My search is finally over ( thanks to seas165 )

[Hickory n steel]

For a number of years now I've wanted a nice vintage shadow pattern pen, but it had to be jigged bone or stag with carbon steel blades
They turned out to be far less common of a knife than I assumed though and I was starting to lose hope, most in stag or bone had tip bolsters, and most shadow patterns were advertising knives with metal or celluloid covers.

Recently seas165 very generously offered to send me this Schrade that he wasn't using, and I can't thank him enough.
I also can't imagine why he was willing to part with this wonderful knife, but I sure am happy to have it.

I didn't have a particular make in mind, but it's exactly what I had in mind.

It's got the '17-'46 tang stamp, and I'm assuming it's gotta be pre war but I don't know how early it could be.
Google is barely useful for stuff like this these days so it probably doesn't mean much ( could be photobuckets fault ? ), but I could not turn up another knife like it that wasn't a push button automatic and those switchblades were otherwise identical.

 

[BladeCommander]

Great bone on that knife. Nice jigging and color.

 

[waynorth]

Nice Pen knife!!!

 

[Hickory n steel]

Great bone on that knife. Nice jigging and color.

Absolutely.
I don't know why but this deep honey color seems to have largely went away post war , and today I think GEC is the only one who really tries to replicate it.
Case has some stuff in reminiscent colors and their Jigging is the always great, but haven't offered it much on anything I want.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Nice Pen knife!!!

Absolutely.
GEC should introduce a similar knife, they just don't make 'em like they used to.
I know they have offered an Eisenhower type , but I don't think they've offered a small one shadow or otherwise and if anybody is going to ,( it needs to happen ) GEC could absolutely nail it.

 

[Rookie82]

What a perfect little pen knife. I spoke with Bill a few years back at the Titusville knife show, and mentioned why he had never made a small shadow pen knife, or tip-bolster pen knife, and he said he can't ever do it. He said that without full bolsters to keep the knife rigid, someone would use the knife to pry or twist, it would loosen the liners around the blade pin, and then everyone would say the knife was made shoddy and is defective. He said he's limited in what he can make for that reason.

 

[Jack Black]

Wonderful gesture, and a great-looking Pen

 

[seas165]

It is an awesome little knife, im glad its what you were looking for.

 

[Hickory n steel]

What a perfect little pen knife. I spoke with Bill a few years back at the Titusville knife show, and mentioned why he had never made a small shadow pen knife, or tip-bolster pen knife, and he said he can't ever do it. He said that without full bolsters to keep the knife rigid, someone would use the knife to pry or twist, it would loosen the liners around the blade pin, and then everyone would say the knife was made shoddy and is defective. He said he's limited in what he can make for that reason.

Except they offered that keychain knife which is a small shadow pattern , did they get a bunch of complaints from people who loosened the blade from prying ?
This thought didn't stop all the manufacturers offering shadow pens for over 100 years.

I've seen a few examples of pen knives with snapped blades, and plenty that were worn down from many years of use, but can't recall seeing any on eBay that looked like the pins were pulled in.
A large majority of pen knives were inexpensive advertising knives too, and I'd expect to see a lot more abused free pocket knives if people were treating them this way.
It seems like the average person was smart enough to see that a thin little knife blade like this isn't going to stand up to much or even offer much leverage, and that's probably still true today.
I sure don't recall seeing many Victorinox classics with snapped blades.

 

[yablanowitz]

My very first knife was/is a little tuxedo pen knife I found after someone pried with it hard enough to pull one pivot pin in far enough to leave that blade sitting beside the spring instead of riding on it. That was sixty years ago, and I don't see people getting any smarter.

 

[Hickory n steel]

My very first knife was/is a little tuxedo pen knife I found after someone pried with it hard enough to pull one pivot pin in far enough to leave that blade sitting beside the spring instead of riding on it. That was sixty years ago, and I don't see people getting any smarter.

It happens I'm sure but I don't think it's that common, I haven't personally inspected hundreds of old pen knives or anything though.

Why doesn't GEC put a warranty related card in the tube with a statement about the fine craftsmanship that's warranted against defects and a warning not to pry with it ?
I just don't think it's valid to say " we can't make this type of small thin bladed slipjoint because they're less resistant to prying than other small thin blades slipjoints ".

 

[Will Power]

Really pleased to hear of this. Shadow patterns are always rewarding, I particularly like CASE Stockman and others daring to do this. Shadows not so common- maybe we need a thread??? But not that uncommon from European makers, but in single blade form, usually.

Could we see a closed picture please?

 

[Rookie82]

It happens I'm sure but I don't think it's that common, I haven't personally inspected hundreds of old pen knives or anything though.

Why doesn't GEC put a warranty related card in the tube with a statement about the fine craftsmanship that's warranted against defects and a warning not to pry with it ?
I just don't think it's valid to say " we can't make this type of small thin bladed slipjoint because they're less resistant to prying than other small thin blades slipjoints ".

I think his point to me was that the collectors hold his product to such a high standard anymore, it's hard for him to make anything he feels like. He has to plan for the worst case scenario because one guy treating a knife improperly, then ranting about it on Facebook, turns into a mob of pitchforks and torches.

 

[Hickory n steel]

I think his point to me was that the collectors hold his product to such a high standard anymore, it's hard for him to make anything he feels like. He has to plan for the worst case scenario because one guy treating a knife improperly, then ranting about it on Facebook, turns into a mob of pitchforks and torches.

That's possible I guess, it's not like there aren't people who abusively break things then lie about what happened.
" I was just cutting a box and it started coming apart".
It's really a shame that many people are like this ruining things for everybody else.