Old Angler Knife...

Z

Zerileous

Joined
Dec 30, 2004
Messages
267
I belive this is a schrade, since the blade is stamped on line one with "Imperial" and line two with "Prov. USA". It has yellow plastic scales (i belive desigend to be artificial ivory, but htey are very thin). It has a 4" clip point blade that is less than a half inch from the spine to the edge. It also has a 4" scaler with a bottle opener and what I belive to be a hook remover on the tip. 9" OAL Here is a pic:
oal_post.JPG

For more detailed pics, go to:
http://home.kc.rr.com/zerileous/Angler/

Any info on aprox age, value, or history, as well as storage/restoration/maintanace would be appreciated.

A little history: This was my ganddad's knife, it was in the tool box, then my dad got the toolbox and the knife, it sat around, then i got interested in knives and decided to figure out what it is, so i snaped some pics with the digicam.

If anyone needs more detailed pics, I can emial them, the ones on the link are only 40% of the actual size.

Thanks.
 
yes, looks linke an old anglers knife made by imperial (maybe celluloid?)!! Imerial was not always owned by schrade, looks like the one you have was made long before schrade ever bought imperial.
 
interesting, from my knowledge of celluloid, this is not it. there isnt a grain or anything. If you look at where the material has shrunk near the bolsters, you can shee how thin it is, less than a mm thickover the stainless liners. It makes more since that schrade isnt on the stamp now.
Thanks.
 
The knife you own is important in that it was your Grand dads, and that it is an example of how Imperial knives survived so long, through some difficult economic times. It's a shell handle knife, that is the bolsters and handles are one piece of metal, stamped out, with a thin layer of celluloid attached to it. Look at the end bolster, and then at the blade end, and you will see a couple of tabs that are fitting into slots on the brass liners. This process was developed in Germany, and Imperial bought the rights to make them here in this country.

For a while, Imperial was cranking out 100,000 of them a day. You'll see some of these knives with the tang mark 'Hammer', and that was a result of New York Knife company going under and Imperial buying the brand mark. You'll see others marked 'Diamond Edge', another brand name they picked up. See what I mean about how Imperial thrived and grew thanks to these knives while other companies tanked?

Here's some pics, the first showing the construction of these knives. At least one of them was in just as bad a shape as your Grand dads. Easy to take apart, spreading the top (blade end) tabs away from the liner, then pushing down, to let the bottom tab slide out. After you have cleaned and sanded and shined up... put back together. If you break a tab, just silicon glue the handle on. In the next pic you'll see some of the different multicolored celluloid shells, all made by Imperial. These are all Toothpicks, or Fishing knives, as your Grand dad's was, but all sorts of patterns were made.

Now... If I mix up the handles while I am putting these togther... and one side is black and one side is red... I have what is called a 'Salesman Sample' knife, and the price has just jumped!

Nice of you to stop in. If I have missed anything, one of the real experts here will set us straight.

Phil

Note on cleaning the celluloid: Carefully. Just soap and water. you can polish the bolster ends.

Schrade note: The History of Schrade, Imperial, Ulster and Camillus is long and colorful and very interconnected. Add to this mix the names of Alber and Henry Baer and it really gets interesting.
 
No. Celluloid is what it is and nature is just taking it's course. But it has lasted this long, and no doubt it will last for a while longer. A little car wax will shine it up nicely, but I would not use that on solid Cell.

Phil
 
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