"Old Knives"

My favorite knives of all are Pen knives. A 2 blade Pen will have one spring and thus be slender, all but unnoticed in the pocket, but you get 2 blades to use. The Master is usually a Pen blade which i think is the most all round useful blade pattern.
Of the Pen knife patterns 4 blade Senators are my absolute favorites. These are marvels of fit and usually finish as well. They are the zenith of the cutler's art. The best ones have 4 blades tucked in so tightly you cannot see any of the well between the blades yet they open & close with no blade rub. The secondary blades are quite small and very thinly but precisely ground. They make me wonder how they could be held for grinding.
The very best 4 Blade Senators are some of the vintage Sheffield ones. I have some of these but none of the ones shown in the Sheffield Exhibition books. Many of the vintage USA ones are close to the Sheffield ones.
I also have very fine vintage Solingen ones.
Here are 3 examples which have recently arrived. A Pearl 3 1/8" "A. Field Progress Germany", a Stag 3", unmarked except for old sample # on back of Master blade. I think it too is German, and a 2 3/4" "Griffon Germany".
When i selected these 3 for pictures i didn't realize all were German made. I had intended to show USA made one but i'll still post these pictures.











kj
 
Those stag pens are beauties!!! The doglegs are pretty nice too!
 
Those are some really nice senators, Joe. I like the stag versions. Is it my optical illusion or is there a tip bolster missing on the unmarked salesman sample?
Charles
 
Wonderful Senators kj. They happen to be tops on my list as well.

I have shown this one before, but since the topic at the moment is old Senators I thought I would show it again. This is a IXL Wostenholm I picked up a couple years ago.

Chris
 
kootenay joe said:
These 3 knives are all different brands yet are similar enough to likely have the same manufacturer, although which i don't know, but E.C.Simmons would be a good guess.
I very much like the tight black quality of old Ebony and these handle covers are thick and nicely rounded which makes for a fine in hand feel.
From the top: E.C.Simmons/Keen/Kutter
Clinton Cutlery Co. with blade etch: "Our Own Leader"
Hibbard Spencer(arched)/& Co/Bartlett












kj
Click to expand...

KJ- hope you dont mind, I just had to show these again - thats a real nice line-up of great knives!!

The Stag Senator's are fantastic knives, Chris I just LOVE that I*XL - What a knife!!

Chris,
 
Beautiful Senator Chris. This Needham Bros knife dates to about 1880.

Needham1.jpg

Needham2.jpg

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Nice ones Joe,Chris and Steve. Steve , I picked up another Saynor farmers jack last week.It's frame and blades are slimmer than the first one I got.
 
SK, you have some amazing old knives. I could sit for hours and enjoy the ones you show here.

Congratulations Lyle. I look forward to seeing your new Farmers Jack.

Thanks for the kind comments on my Senator. It's my only old knife, sadly.

Chris
 
My new favorite...Hope this is old enough?
Camillus,but not sure if it's 3 or 4 line?
Thanks for this thread,keeps me busy.......
JD

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