Old Imperial knife

K

Kyp Degal

Joined
Sep 25, 2005
Messages
513
Hey all, just wanted to know if anybody could help me figure out what exact knife this Imperial is...

3f382fd3.jpg

(bottom knife)

Measurements:

Closed: 3 1/4"
Blade: 2 1/2"
Open/Overall: 5 3/4"

It has a single, wide sheepsfoot blade (slip-joint), what appear to be brass liners, a faux wood handle, a steel bolster at the blade end of the handle and a large Boy Scout Knife style lanyard ring. It seems to have a carbon steel blade. The tang is stamped:

Imperial__U
PROV. R.I. S
__________A

(Minus th "_"'s, of course)

I would greatly appreciate any ideas as to what this might be, and, of lesser importance, what it might be worth. It was given to my dad by a co-worker at least 10 years ago, probably 15 or more. (he can't remember exactly)

Thanks in advance,

Kyp
 
The closest knife I have to it is a 175RB, which is Schrade's florist knife that was in their catalog up until 2004. The 175 has same blade shape, but without the shackle on the end of the knife.
I don't have any info on your knife, but keep checking back, someone will be along soon with information on your knife.

Welcome to the Schrade forum.
 
It's a rope knife. For, of course, cutting rope, usually aboard a boat. The sailer would rest the blade of the knife on the rope and smack it with something heavy, like a belaying pin or some such. You may read dribble if you study up on these that the end of the knife was blunt, so sailors couldn't stab one another. No, it was for strength. The bail was for attaching a line to, to keep from losing it overboard. I've gotta few of these by Schrade & Schrade/Walden.

This example has the 'easy opener' feature on the handle.

As far as date... I dunna no. It looks like a qaulity made knife, and Imperial certainly could make a good knife when they set their minds to it. The older ones prove that. They just happened to be the low-end brand of the Imperial-Schrade family.

Thanks for bringing us your question!!

Phil
 
Thanks tremendously, textoothpk.

I found it while cleaning out a dresser I never use a few days ago, and my dad said a co-worker had given it to him(years and years ago, before he went blind). At the time he had never heard of Imperial, and thought it was just a cheap "beer-can knife". A couple of years later he gave it to me, long before I learned to sharpen a knife. Since it was incredibly dull, I never even used it, but when I re-discovered it the other day, I realized that it was an Imperial, which I had learned from this very forum made good knives. So I thought someone here might could identify it. It seems I was right. :)

(Oh, and since that picture I have cleaned it up a bit and sharpened it.)

Thank you again, textoothpk.

(P.S.: Sorry for the rambling...)

Kyp
 
I've got that very same knife in near mint condition, picked it up off ebay for a pitance. I don't actually know any more of its history than you do, it just seems like a open stock production item that never got much attention. I do like the pattern though, sort of a mini rope knife.

I will hazard a guess that because the knife looks similar to some knives made for Sears that I've seen, electricians knife pattern is the most common one, that maybe this was a model that wasn't accepted for that line and was just made under the Imperial name for a short time. Pure speculation on my part.

As I've said before, older Imperials and Colonials are fun to collect because so many little variations were produced over the years that you never know what will turn up. Put that with the fact that most can be had very cheap and you can make yourself a nice little collection of oddball variations and patterns.
 
I've got that very same knife in near mint condition...
Click to expand...

Cool. It sharpened up very well, it's now shaving sharp. I plan on using it for the stuff I don't need my CS Gunsite II for... more sheeple friendly.:) In fact, it's in my pocket as I type.

I will hazard a guess that because the knife looks similar to some knives made for Sears that I've seen, electricians knife pattern is the most common one, that maybe this was a model that wasn't accepted for that line and was just made under the Imperial name for a short time. Pure speculation on my part.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a reasonable idea.

Thanks everybody for your replies,

Kyp
 
Those are the best ones!

I have quite a few of those shell handle Imperial knives.

Doesn't matter the condition, it's the memories that they bring back that make them valuable.

Thanks for sharing.

Glenn
 
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