"Old Knives"

[lambertiana]

Interesting motif. What kind of business was Casa Viamonte?

 

[aught12]

Some nice knives posted above ... especially like those HJs Charlie and Duncan


Here are a few different old knives for this thread and I say with a grin not associated with cutting apples but I guess someone could if they wanted .. Two old dirks or maybe more appropriately daggers with different origins but both with that classic swedge associated with these single edge cutting blades running along the spine from tang to tip (though the Frosolone knife is technically called a sfilato from its Italian roots)…. Just as an aside I think the terminology is somewhat cloudy and confusing for dirk vs dagger and it no doubt depends on who you read - I believe technically these are dirks (despite some who define daggers as double cutting edge knives) - small daggers in Scotland are called dirks and are single cutting edges – yet large pointed symmetrical blade that are almost short swords are also called dirks or daggers again depending who you read.... guess I’ll go with dirk for the first knife which can be defined as a small dagger ….

This first dirk found on a local antique barn hunt appears that it was most likely made in Sheffield or one of the other areas for cutlery in the UK though I can’t rule out early American either (showing to a few other collectors I heard Sheffield as most likely and recently I saw an old Sheffield made jack that was a barehead and squared off as seen in this knife so essentially the same design – so at least the style was possible from Sheffield) – absolutely no signs of a tang stamp or makers mark so tough to identify in terms of a maker… anyway all iron construction including liners, bolster and lockback… still a very functional knife with snap and solid, and the lock-back works perfectly. This knife no doubt was well carried for years – the stag is very pocket worn and no doubt thin from years of carry which to me is pretty cool – it does look like there was 2 pins added to the mark side handle and done very cleanly which probably reinforced the stag to the liner but have no clue when along the way this was done as a means to preserve the handle cover (from a personal standpoint it is not something I would do but this knife may have lost the mark side stag if not for the extra pins so in a way I’m good with it – no doubt rest of pins are all original… my guess on age of knife is +/- mid 1800s… no doubt this was the type of knife carried as a weapon but probably could have seen some other cutting purposes as well… Closed length is 4 & 1/2”…

The second is not one I ordinarily collect as it is outside my geographic collecting zone but I couldn’t resist it a few years ago when discovered on another local hunt at an “antique” barn – I categorize these knives as my “special opportunities” part of my accumulation … The knife is stamped and made in Frosolone (Italy) and Frosolone was no doubt an important center of knife making in the world in the latter 1800s - early 1900s and still today has some active cutleries though not as numerous as the past.. I believe in 1900 there were more than eighty cutlery shops in addition to a big steel industry… Like the first one this also has all iron construction and despite the crack and few marks on horn handles it is a very solid knife (that crack in the horn on mark side is solid and not going anywhere and most likely occurred with age and drying)… These knives were termed sfilatos in Italy and many cutlers made this design. Interesting that the stamp of “Frosolone” is upside down in terms of what is normally seen on tang stamps in addition to no maker mark… as I read about Frosolone in the late 1800s it was in a sense very much like Sheffield with many makers and shops, lots of apprentices etc, and thus very hard if not impossible now to nail down the maker… knives from Frosolone were known for blade stamps or etches rather than found conventionally on the tang but I suppose both were done pending the cutler – additionally not all cutlers used their name as some only stamped Frosolone… Frosolone still has some knife makers today and I sent photos of this knife to a current Frosolone cutler who appears to be well versed in Frosolone history – he confirmed the knife was made in the latter quarter of the1800s and no later than very early 1900s… he noted it was a classic design in all ways for that time period based on materials etc. Some other background reading noted that when lockback knives became illegal in Italy in 1871 this folding sfilato was developed and continued as a style still associated with Frosolone today… Closed length is 4 & 7/8” …

Cheers!
Lee

 

[tongueriver]

Where and when did this post come from, years ago? What page was it on? I know Lee.

 

[waynorth]

Yeah, I looked for it also!!

 

[Oldy]

my oldest knife,it's amazing how tough hardwood was back in The day,now with all the chemicals in the soil the hardwood only lasts about 2 or 3 years,or maybe not lol.

 

[Tyson A Wright]

Where and when did this post come from, years ago? What page was it on? I know Lee.

Yeah, I looked for it also!!

Click on the user name at the top of the quoted post and it takes you to the original post. So click on "LongBlade" and it shows that the original poast was in this thread in 2017.

 

[waynorth]

Click on the user name at the top of the quoted post and it takes you to the original post. So click on "LongBlade" and it shows that the original poast was in this thread in 2017.

Thanks for that tip!!! I've run into that dilemma many times!!

 

[tongueriver]

Thank you! I need to give Lee a call; I think that has been a very long time that he has posted here.

 

[olisteinb]

I picked up this sweet little Furness Barlow on Ebay. I'm not sure how old it is.

 

[waynorth]

I picked up this sweet little Furness Barlow on Ebay. I'm not sure how old it is.

Nice find!! Lots of blade left, and great sawcut handles!!!!!

 

[RickHuf]

I am well aware of how thrashed this old bugger is, but I was hoping someone can point me in the direction to get started reading about these knives. There doesn't seem to be much around on Google.

Harris Bros & Co, Chicago Ill on the tang stamp. Really neat looking celluloid. All pinned construction. Nickel bolsters. Long pull and swedge on a clip blade. It was, in its day, a decently made slim trapper.

Someone obviously loved it. I found it in a very old desk where I believe it's been used to open letters for the last many decades of its life.

Still sharp as a razor too, despite missing so much blade. Smooth and snappy as well lol! Shame that it's in the condition it's in, but neat none the less

As far as I can tell from searching, it's probably pushing a hundred years old give or take.

If anyone has any thoughts on the company or could possibly go into detail about it a bit I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks for any consideration

 

[Campbellclanman]

Whatever you do my friend, keep that gassing Celluloid right away from any other knives you have, it will eat them alive- like it is doing to the liners of that Knife now!
Your knife is really going to town, its under the Bolster- you can see the tang starting to go now too.
I used to own a Harris Bros Fixed Blade, I really regretted selling that one! I think it had on the cover a birthday engraving to a young man in 1926.
Harris Bros were not a manufacturer, so is your Knife a Case, Remington etc etc I don't know?
Harris Bros in Levine 4: 1915
Harris Bros in Goins: 1915 - 1926.

 

[RickHuf]

Whatever you do my friend, keep that gassing Celluloid right away from any other knives you have, it will eat them alive- like it is doing to the liners of that Knife now!
Your knife is really going to town, its under the Bolster- you can see the tang starting to go now too.
I used to own a Harris Bros Fixed Blade, I really regretted selling that one! I think it had on the cover a birthday engraving to a young man in 1926.
Harris Bros were not a manufacturer, so is your Knife a Case, Remington etc etc I don't know?
Harris Bros in Levine 4: 1915
Harris Bros in Goins: 1915 - 1926.

Thank you!

Yes it'll be well away from any other knives! It looks like heat got to it or maybe it is just deteriorating that badly. Ugh!

That's good Info about them not making the knife I do wonder who then. A good mystery. Should be fun to search it out!

 

[waynorth]

I am well aware of how thrashed this old bugger is, but I was hoping someone can point me in the direction to get started reading about these knives. There doesn't seem to be much around on Google.

Harris Bros & Co, Chicago Ill on the tang stamp. Really neat looking celluloid. All pinned construction. Nickel bolsters. Long pull and swedge on a clip blade. It was, in its day, a decently made slim trapper.

Someone obviously loved it. I found it in a very old desk where I believe it's been used to open letters for the last many decades of its life.

Still sharp as a razor too, despite missing so much blade. Smooth and snappy as well lol! Shame that it's in the condition it's in, but neat none the less

As far as I can tell from searching, it's probably pushing a hundred years old give or take.

If anyone has any thoughts on the company or could possibly go into detail about it a bit I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks for any consideration

View attachment 2789844View attachment 2789845View attachment 2789846

Once a beauty, that cool celluloid is deconstructing itself and the knife pretty badly!
The off-gassing is acidic!!
You now have a science project, which needs to be isolated from other nice objects, as you watch it deteriorate further!!

 

[RickHuf]

Once a beauty, that cool celluloid is deconstructing itself and the knife pretty badly!
The off-gassing is acidic!!
You now have a science project, which needs to be isolated from other nice objects, as you watch it deteriorate further!!

Wow I've seen celluloid watch crystals deteriorate and I've seen it eat watch hands and destroy metal dials and rust steel watch cases.... But I've never seen it actually rot itself away like that on an old knife. Holy cow.

I guess I could rip it off and put something new on it. If the blade wasn't so far gone.... Lol. Seems like it's doomed anyhow.

Thanks!

 

[waynorth]

I guess I could rip it off and put something new on it. If the blade wasn't so far gone.... Lol. Seems like it's doomed anyhow.

Yup!! Science project for sure!! Keep it in a small sealed container, and check it every few months!! Progress (if you can call it that) pics would make an interesting thread!!

 

[tongueriver]

Some of the old celluloid holds up remarkably well, I think both a function of storage and original curing. I have one that is about a hundred years old that is still tip top. The old yaller 835Y Schrade Walden stockman knives were all suicidal, but then they made the same pattern in yellow Delrin® which is still around and still fine, of course. That particular pattern deserves an analysis of its (correct spelling) own for interesting reasons.
Meanwhile, I thought that it would be fun to show these pre-World War One Schrade Cutcos with arched stamps because they give me a warm Valentine's Day feeling of love and affection. They both have seen a little use and have been buffed but have crisp snaps and good double stops where indicated. The old pick bone and hammered pins make me very happy.

 

[tongueriver]

Pic's number 11 and 12

 

[tongueriver]

Here is an old Utica with celluloid covers that still looks pretty good. A little shrinkage, but I think that happened fairly soon after manufacture and then stabilized. It would be nice to know how old this one is, but it is definitely slightly older than I. And maybe my Dad as well. But not Grandpa. He was hatched a week before Custer encountered karma in 1876.

 

[danno50]

Wow, Cal, those two arched stamp Schrades are spectacular! I love that old pick bone! Lovely celluloid on the Utica!