"Old Knives"

WinMag775 said:
This guy arrived on Friday, and Im very tickled with it to say the least! 3 1/2in W. Bingham Co. Cleveland, O

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Nice condition!!! (A Loomfixer?? - Probably by Ulster!!!)
 
WinMag775 said:
Thank you Charlie! Tbo, I have no idea what the pattern name is. AI is calling it an Ulster made Double-End Pruner or Hawkbill & Spey Gardener’s Knife.
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I suspect AI is a little confused!! It's not a double-end knife! It's a two-blade Jack, which I suspect is a Loom-Fixer! A double-ender has two pivots!!
The spey blade is used to make that blade able to snip a thread without getting the wrong one! (Hence the "flattened" side of the point) The "pruner" makes a quick snip/cut possible!!
But it could have been intended for Budding and Grafting??? Or both???? 😁
Here is a Case Loomfixer - a bit different!!LoomFixer.jpg
 
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waynorth said:
I suspect AI is a little confused!! It's not a double-end knife! It's a two-blade Jack, which I suspect is a Loom-Fixer! A double-ender has two pivots!!
The spey blade is used to make that blade able to snip a thread without getting the wrong one! (Hence the "flattened" side of the point) The "pruner" makes a quick snip/cut possible!!
But it could have been intended for Budding and Grafting??? Or both???? 😁
Here is a Case Loomfixer - a bit different!!View attachment 3170525
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Thanks for the information Charlie. And what a beautiful 6217! Ive had my ear to the ground for a nice Tested 2217. One of these days I'll cross paths with one!
 
This little Robeson was a rusty mess, but now it's a perfectly functional knife. After a lot of Scotch-Brite rubbing I managed to uncover the tang stamp and dated to 1922-39. The pile side tang stamp is completely removed so I don't know the model number.

Robeson Jigged Bone Boys Knife 1922-39.JPGRobeson ShurEdge Boys Knife Before.jpg
 
dma1965 said:
I don’t think it’s a loom fixer. Every loom fixer I’ve ever seen has a sheep’s foot blade. If you look at the GEC Farmer Jack the budding blade is essentially a spey blade. This one is definitely a pruner.
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You may be right!! A budding/grafting Pruner!! Same gear as a Farmer's Jack!!
 
Those of you who are older probably would remember "The Island of Misfit Toys" from the 1964 animated special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I think I have "The Island of Mistreated Knives" in my collection. I don't understand why anyone would take an angle grinder or bench grinder anywhere near a knife blade but plenty of folks do. It makes me want to cry. Both of these have seen something other than a whetstone in the past. It's a damn shame as both were fine knives at one time. Robeson harness jack 1916-39 and Remington serpentine jack 1922-33.

Robeson ShurEdge Jigged Bone Harness Jack 1916-39 Remington Brown Jigged Bone Serpentine Jack ...JPG
 
majorpain1 said:
I don't understand why anyone would take an angle grinder or bench grinder anywhere near a knife blade but plenty of folks do. It makes me want to cry.
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haha that is a good description of my dad. That old farmer mentality where you don't get the right tool for the job, you just get whatever is close enough to save time/money. As I got older, I forbid him from ever sharpening any of his knives ever again. I get him knives occasionally as gifts, with a stern look, and say if it ever needs sharpened, bring it back to me and I'll do it for you.
 
galvanic1882 said:
Just picked up these 2 large, 4 1/4” closed whittlers. Both are marked J. M. Smith York. Can’t find any reference to this maker. Thinking maybe they were made for them?View attachment 3172388View attachment 3172389View attachment 3172390
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Two Stunners there- Wow!
majorpain1 said:
Those of you who are older probably would remember "The Island of Misfit Toys" from the 1964 animated special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I think I have "The Island of Mistreated Knives" in my collection. I don't understand why anyone would take an angle grinder or bench grinder anywhere near a knife blade but plenty of folks do. It makes me want to cry. Both of these have seen something other than a whetstone in the past. It's a damn shame as both were fine knives at one time. Robeson harness jack 1916-39 and Remington serpentine jack 1922-33.

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Great Knives-still a nice full blade on the HJ!
 
majorpain1 said:
Those of you who are older probably would remember "The Island of Misfit Toys" from the 1964 animated special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I think I have "The Island of Mistreated Knives" in my collection. I don't understand why anyone would take an angle grinder or bench grinder anywhere near a knife blade but plenty of folks do. It makes me want to cry. Both of these have seen something other than a whetstone in the past. It's a damn shame as both were fine knives at one time. Robeson harness jack 1916-39 and Remington serpentine jack 1922-33.

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Knives like that are the most fun to carry and use! 😅 No concern about hurting the collector value.

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majorpain1 said:
That's what I thought too when I bid on it, but it is just an optical illusion. It's a good 1/2-3/4" short. Thanks
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Ok- well there you go- you can still see the Belly on the Blade etc.
Very nice Bone that’s for sure, and hey….. A nice old Harness Jack user is a good thing as there isn’t any guilt factor about using an old mint one as R8shell shared with us- and she has some real neat Oldies that still gladly do a days work! 😊👍
 
Yeah! That's a neat old Barlow alright! great catch! I agree about those older nail nicks, the older bigger ones just add something don't they- I always enjoy these on the older Sheffield's.
It's interesting there was no saw cut on the gorgeous old Bone.
 
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