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- Nov 15, 2007
- Messages
- 3,372
Thank you Jack.
Great old MOP Congress knives.
Mike
Great old MOP Congress knives.
Mike
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
"Old Knives"
- Thread starter VCM3
- Start date
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Just wonderful knives!! Very classy. I really enjoyed seeing them. Thanks
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2007
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I don't believe in queens, not shelf and not in a drawer
Use it while you can but don't abuse it.
Mike
I do not use the pearl knife. I would just break the pearl when I dropped it. I carry the R3645 jig bone some because I like the Muskrat blade. I carry some old knives and some newer stuff depending on what I am doing. A friend just talked me out of the pearl and this other Remington pearl whittler yesterday. Should not have had them out for photos when he came over to visit. He likes the pearls. .
Last edited:
wlfryjr
Gold Member
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- Messages
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Of all my collection of farmers jacks this one's special. A great gift of a rare knife from David Anthony.These were handled with a material called Fibestos,likened to old black sewer drain pipes David said.
I met David at this years Queen Cut Knife Show and we discussed this knife.It was a gift to him from his good friend Fran Robb(Sauconian) because Fran knew David collected knives with Pa stamps.It was David's only example of this stamp ,and in a later phone conversation,he said he would trade this knife to me if I could find another like stamped knife.He understands our passions,as all we who truly appreciate our little museums do,but David maybe moreso.It is a CU Liggit Phila,a floral and gardener wholesaler.I have been unable to find one,yet the knife came to me irregardless.I continue to search and can use all of your help in replacing this stamp for David.
Jack,it's got a rooster comb blade(barksplitter with thumb rest),like the Tina of yours Sarah admired.I thought it appropriate to elaborate somewhat after the comments by Sarah about my acquisitions of these knives.Yes Sarah I am blessed,whatever magnetism (whatever)comes from above.
I'll let Rich Langston describe it in this post he made in 2006.I have asked his permission and he was gracious enough to let me use it before.
" Rescue and return of Farmer Jack"
As I have said in the past Rarity and condition are two of the biggest factors to be considered by the collector. Often times if a knife is very rare the condition is not as important as it would be on a model or pattern not as unusual or as difficult to obtain. Once in a while you will find a knife which is both rare and in excellent condition. Even more rare is to find an example to which you can validate with a history or provanance. In the past this was not as difficult to do as it is today. In the past people did not know what they had. In todays market the public is much more informed and growing more so each day. The exception to this is when a knife is so rare that people do not recognize it or you know something about that is not generally known or understood. Then once in a while a knife will ( so to speak ) fly under the radar.
I recently received a knife that I purchased on ebay. It is a S7309F (see pic catalogue ref) which is a 4,1/8" Budding and Pruning knife. These were also called farmers jacks, farmer knives, and Wharncliff jacks. These knives had an unusual patterned budding blade with a bark loosener and a pruning blade. This model was handled in Fibestos. This was a very early step up from celluloid and more stable. They also made this knife in a bolstered, shielded bone stag version # S7303 as well as an imi ivory cell version #S7304W. While celluloid and jigged bone can be replaced the original Fibestos is and never will be available again. The fact is that ( relatively ) very few of these were made, as well as this materials property of getting brittle over the years ( it was a form of early plastic) and breaking, means that very few examples in good condition even exist and most of those are in more common patterns that these materials were used on.
While years ago I did own a jigged bone version. I was forced to trade it to another collector as part of 8 knives I traded for a Press Button Guardian. I needed the knife for a book I was writing and really had no other choice. Since then I have seen a couple they were part of the Schrade collection. The only one I have ever seen in fibestos was the one in this collection and it was in pristene condition. When it was announced that Schrade would be selling its collection piece by piece at auction upon liquidation. A 30 page individual listing of these knives was put out. I still have that copy and on page 6 it lists the knife to which I refer. I had noted it to bid on it. ( see pic actual listing from originaly listed pieces ) . As we all know the auction never happened Smokey cut a deal bought it all and has been selling it.
I remembered seeing the knife and it was listed on page 6 of 30 on panel #7B. Because of my affialiation with Schrade I had taken pictures of these panels but since Smokey was on the way to pick them up at the time I was a bit rushed and did not number the panels. Now looking through I cannot find the exact knife however I included a pic of the bone version in the collection which was also on a panel just to show how they were displayed. ( see pic). Schrade made many variations of budding knives most were quite common this model was not.
This knife was apparently sold to a ( well known dealer ) who put it on ebay. He lists it as coming from the Schrade collection and having been bought from Smokey. A couple of well known names bid on it and i sniped it . Sniping is about the only way I seem to be able to bid anything since as soon as I bid early usually other bidders jump in ( from all over). I do not know if it is because of me or everyone has that problem but sniping is fair as far as I am concerned. In this case I paid 130 plus shipping. I was amazed and would have gone much higher ( higher than any sane person would have). The knife is perfect it is like holding a piece of living history. A truly rare pattern in a rare material in Near mint condition. To me this is a treasure.
I have related this story only to show that these items are out there, and present, to the modern collector one of the last opportunitys to save these bits of history and in some cases find items at flea markets and garage sales worth many time what they pay for them. It like any field requires study and determination. I would strongly suggest any reference books available. References aside from informing the reader whet the appetite. This old farmer is back home surrounded by its contemporarys, in a 80 year old Schrade Cutlery display case ( the way it should be ). "
While searching the internet for information about this pattern ,I came upon the above post.It further inspired me to collect this pattern and specifically look for this knife and the bone version (S7303) with the flat blades .I've only seen the one Fibestos Rich has and the one I now own, this gift from David. Although the handles deteriorated,it is unused and rare.It is also the only actual farmers jack I know of with double springs.Notice also the very thick brass liners on this shadow pattern,which Schrade advertised in their Catalog E 1936 supplement cut.
The pièce de résistance ,it has custom walnut handles done by David himself.Thank you David.
Schrade S7309F CU Liggit Phila
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
I met David at this years Queen Cut Knife Show and we discussed this knife.It was a gift to him from his good friend Fran Robb(Sauconian) because Fran knew David collected knives with Pa stamps.It was David's only example of this stamp ,and in a later phone conversation,he said he would trade this knife to me if I could find another like stamped knife.He understands our passions,as all we who truly appreciate our little museums do,but David maybe moreso.It is a CU Liggit Phila,a floral and gardener wholesaler.I have been unable to find one,yet the knife came to me irregardless.I continue to search and can use all of your help in replacing this stamp for David.
Jack,it's got a rooster comb blade(barksplitter with thumb rest),like the Tina of yours Sarah admired.I thought it appropriate to elaborate somewhat after the comments by Sarah about my acquisitions of these knives.Yes Sarah I am blessed,whatever magnetism (whatever)comes from above.
I'll let Rich Langston describe it in this post he made in 2006.I have asked his permission and he was gracious enough to let me use it before.
" Rescue and return of Farmer Jack"
As I have said in the past Rarity and condition are two of the biggest factors to be considered by the collector. Often times if a knife is very rare the condition is not as important as it would be on a model or pattern not as unusual or as difficult to obtain. Once in a while you will find a knife which is both rare and in excellent condition. Even more rare is to find an example to which you can validate with a history or provanance. In the past this was not as difficult to do as it is today. In the past people did not know what they had. In todays market the public is much more informed and growing more so each day. The exception to this is when a knife is so rare that people do not recognize it or you know something about that is not generally known or understood. Then once in a while a knife will ( so to speak ) fly under the radar.
I recently received a knife that I purchased on ebay. It is a S7309F (see pic catalogue ref) which is a 4,1/8" Budding and Pruning knife. These were also called farmers jacks, farmer knives, and Wharncliff jacks. These knives had an unusual patterned budding blade with a bark loosener and a pruning blade. This model was handled in Fibestos. This was a very early step up from celluloid and more stable. They also made this knife in a bolstered, shielded bone stag version # S7303 as well as an imi ivory cell version #S7304W. While celluloid and jigged bone can be replaced the original Fibestos is and never will be available again. The fact is that ( relatively ) very few of these were made, as well as this materials property of getting brittle over the years ( it was a form of early plastic) and breaking, means that very few examples in good condition even exist and most of those are in more common patterns that these materials were used on.
While years ago I did own a jigged bone version. I was forced to trade it to another collector as part of 8 knives I traded for a Press Button Guardian. I needed the knife for a book I was writing and really had no other choice. Since then I have seen a couple they were part of the Schrade collection. The only one I have ever seen in fibestos was the one in this collection and it was in pristene condition. When it was announced that Schrade would be selling its collection piece by piece at auction upon liquidation. A 30 page individual listing of these knives was put out. I still have that copy and on page 6 it lists the knife to which I refer. I had noted it to bid on it. ( see pic actual listing from originaly listed pieces ) . As we all know the auction never happened Smokey cut a deal bought it all and has been selling it.
I remembered seeing the knife and it was listed on page 6 of 30 on panel #7B. Because of my affialiation with Schrade I had taken pictures of these panels but since Smokey was on the way to pick them up at the time I was a bit rushed and did not number the panels. Now looking through I cannot find the exact knife however I included a pic of the bone version in the collection which was also on a panel just to show how they were displayed. ( see pic). Schrade made many variations of budding knives most were quite common this model was not.
This knife was apparently sold to a ( well known dealer ) who put it on ebay. He lists it as coming from the Schrade collection and having been bought from Smokey. A couple of well known names bid on it and i sniped it . Sniping is about the only way I seem to be able to bid anything since as soon as I bid early usually other bidders jump in ( from all over). I do not know if it is because of me or everyone has that problem but sniping is fair as far as I am concerned. In this case I paid 130 plus shipping. I was amazed and would have gone much higher ( higher than any sane person would have). The knife is perfect it is like holding a piece of living history. A truly rare pattern in a rare material in Near mint condition. To me this is a treasure.
I have related this story only to show that these items are out there, and present, to the modern collector one of the last opportunitys to save these bits of history and in some cases find items at flea markets and garage sales worth many time what they pay for them. It like any field requires study and determination. I would strongly suggest any reference books available. References aside from informing the reader whet the appetite. This old farmer is back home surrounded by its contemporarys, in a 80 year old Schrade Cutlery display case ( the way it should be ). "
While searching the internet for information about this pattern ,I came upon the above post.It further inspired me to collect this pattern and specifically look for this knife and the bone version (S7303) with the flat blades .I've only seen the one Fibestos Rich has and the one I now own, this gift from David. Although the handles deteriorated,it is unused and rare.It is also the only actual farmers jack I know of with double springs.Notice also the very thick brass liners on this shadow pattern,which Schrade advertised in their Catalog E 1936 supplement cut.
The pièce de résistance ,it has custom walnut handles done by David himself.Thank you David.
Schrade S7309F CU Liggit Phila
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2011
- Messages
- 15,193
Fantastic post, Lyle!! Thanks for sharing the joy.
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- Nov 15, 2007
- Messages
- 3,372
Thanks Lyle very interesting knife with a unique story that goes with it, thanks for sharing.
Mike
Mike
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- Feb 1, 2012
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- 11,783
Those are always the best knives.
What a great 'comb' on this one, Lyle! :thumbup:
Thanks for sharing the knife, and your knowledge of its history.
~ P.
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2005
- Messages
- 69,511
What a fascinating post Lyle, I was spell-bound! A fascinating knife too of course. A big hand all round :thumbup:
galvanic1882
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2007
- Messages
- 1,226
Great post Lyle and yes David is a great guy as are you! Here is one I just picked up that has a few years on it. It is marked Cattaraugus Cut Co with no Little Valley. Both the cutting blade and the saw are marked the same. 
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- Dec 2, 2005
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Long-term Traditionals members may recall me rattling on from time to time about a Sheffield friction folder I remember being sold in the 1970's. It was sold as something like 'The Original One-Handed Knife', but I couldn't recall the manufacturer. I've finally come across a knife, which while much older, is of a similar pattern to the one I recall. This one is made by Wade & Butcher, and sold as the Sheldon friction folder or Sheldon knife.
