"Old Knives"

willgoy said:
I agree Lyle, tang stamps are only part of the saga in ID a knife.

My guess is just before WW2 or early 50s Sheffield knives from the 60s onwards tended to use very cheap materials and inferior fit, this knife although in rough shape looks like it has decent handles and all steel bolsters.
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Good points Will :thumbup:

Mike
 
1910 to 1916 are the acknowledged dates for The Terrier Cutlery Company.

That's a great knife Michael.
 
I forgot my manners.Nice knives Barry ,Jason,Duncan,and All.

Of course Vince's benefactor again opens his private Smithsonian,thank you,and thanks Vince for helping.Let me know when and if he wants to sell his EDC farmer jacks.

Mike that's another stunner ,you have some great knives.You know it's good when Charlie gives his approval of a Robeson heritage.

I posted this in the Sheffield thread,I hope I haven't posted it here.

.Some of you have seen this one elsewhere,as a friend allowed me to to add it to my collection.

Press stag or bone(I cannot get conclusive ID)George Wostenholm IXL farmers jack
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One of the oldest and rarer maker I believe I have(a stag George Wostenholm I have is the elder,pre 1890 I've been told). It is also the only farmers jack aka rooster comb I have seen with a pen as a secondary blade.It could have been sharpened to resemble a pen,but the shape of the top of the blade seems to indicate pen.

The farmers jack is a large jack,usually almost 4" or a little larger, with the master pruner opposing a spey or rooster comb budding blade.


An Adolph Blaich Arrow San Francisco
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Oh for the love of Ford, Vince!! I thank you for bringing the joy.

And that Adolph Blaich Arrow is fantastic, Lyle!
 
willgoy said:
I've not often seen the Farmer pattern being shown on forums, you must have a substantial segment of them Lyle. Never seen one in the metal alas, but they are aesthetically pleasing and I'm sure useful. Very beautiful pattern. GEC could start offering a range of these and I'm sure they'd go down a storm. (suppose their 57 frame might do with better bolsters) I believe Queen released a few some years ago (in their not very interesting stainless). I didn't get one but they seemed rather costly for what you got, some no no etching on stainless blade finally deterred me.

These older ones are so enticing.:thumbup:

Thanks, Will
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wlfryjr said:
The #57s are not a legitimate size for these Will.These knives are all nearly 4" or a slightly bigger.I saw one of T. Bose's J.Rodgers that was 4 1/4"! Hefty single springers made to bear down for pruning. A mini would just seem out of whack to me.Cattaraugus made a smaller on a different frame.
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Will,Me and Charlie were talking before and Charlie had mentioned that GEC could make one of these on a 57 frame too.This pattern,as stated previously ,has a varied nomenclature. Pruners,farmers jacks,and a common term to many American collectors for these is "rooster combs".Charlie figured using the rooster comb theme, GEC could call them banty roosters( short for a bantam rooster,which is a short rooster:D).:D

I thought I'd give a few pictures for comparisons sake,although I am not too skilled at photography.
Shown here is Spring green bone Geppetto (3 1/2")and Schrade Walden NY USA(4 1/8")
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Shown here is Buffalo horn Geppetto(3 1/2") and Schrade Cutlery Co(4 1/8")

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It is not quite as drastic as I had thought,still considerable,but maybe manageable.I agree that rat tail or grooved bolsters would be a must.
 
I am really digging these rooster combs/farmer jacks. Very cool pattern, and one that I am wishing was still produced more. The dogleg frame is a really comfortable one to use, and I agree that the wharncliffe whittlers that GEC makes on that frame are very similar to the oldies, might make a good starting point for a reproduction or homage knife. I've been carrying a similar one lately, the Case Classic 55 whittler that I got from Gus, which is a 3.75" dogleg frame, a quarter inch longer than the GEC version. I think it's becoming a favorite pattern of mine, and is making me wish all the more for a farmer jack!

Thanks for showing them, guys! :)
 
My latest from Central Ky Knife Show.I enjoyed meeting several internet friends and knife collecting luminaries(Tony Bose,Bruce Voyles,Jim Sargent,Pete Cohan,among others)

CROWN CUTLERY CO arched over NEW YORK over MADE IN USA stamped on both blades. Levine says made in WWI c.1916-1919

The other CROWN CUT CO Levine says were German contract.c. 1910s-20s .Only those marked MADE IN USA were WWI stateside contract made.

The handles are mismatched in color but the pattern of jigging seems consistent.

I thought the pruner pin had been replaced,but seller said he thought it had revolved in place.I thought he was wrong,but now I know he was right.Upon magnification you can see the pin has turned in place.The striations on the pin(file marks left in the rat tail groove)are at a 45 degree or better angle to the marks in the bolster.I think you can see that when the image is double clicked or enlarged.Even the dark rust stains would puzzle match,if turned.Sorry MD.

These grooves(rat tails) are apparent on most knives of this pattern,and most all blades are pinned in the groove. A flaw in design,as there is no meat(thinnest place in the bolster),and the taper that allows the swelling of the pin(the blades anchor)when peened; is almost removed.Thus it leaves an almost round pin,which would allow the blade to pivot.A very weak spot for a knife that is used to bear down on tree limbs and such.Of my knives ,I have two IXLs made later with no grooves(maybe to correct the weak spot,but probably only less detailing). Notably; the pins in the Schrades and the old Empire were engineered to have that pin in the meat of the bolster(thicker part,not the groove) "Yankee ingenuity".:D

CROWN CUTLERY
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Tony and me.I'm the one without the cap.:)
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Nice knife Lyle. Wish I could have made it to the show this year, it's only about thirty miles from my home. I had knee surgery friday and it's slowing me way down. It sure would have been cool to talk to Mr. Bose at such a small event.
 
I have not posted in awhile so a few to fuel the mental illness.
2 big boys and one medium!

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Only his mother could love the looks of the one.
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Tony and me.I'm the one without the cap.:)
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clutchcarter said:
Nice knife Lyle. Wish I could have made it to the show this year, it's only about thirty miles from my home. I had knee surgery friday and it's slowing me way down. It sure would have been cool to talk to Mr. Bose at such a small event.
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I don't know if I met any members here,that I know of.God speed a quick recovery.
I tried to get Tony to understand I needed that Joseph Rodgers farmers jack Kerry posted on page 55.I couldn't quite make him understand.:)
Thanks for the nice comments.

Nice knives Rick,I hope to have one I like in a Holley soon.
My mother does love me....:D
 
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