surprised to say the least- this is a big Harness Jack @ 4 & 1/4 inches closed, in the Natural light this Composite Material almost looks like Bone- it has been placed on something hot, but with a knife like this that's neither here or there, I purchased it to look at- I'm glad I did.....

The Blade is nice and Full and has a real nice Swage, the Punch is a fairly standard issue, I haven't the time yet to really look at this one yet.
Tang stamp ........ A. C. MFG. Co. and the rest is very much hidden and worn - but with real careful maneuvering you can put together the Marinette.

Goins states: A. C. MFG. Co. Marinette. Wisc. Circa 1912-1950.
Levines state that they were a Manufacturer which is interesting! 1912 - 1944 and were the company AERIAL CUTLERY CO. ( Jeager Bros. was Aerial Cutlery's Brand name).

I'm glad I have it, as the Blade grind is that little bit different and imo that little bit nicer. One could be forgiven thinking the blade is shortened but upon viewing the knife nesting into the super fine confines when closed- no, it is cheaper knife that has been spared any hard work within it's lifetime.

I'm sure you're right about the accidental heat damage, apparently twice. But the pile side handle almost looks like it might be useful as a finger grip depression. Hmm. I have an old Buck 307 that was run over by a car, maybe I should experiment? The blade profile is interesting, the swage/swedge makes it look like a cross between and clip and spearpoint. It's hard to tell from the photos, is the blade hollow, flat, or convex ground? Interesting knife, and great find.

 

[Honest_Thomas]

Ebony HJ doing its thing, squaring up some heavy oak bark English bridle..

 

[Campbellclanman]

I'm sure you're right about the accidental heat damage, apparently twice. But the pile side handle almost looks like it might be useful as a finger grip depression. Hmm. I have an old Buck 307 that was run over by a car, maybe I should experiment? The blade profile is interesting, the swage/swedge makes it look like a cross between and clip and spearpoint. It's hard to tell from the photos, is the blade hollow, flat, or convex ground? Interesting knife, and great find.

Hey there
Convex grind, for what is a more economically built knife- this knife is quite a large knife and the swedge work is knife, I also think the swedge work saves it as it is a slightly different shaped blade- more of a Snub Nose Clip point, and makes the blade a lot more aesthetically pleasing in comparison to what it would look like if it didn't have it.
The Punch is a very generic styled punch, you often see this style punch on German Knives etc, Cattaraugus also have a plain style Punch similar to this although the Catt is usually wider at the tang.

 

[waynorth]

Hey there
Convex grind, for what is a more economically built knife- this knife is quite a large knife and the swedge work is knife, I also think the swedge work saves it as it is a slightly different shaped blade- more of a Snub Nose Clip point, and makes the blade a lot more aesthetically pleasing in comparison to what it would look like if it didn't have it.
The Punch is a very generic styled punch, you often see this style punch on German Knives etc, Cattaraugus also have a plain style Punch similar to this although the Catt is usually wider at the tang.

You really pay attention to all the details of knives, Duncan!! Their various slight differences etc!!!!! Here's one that Tony Berg brought to my table, at Oregon, and I snatched it from him without quibble!!! Thanks whoever sent him over!!!!???!!!!
Real nice "John Primble, India Steel Works"!! The blade etch is mostly visible; {"$1.25 [shield logo] PUNCH"}!! Nice dense pickbone handles, but look at the punch!! It was machined into the punch blade only 1/3 of the distance of the cutting edge!!! A most unusual configuration!!! It looks like a "partial" Robeson punch intentionally different!!??!! I'll check back later!!! If anyone knows anything, let us know!!
I am going to hone it, and test it's abilities, and report back here! I have never seen patent papers for such a punch

 

[Campbellclanman]

Charlie, I am so so glad to see you with that Harness Jack, I too have one like it. Primble, India Steel Works.
I am sure that yours is the same manufacturer as mine, the Blades are the same with their etching, both off the same workbench so to speak.

The last third of the punch on mine like yours, has been concaved out, though mine a little more so- but look at the flat face our punches have.

I am sure these are exactly the same knife- simply with a variation on your punch, but not a different patterned punch, we see variations like this on some punches, like the Robeson you mentioned, sometimes there is quite a difference in width of the channel etc, also the Napanoch punches can be quite different to each other - and I think that this is what we are seeing here, although the Bone Jig is different, yours probably being slightly earlier with the Pic Bone than mine with the Jigged Bone?

But that nail nick on yours compared to mine??

Which throws me to thinking L.F &C Whom I always suspected may have contract made my Primble? Charlie yours has a nail nick and this Punch on yours resembles the L.F.C Punch below?
The L.F & C has a slight recess shouldered Tang , and if you look at my Primble Harness Jack- it has the totally smooth face like yours just missing the nail nick.

I have kept my eyes open for years as to try and find the manufacturer of my Primble, if we do find who made it, I am sure we would have found who made yours as well.
L.F & C is to me (so far) my main suspect.



.
What do you think Charlie?

The L.F & C Harness Jack ( they make another Punch where the full face is concaved not just the half), but here is the half concaved face with the nail nick...

 

[lambertiana]

Charlie, I am so so glad to see you with that Harness Jack, I too have one like it. Primble, India Steel Works.
I am sure that yours is the same manufacturer as mine, the Blades are the same with their etching, both off the same workbench so to speak.

The last third of the punch on mine like yours, has been concaved out, though mine a little more so- but look at the flat face our punches have.

I am sure these are exactly the same knife- simply with a variation on your punch, but not a different patterned punch, we see variations like this on some punches, like the Robeson you mentioned, sometimes there is quite a difference in width of the channel etc, also the Napanoch punches can be quite different to each other - and I think that this is what we are seeing here, although the Bone Jig is different, yours probably being slightly earlier with the Pic Bone than mine with the Jigged Bone?

But that nail nick on yours compared to mine??

Which throws me to thinking L.F &C Whom I always suspected may have contract made my Primble? Charlie yours has a nail nick and this Punch on yours resembles the L.F.C Punch below?
The L.F & C has a slight recess shouldered Tang , and if you look at my Primble Harness Jack- it has the totally smooth face like yours just missing the nail nick.

I have kept my eyes open for years as to try and find the manufacturer of my Primble, if we do find who made it, I am sure we would have found who made yours as well.
L.F & C is to me (so far) my main suspect.



.
What do you think Charlie?

The L.F & C Harness Jack ( they make another Punch where the full face is concaved not just the half), but here is the half concaved face with the nail nick...

That $1.25 Punch is a real beauty!

 

[waynorth]

What do you think Charlie?

Wow!!! Thanks for adding those pictures, Duncan!! Partially inletted punches!!
Our Primbles do look like they are from the same company at different times, mine probably a bit earlier!!
When using a Harness punch, it is usually the first third of the punch blade that does the work, so I can see some of the thinking behind these!
They are all made differently, so it is easy to think these came from early development time in the "punch era", the first couple of decades in the 20th Century!!
More to come!!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Charlie- aren’t they great knives.
Really interesting!! Thank you for that my friend, could look at these all day

 

[waynorth]

Around 2003 or 2004, I once speculated that I could get all of the great knifemakers to make me a custom Harness Jack!! My wallet disabused me of that notion in short order!! I did get Bill Ruple to make one - his first HJ ever!!!

I have always tested the punches! You can see I chipped the coating on Bill's flute-style punch!!

I used to see Richard Rogers and Bill at the same Pasadena show, and got Richard to make me a Sheepfoot HJ, not often seen!!
He did a great job also!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Oh Boy......... Charlie you pulled out the Royalty rug in Harness Jacks, Thank you for sharing these with us!
Man....we are so so lucky, Thanks Charlie!