New to me, Cracked Ice Imperial

[Brian.Evans]

I stopped at an antique store today and came away with a couple of knives. One not shown is a Frost Cutlery POS from China. F&F is horrible, but I liked the size and overall shape, and it will make a nice pattern.

Here's the other; an Imperial in what I'm assuming is called cracked ice. The pen secondary is a horrible nail breaker, but I'm assuming it needs oiled badly. I'll work with it. The main has a nice positive snap to it, open and close, without being overly hard to open. It doesn't look like a very expensive knife to begin with, but I like it. I think the previous owner sharpened it with a file. It has little grooves like you'd ge with a smooth file. After I hit it with some Scratch-X on the scales and Mother's on the blades I'll sharpen her up and see where I'm at. I only paid $15 out the door for both, so if I over paid, it wasn't a huge loss.

Tell me what you think.

 

[edbeau]

If you want more information on Imperial knives check out here. http://www.collectors-of-schrades-r.us/

 

[Gevonovich]

I have one almost exactly like it, except mine has a different main blade. I carry mine a lot and really enjoy it. Yours should loosen up with some use and a little oil action.

 

[jackknife]

What do I think?

I think it's great! Looking at it reminds me of my growing up when that was one of the most typical carried pocket knife around. A small two blade jack, cracked ice scales, carbon steel blades that get shaving sharp and cut very well. It reminds me of cars with tail fins, drug stores with a soda fountain, and forty cents for a box of Winchester-Western .22 ammo for plinking in the woods down the street, and fifty cent Saturday afternoon westerns at the movies where we stayed for the second show.

Carl.

 

[Brian.Evans]

What's funny is that this particular knife sat in that case for 6+ months waiting on me to come back for it. I've handled it on two or three occasions, but it just took a bit of time for me to appreciate the beauty and serendipity of a small, super sharp jack. Today I pulled the trigger and I am glad I did.

I've looked at it closer and I'm going to have to sand it to get the rust off. I prefer a high satin to mirror/gloss anyway. So, it's getting hit with 1000 then 800 grit. Also, there is a fair amount of blade play in both blades. Can I put it between two blocks of wood in the vise and ever so gently tighten it a bit?

Overall, I love the blade. It's going to be my dress knife once it's restored. I find the file marks all at once saddening and interesting to wonder why someone would do that to this knife?

Any ideas on age? That Imperial collectors site was confusing to use.

What are the little orange spots in the "ice"? Just time related discolouration?

Ok, enough random questions. And my wife says I have ADD.........silly woman. Lol

 

[Brian.Evans]

I have one almost exactly like it, except mine has a different main blade. I carry mine a lot and really enjoy it. Yours should loosen up with some use and a little oil action.

That's really cool. Your's looks a bit whiter than mine. I think mine is suffering from discolouring of the acrylic. It's yellowed some from what I assume would have been its original pearly ice white.

 

[Ray5118]

"Can I put it between two blocks of wood in the vise and ever so gently tighten it a bit?

Any ideas on age? That Imperial collectors site was confusing to use" .


Love those hollow metal shell handle imperials
I do not advise putting that knife in a vise, even lightly
You will be crushed and so will the knife

Age estimate beween 1946 - 1956


Ray

 

[fast14riot]

Cool thing about these is they don't have much value over the inherent use of it as a tool. If you need a knife its priceless, if you want it for collectors value you don't need it! I am going to rehandle an old shell handled imperial of the same era after I am done with my One Trick Pony project. Maybe I'll sap a few pics on how to tighten up the pivots for you. Oh and that sharpening job looks like standard issue bench grinder, although much better job of it than most...

I carry a similar one everyday, love it too!


-Xander

 

[Brian.Evans]

Ray and Xander, thanks! I would be crushed if I crushed this knife. The blade play really doesn't hurt anything anyway. I am really liking the 1946-56 age range. What gave that away?

Oh, btw Xander, all my knives are users. None of them have inherent value past their use as a tool. It's just me, others are different. I can understand safe queens, but don't have any. To each their own. If you remember and want to, pics on how to tighten the pivots would be awesome.

 

[fast14riot]

The tang stamp and the three patents on the pen blade are the telltale clues to age. Do a search for Imperial knife tang stamps, you should fnd a nice image of the stamps and the date ranges they were used. You can also search google patents and find the patents that are stamped on the blade.

Oh I will be sure to snap a few pics for you. You ever get started on that folder you were gonna make? Or is the new baby keepin ya busy?


-Xander

 

[Brian.Evans]

The tang stamp and the three patents on the pen blade are the telltale clues to age. Do a search for Imperial knife tang stamps, you should fnd a nice image of the stamps and the date ranges they were used. You can also search google patents and find the patents that are stamped on the blade.

Oh I will be sure to snap a few pics for you. You ever get started on that folder you were gonna make? Or is the new baby keepin ya busy?


-Xander

It is 0349 right now. Between work and the baby I have had less than 10 hrs sleep in the last 3 nights. Work sucks, but the baby is pretty awesome.

I did order a couple books at the library though. They came today.