New Company Name to Me, but an Old Knife!

waynorth

waynorth

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Nov 19, 2005
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Continental Cutlery Co, N.Y.
When I bought a curved D<>E Barlow on the Bay a couple of weeks ago, the vendor threw in this little treasure! I hope he is a member here!
I had never heard of this company until I received this exquisite little pen knife. Bernie Levine's book says the brand dates from 1915-1920. Goins agrees.
If you have one, please post it.
This knife is 3 1/4" long, has wonderful walk and talk, and the blade takes a wicked edge. I can't find any bone cracks, and there is zero blade play. The file still works perfectly on my fingernails. I had to clean up an ugly spot on the back of the blade in the swedge. I made no attempt to make it look old there as you can see. Such a nice little old knife!!
Thanks Paul!:thumbup:

Continental1_zpsae32c267.jpg

Continental5_zps7462ae1c.jpg

Continental3_zps22583fe0.jpg

Continental4_zpsec3a6b3d.jpg

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Very nice, Charlie. I could carry something like that and be happy.
 
Charlie,he's a member of the good guy forum. Kudos Paul..It's nice how these inexpensive (maybe?)things have a way of becoming valuable.

Anything that old and still maintaining it's integrity is rare.
 
Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. We walked up to one of our favorite restaurants for supper tonight, and that little guy tagged along for the ride!
A very nice "worry stone"! I was afraid my wife was gonna ask me what I had in my pocket that was so interesting :p - but we had other stuff to talk about!:rolleyes:
I could get used to a smaller knife - maybe when I get old! I'm kinda young right now . . . . . . . . .:D

The steak was nice and tender - a Ribeye, but that little knife woulda been up to the task if needed!
 
Now I'm really jealous . . . a new/old CCC worry stone aaaannd a ribeye. I hope you had a nice red to go with it!
 
A not bad California Cab!, and a pleasant walk home, without a "worry" in the world!;)
 
Charlie, I have seen that tang stamp once or twice but it is very obscure. They apparently never sold out or got themselves consumed! Very little info about them and I have looked beyond Goin's and Bernard. Has a touch of Catt in it to me:). In any event a very nice acquisition.
 
Very nice "throw-in". I've never seen that stamp either. That would make a great edc.
 
Charlie & All;

Goins lists the brand starting in England, then New York and then to St. Louis or Kansas City, I believe and he stated the same inclusive dates for all, 1915 - 1920.

I have in my possession a letter from The Robeson Cutlery Company to a dealer/customer re' a shipment of Continental knives. The letter is dated 1914, one year or so prior to Goins' beginning date for the brand.

This is a cropped image from a larger photo:



Every knife I've ever looked at marked, CONTINENTAL / CUTLERY CO. / N. Y. has been a familiar Robeson pattern and/or had familiar Robeson bone handles, unless they were ebony or pearl.

I have had a few Continental marked knives over the years.

This 4" cigar is an 037 pattern Robeson. It had been cleaned before I bought it.
The bone handles I think, although less worn, are similar to those on your penknife.



This equal-end ebony handled Continental jack is in excellent, unsharpened condition.



That knife is essentially the same same pattern as this sweet old Robeson marked jack:



I also have somewhere a well-used little pearl handled Continental pen, but I have no photo or scan of it.

If you search Ebay for "Continental Knife" in the Pre-1970 category, you'll get frequent matches, most often in the form of a 5" ebony handled folding hunter. I don't think I've ever seen one in bone.

At 3 1/8", I cannot ID the pattern of your knife from my database, which is not all inclusive.

A similar 105 pattern is 3" and a 416 is 3 1/4".

I may have pics of other Continental pocketknives that I've downloaded off the internet. I'll check and post if I find anything.

You've got a sweet little knife with a history of which you now know more than you did.

Keep enjoying it and you can thank me by trading me that Terrier whittler for something I have that you might want. ;)
 
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My Robeson ShurEdge Rochester model 105 pen from between the world wars measures 3.06" closed,
and has very similar bone (although darker) to your Continental, Charlie.

RobesonPenOpen_zps9ed8d394.jpg~original
 
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