Lobster pens?

[1fartsmella]

This is the pearl Shadow version. The bone ones sold for $24 per dozen, and the pearl sold for $33 per dozen wholesale circa 1910. How many dozen do you want to order?

 

[zerogee]

What a beauty! Those prices give me a headache. I was just looking thru an old catalog and ran upon the NYKCo 2 blade lockback "half-whittler" -- in stag, these were only $17/dozen - so these Orange Blossoms were certainly high end knives of the day. Another comparison: single blade Russell standard barlows were $3/dozen.

 

[Durwood]

I'll take a dozen of each. Where do I send the payment

 

[1fartsmella]

My holy grail of antique slipjoints is a Keen Kutter Orange Blossom or Gunstock lobster whittler.

Did someone order a holly grail?

 

[TwoDogs]

Please forgive the likely silly question, but I truly don't know and am trying to learn as much as I can. Why are they called lobster knives. Is it because with all the various tools/blades opened they look like a lobster, or is it the shape of the handle, or were they actually designed for use while eating a lobster etc......sorry, don't laugh too loud at
me.....thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[zerogee]

Why are they called lobster knives. Is it because with all the various tools/blades opened they look like a lobster, or is it the shape of the handle, ....

Yes, because with both sets of blades open on one end they remind one of a lobster waving their claws about. It's not the handle shape -- lobsters come in a number of handle patterns, most of which have their own name.

 

[TwoDogs]

Thank you!!

 

[1fartsmella]

A 4 blade whittler. NYK true Whittler. The 2 pen blades each have their own back spring and the master blade as well as the file, both are double width at the tang & bear on both back springs. The Keen Kutter Gunstock previously posted is also constructed the same way.