"Old Knives"

[waynorth]

A Huge Catt!! Swell Center Balloon whittlers are usually about 3 5/8" or less, but this Cattaraugus is 4 5/16" long, with a big Spear main!!!!! All Blades are marked with Little Valley!!
(As usual, all scratches are on the scanner glass!!)

 

[waynorth]

Comparison with a Black Box Winchester!!

 

[danno50]

Beautiful Miller Bros, Mike!
Two very nice old Sheffield knives, Cal! I would give odds on the Renshaw being real tortoise shell.
Lovely Cattaraugus, Charlie! I love that big spear blade with that fantastic swedge.

 

[wlfryjr]

Wow Charlie ,that's a "kraken" good'n .

 

[Rookie82]

I would love more information on this Slater. Age, etc.

In Tweedale's book, there is no John Slater listed. However, there is a "Crookes & Slater" entry, which leads to "Crookes Brothers", who were partnered with John Slater. It says John Slater was born in 1826. The Crookes Brothers company made pen, pocket, and sportsman knives, beginning in the 1860's and still operating in 1881. By 1893, the last Crookes brother passed away, and it states he was the last surviving partner of Crookes Brothers.

 

[waynorth]

All Blades are marked with Little Valley!!

Per a request for blade closeups - there is some Etch visible!

 

[waynorth]

More old knives from the Greats!!! Ulster, Winchester, and a couple of Empires!!!

 

[black mamba]

Charlie, that large Coke bottle has a very serious clip blade, one of the best!

 

[wlfryjr]

Great knives is right Charlie, straight from the Campagna Museum.

 

[glennbad]

More old knives from the Greats!!! Ulster, Winchester, and a couple of Empires!!!View attachment 2504531View attachment 2504532

Those are beauties!

As an aside, it always bothered me (in my mind anyway) when they would put shields in upside down. Now I say in my mind, because to me they are upside down. However, I suppose if you had the blade open and were doing some cutting, the shield might then be right side up so you could read it. I guess I've seen it both ways, like in TL-29's and Schrade knives, but I guess some of the older brands did them different?

Has there ever been any type of deep discussion on that topic ever?

 

[waynorth]

Those are beauties!

As an aside, it always bothered me (in my mind anyway) when they would put shields in upside down. Now I say in my mind, because to me they are upside down. However, I suppose if you had the blade open and were doing some cutting, the shield might then be right side up so you could read it. I guess I've seen it both ways, like in TL-29's and Schrade knives, but I guess some of the older brands did them different?

Has there ever been any type of deep discussion on that topic ever?

I have had the shield discussion a few times, Glenn!! It annoys me too!!
But the flaw has occurred occasionally over the years!! I credit it to the
"inconsistency of Man"!!!
Ha Ha!!!

 

[waynorth]

Charlie, that large Coke bottle has a very serious clip blade, one of the best!

Thanks Jeff!! The knife is not that large, but the blade is quite attractive!!!
I'd call it a "medium Cokebottle" at 3 3/4"!!

 

[Rookie82]

All Blades are marked with Little Valley!!

Charlie did you see there is a Little Valley knife show this year? Focusing on all the old brands from western NY and western PA. I heard Case has stepped up and is sponsoring the show.

 

[waynorth]

Charlie did you see there is a Little Valley knife show this year? Focusing on all the old brands from western NY and western PA. I heard Case has stepped up and is sponsoring the show.

Wow, Carl!! Any more details???

 

[black mamba]

The knife is not that large, but the blade is quite attractive!!!

It's even more beautiful now that I know it's a size I would carry.

 

[Rookie82]

Wow, Carl!! Any more details???

This is all I know about it so far.

Little Valley Knife Celebration
Hosted by Brad Lockwood
Sponsored by WR Case & Sons

at Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds
Friday July 12 through Sunday July 14, with dealers allowed to set up the Thursday evening before.

 

[Mike Robuck]

Love the medium cokebottle and swell center, Charlie. wlfryjr I'll see if I can find anything on Challenge/NYK bone.

Here's a NYK Co. kit. Too bad the case is beat up but the blades and attachments don't appear to have been used. Some of the attachment covers double as rulers. I have an extra handle, but was told they typically come with two, with one punch and one blade.

 

[waynorth]

Here's a NYK Co. kit.

Nice kit, Mike!! Look at that dense jigging!! Too bad the leather is weathered. The tools look great!!!

 

[waynorth]

This is all I know about it so far.

Little Valley Knife Celebration
Hosted by Brad Lockwood
Sponsored by WR Case & Sons

at Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds
Friday July 12 through Sunday July 14, with dealers allowed to set up the Thursday evening before.

Thanks Carl!!!

 

[lambertiana]

I know that I posted this elsewhere some years back; maybe not here?
3 1/2 inches closed shadow-bolster equal-end ‘Senator’ pen knife. Four blades, 3 being different shapes of pen blades, and the fourth being a manicure blade with file surface on both sides. All blades have long nail pulls, half stops, swedged spines, file-worked spines, and are all tang-stamped STAND over T.RENSHAW (in an arch) over & SON over SHEFFIELD. All blades have good snap both opening and closing and very positive half stops. They butt up to their respective spring ends when opened in a square and flush perfect manner. All blades have a mirror or crocus polished finish and are near 100%. The brass liners are milled all 360° around the knife. The springs are file-worked in a manner matching the blade spines. There are thumb cutouts for all four nail pulls. It appears that the file cuts on the springs have been treated to gold leaf. The three pins are nickel silver. There is an elegant nickel silver shield, blank and presumably pinned. Covers are controversial; there has been some discussion amongst aficionados over this example as to whether they are celluloid or sea turtle (commonly called tortoise). This is undecided. There is a substantial pin crack on the mark side on the end hosting the manicure blade. There is a piece missing from the analogous pin on the pile side, on the end hosting the largest blade. This knife was probably carried to some degree but I see no evidence of sharpening or use. It has its own molded leather two-part slip case, like a little telescoping box. When opened we see a cartouche in gold leaf “THOS RENSHAW” in an arch, over & SON over SHEFFIELD in a reverse arch, all in an outlined oval. This little knife was absolute top-of-the-line Ladies’ or Gentlemen’s knife. Goins says 1859 to 1900 for this company.

View attachment 2503671View attachment 2503672View attachment 2503673View attachment 2503674View attachment 2503675View attachment 2503676View attachment 2503677View attachment 2503678View attachment 2503679

Wow! That knife has every possible feature of quality craftsmanship.
I don't know much about determining real from faux 'tortoise', but it doesn't seem like the kind of knife the cutler would hold back on top-of-the-line materials. Assuming the real stuff was available, it's hard to imagine putting in that much work and then covering it in celluloid...

I agree with Rachel, it would be hard to imagine putting celluloid on a knife that is so obviously made for the upper class. Have you looked at the handle with a loupe to see if there are lines visible? Sea turtle will appear similar to cow horn, with lines. It's hard to tell for sure, but it looks like there are visible lines in your second picture.

A Huge Catt!! Swell Center Balloon whittlers are usually about 3 5/8" or less, but this Cattaraugus is 4 5/16" long, with a big Spear main!!!!! All Blades are marked with Little Valley!!View attachment 2503901View attachment 2503903View attachment 2503904
(As usual, all scratches are on the scanner glass!!)

That Catt is ready for hard work!

More old knives from the Greats!!! Ulster, Winchester, and a couple of Empires!!!View attachment 2504531View attachment 2504532

I have always wanted one of those Ulster whittlers. Something about them really gets me going...