"Old Knives"

[Jack Black]

Thank you Joe, you too my friend

 

[BigBiscuit]

Jack, your assessment of the term Tackler is correct. That's the type of work I've done most of my life. Very loud environment with hearing protection required. Over the years we also developed a crude sign language unique to us for much of our communication while working on the equipment. We weren't issued knives, but we all carry them. Funny though as times have changed and my company (a large company which I would bet most here use their products)was bought out, the new company issued a no knife policy. Most of us in that role still carry and it's pretty much overlooked as long as our choice of carry knife is of a useful non threatening type, ie; no modern folders for the most part. More of what we refer to as the pussification of modern society.
Of course I'm not working right now as I'm still out on medical disability, but I'm hoping to retire soon. I don't feel like I fit in this modern workforce anymore. I can fix any piece of equipment there, but when it comes all their kool-aid drinking policies and paperwork, I have a problem.
Anyways, knives like yours Jack were an everyday tool in the Industrial Age. That's a nice survivor.

 

[Jack Black]

Very interesting to read that Bob, thanks my friend :thumbup:

 

[thawk]

There were a lot of cotton and woollen mills in the area where I live Joe, and tacklers were much like fitters in factories. So when there was a stoppage or a breakdown of some sort, the tacklers would come in to tackle the problem, and get the looms working again as quickly as possible. Obviously it was an important job, and a knife seems to have been essential because the tacklers were generally issued with knives, rather than having to provide their own. This one still has a pretty sharp edge on it (and 'clean and square' joints, which I forgot to photograph). The wooden object in my photographs is actually an old loom spindle. I know a few old tacklers, and one of the things people who worked in the mills have told me is that it was so noisy in there, everyone communicated by lip-reading and sign language. They practised it to such an extent that if two friends saw each other across a road, they might not bother to cross, but would just converse silently as they did at work.

Interesting piece of history, Jack and Bob! What do you figure that thin sharp wharncliffe was used for in the mill? Was Wheat Sheaf the name of a mill by chance?

 

[Old & In The Way]

Interesting piece of history, Jack and Bob! What do you figure that thin sharp wharncliffe was used for in the mill? Was Wheat Sheaf the name of a mill by chance?

I'll let Jack or Bob speak to why the wharncliffe blade would've been favored by Tacklers in that era, but will try to address the second part of your question. A sheaf of wheat was the mark used by Wheatley Brothers, and likely a play on the surname of William Thomas Wheatley and Samuel Villies Wheatley. And interestingly, while not the name of a mill where the Tacklers Knife would have been used, Wheatley Brothers did move from Eclipse Works on Boston Street in 1900 to Wheat Sheaf Works on John Street in Sheffield where they had 200 employees in that year. So, while the Tacklers Knife probably wasn't used in a mill named Wheat Sheaf, it was perhaps made in a factory named Wheat Sheaf.

Here's a photo of their wheat sheaf mark and a couple photos of their works.

 

[philllll]

Jack & Bob, both of those are beautiful old knives! The history behind that tackler's knife was very interesting, thank you for sharing.

 

[thawk]

Thanks very much Stephen. Great information.

 

[Old & In The Way]

thawk - you're very welcome. It just so happens that I had recently done some research on that particular knife.

Bob - I'm not familiar with Flora or Garland Cutlery Companies, but your EO looks like it was well made and is clearly a very handsome knife. Nice find! :thumbup:

 

[BigBiscuit]

A Tackler is a term used to cover a broad range of men in various industries. I cannot speak to the use of a Wharncliffe blade in the looming industry. Later on in more modern times, the title of millwright was used. Essentially you needed to be knowledgable on a very wide range of skills and equipment.

 

[Jack Black]

Thank you for the history and photos Stephen (Stephen researched the history of the knife prior to gifting it to me, and sent me a long letter complete with photos ):thumbup:

Interesting piece of history, Jack and Bob! What do you figure that thin sharp wharncliffe was used for in the mill?

I think a straight-edge blade is always a versatile work-knife, and I imagine that there would often be a large number of threads, and perhaps even cloth to cut away, and be removed as quickly as possible, but I have no direct experience of the mills. Perhaps there was also an element of tradition to the style of the knife. I'm sure that not every knife which was used in the mills was a Tackler's Knife

A Tackler is a term used to cover a broad range of men in various industries. I cannot speak to the use of a Wharncliffe blade in the looming industry. Later on in more modern times, the title of millwright was used. Essentially you needed to be knowledgable on a very wide range of skills and equipment.

Millwright was also used here Bob. I should sit one of the old fellers I know down with a microphone some time because talking to them is like going back in time :thumbup:

 

[Clem Kadiddlehopper]

A few old knives.....

 

[Primble]

A few old knives.....

Fantastic Al !!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Jack Black]

Nice collection Al :thumbup:

 

[mike Berkovitch]

Impressive Al, thanks for sharing

Mike

 

[Clem Kadiddlehopper]

Thanks guys, I always enjoy seeing the knives everyone post, had to share a few here with you.

 

[Old & In The Way]

Al - that's an impressive collection. Thanks for sharing. :thumbup:

 

[Gevonovich]

Some real beauties, Al!!

 

[black mamba]

Lovin' the big hunters, especially the popcorn red stag right in the middle.

 

[PCL]

Hoping someone here might be able to help me with and old barlow. It has no name that I can find but appears to have been well made. Solid bolsters and brass liners. The tip is broken and I will be fixing that but when I ran a new bastard file across the blade it just slid across. I have some but limited knowledge of barlows but the way the tops of the bolsters are bent over is interesting. I tried Levines section but got no response.

 

[VCM3]

I got an email late last night ....


" Here are some NYK knives previously posted in detail throughout the thread shown along with a familiar recently built knife for scale. Most are fairly nice, common examples one encounters during the course of collecting. A few bear noting...the cocobolo swell center jack, the bone junior cattle, and the pearl whittler remain new, unused examples. All are difficult to come by in this condition. The sowbelly, while not unused , retains full blades and has seen little use and seems to be an elusive pattern to locate in any condition. The congress is an example with several difficult to find features... first it's a NYK congress
pattern which seem scarce to begin with, it has shields on both sides..most don't, it is not a tobacco knife so it has three different types of blades, one of which is a curved cuticle blade that is not often seen in larger knives, and lastly it is hafted in stag. Most NYK knives are bone or wood hafted. I have seen very few in stag, much less a congress pattern. In spite of the rather deeply rutted stag scales and 4 blades, it is only about 1/16" thicker than the model 38 along side it which is a pretty thin full size whittler, The congress at 3 7/8" long is only 7/16" thick at it's thickest part. While they were the largest knife maker in the world for quite a while, they also managed to build some of the finest pocket knives ever manufactured anywhere, anytime. "