Little Tip Bolsters

smiling-knife

smiling-knife

Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
2,697
I haven't seen a thread on this topic. Please show your knives with the tiny bolsters. This one has a smooth bone handle. At least I think it is bone and not ivory as it doesn't have the grain of ivory. For a little history....William Rodgers was a cutler back in the 1830s. The name and famous 'I Cut My Way' trademark were acquired by John Clarke & Sons in the 1850s. This company made William Rodgers knives until the 1970s. This knife was made by the latter. Original William Rodgers knives would be very rare indeed.
12-04030.jpg
 
smiling-knife said:
I haven't seen a thread on this topic. Please show your knives with the tiny bolsters. This one has a smooth bone handle. At least I think it is bone and not ivory as it doesn't have the grain of ivory. For a little history....William Rodgers was a cutler back in the 1830s. The name and famous 'I Cut My Way' trademark were acquired by John Clarke & Sons in the 1850s. This company made William Rodgers knives until the 1970s. This knife was made by the latter. Original William Rodgers knives would be very rare indeed.
12-04030.jpg
Click to expand...

I think that you have an ivory handled knife. The interior has no grain to show. The wonderful grain you are thinking of can only be found in the outer 1/2" so so of the tusk.

The tip does nothing to re-inforce the pin and while very pretty is about as useful as t-ts on a male hog. A. G.
 
Here are some of mine. top to bottom are Clauss, Camillus. Boker, Ulster, Cattaraugus, and Clover brand.
tip.jpg
 

Schrade Walden 842 Cracked Ice (Marine Pearl)

3 1/8" - The file has an easy open on the back. Probably from the 50's.


Ulster Jigged Bone

3" - The Ulster reads ULSTER/KNIFE/CO. It has half stops and great snap. I have no idea how old it is.
 
I kind of like how the tip bolsters look even though, like AG Russell said, they're not the functional.

This one is a Smith Brothers knife. I was told it was made by New York Knife Co., but I don't know if that's true.

smith017.jpg


I've got another one with tip bolsters that I carried a couple of weeks ago while I was traveling.
 
That Smith Brothers looks similar to the Ulster. What size is that one Mike?

I'm thinking the Ulster Knife Co and NY Knife Co are related.
 
Man those knives look good, with the jigging on the Smith Brothers causing some intense drool..

As always SK starting off a great topic...:thumbup: :)

Sunburst
 
I was hoping someone would start a tip bolster thread. I seem to have taken a liking to them. There are some fabulous examples shown in this thread already. While I don't have any pics of mine right now, I'll get some up by evening :).

BTW Ulster and NYK was loosely related, I'm leaning toward NYK on your tip bolster knife, the bone and shield just ringtrue to NYK.
 
It's also 3 inches thawk, maybe they're kissing cousins like Muskrat Man said. Smith Brothers was a hardware store, according to Levine's Guide.

I like the sunken joints on these knives.

Here's my last two. Top is a Henckels and the bottom is a Robeson Shuredge. Can't get much more tippy than that Robeson, except maybe on a cold day. :D

tipbolsters001.jpg
 
Hey Mike would you show a few pics of the Robeson, I have a soft spot for all things Robeson...Especially the wormgrooved beauty's they made..

Thanks,

Sunburst
 
sunburst said:
Hey Mike would you show a few pics of the Robeson, I have a soft spot for all things Robeson...Especially the wormgrooved beauty's they made..

Thanks,

Sunburst
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Amen. Those blades are screaming for air.
 
I'll have to take a liking to the old Henkles I like the serpentine shape. Here are my additions to the thread:

Schrade Cut Co.
knife011-1.jpg


Schrade Cut Co
knife012.jpg


Ulster RCA advertising knife
knife014.jpg


Cattaraugus
knife015-2.jpg


I have a few others, but they aren't worth showing pictures of, they are rusty and/or broken in some way shape or form and need my attention
 
Sorry this took so long to scan. The file blade has different files on both sides. I never really thought about it before, but this knife does have an interesting construction with the liners on the inside of both blades. The main blade has a swedge on it.

Someone put a nice little edge on the end of the file blade. I guess I won’t have to pay for manicures anymore.

tipbolstersopen003.jpg
 
Beautiful photos. Sadly I don't have anything similar to scan and share.

Is anyone currently making any similar equal-end knives with carbon steel blades? I've been searching for days online and haven't come up with anything. It seems everyone uses stainless exclusively for their smaller models...

-Bob
 
Thinking outloud with my fingers...I see what A.G. says about tip bolsters/caps being almost useless. I wonder if the thought was to give a little added protection to the scales on the ends in case of droppage.:confused: Oh well, I likem anyway.:thumbup: :D
 
Kerry Hampton said:
Thinking outloud with my fingers...I see what A.G. says about tip bolsters/caps being almost useless. I wonder if the thought was to give a little added protection to the scales on the ends in case of droppage.:confused: Oh well, I likem anyway.:thumbup: :D
Click to expand...

Indeed, that is what they were about.
 
Kerry Hampton said:
Thinking outloud with my fingers...I see what A.G. says about tip bolsters/caps being almost useless. I wonder if the thought was to give a little added protection to the scales on the ends in case of droppage.:confused: Oh well, I likem anyway.:thumbup: :D
Click to expand...

Great observation Kerry. It is my understanding also that they were originally designed to protect handles made from delicate or more fancy material (e.g., mop, ivory, tortoise, etc) that were particularly susceptible to cracks. I suppose after awhile they took on a stylistic quality as well. Just my 2p.
 
A few of mine...

M7934GPT.jpg

7704STsha.jpg

F7704HTshackle.jpg

schrade010.jpg

scc007.jpg

scc021.jpg

Misc056.jpg

Misc047.jpg



BTW, those bone scales are great!!

Glenn
 
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