"Old Knives"

[jdracing]

Can anyone tell me anything about my newest on the way?...I'll have more and better pictures when it arrives,just
so excited I wanted to post one now......Im sure you know how that is...
So far,I know it's sheffield,blade says thomas turner,and to her majestys ????Blade looks kinda like a hawkbill maybe....
Pictures were not the best,but were good enough for me.....Said knife had good snap,blade looked pretty full.....Gonna
need a little TLC,but that's my favorite thing to bring an old knife back to life....If anyone has any do's/don'ts please
pass along...I was told I had 14 days to return.....
..I've never cleaned a knife this old....OK,here it is.....Whattya think????Don't be shy,let me have the Truth.
Even if it hurts,
jd

 

[supratentorial]

Can anyone tell me anything about my newest on the way?...I'll have more and better pictures when it arrives,just
so excited I wanted to post one now......Im sure you know how that is...
So far,I know it's sheffield,blade says thomas turner,and to her majestys ????Blade looks kinda like a hawkbill maybe....
Pictures were not the best,but were good enough for me.....Said knife had good snap,blade looked pretty full.....Gonna
need a little TLC,but that's my favorite thing to bring an old knife back to life....If anyone has any do's/don'ts please
pass along...I was told I had 14 days to return.....
..I've never cleaned a knife this old....OK,here it is.....Whattya think????Don't be shy,let me have the Truth.
Even if it hurts,
jd

It is a pruning knife with a hawkbill blade. A lot of these old pruning knives have great stag and yours is not an exception. Nice! You took a lot of liberties with the tang stamp (see photo below). It looks like "T.Turner & Co Cutlers to His Majesty". Goins' Encyclopedia has a lot of very similar entries. One of the entries is "Turner & Co Cutlers to His Majesty Encore c1830-37" but I don't know if it is a match. I suspect so. The blade appears to say "Encore". Maybe someone will have more info for you... Jack Black?

I'm going to ignore the part about "cleaning".

 

[Campbellclanman]

The Blade does say Encore, that Pruner is a nice early example-whats not to like?, I have a Turner where the Encore is Vertical alongside the Tang Stamping.

Here is some info taken from The Sheffield Knife Book ( Edition1) page 278.......

Encore is the Trade mark of Thomas Turner, Founded in 1802, the Encore Trade Mark was listed 3 years after this.
When the Founder Thomas died his son - also Thomas took over and soon the three sons ran the company, in 1837 the Company was listed Turner , Thos & Co - as Edge Tool and Steel Refiners also Cutlery etc.

Usually the stamping of "His Majesty" can help you date the knife ........
http://theshiveringbeggar.com/2013/09/the-stamps-of-english-monarchs/

Also another Thread...
http://www.britishblades.com/forums...s-Turner-Encore-awarded-Cutler-to-HIS-Majesty

 

[supratentorial]

Good info, Duncan :thumbup:

 

[kootenay joe]

Many of these old Hawkbills have had the pivot pin replaced. I am seeing only one side but the pivot pin looks like a replacement.
kj

 

[jdracing]

Many of these old Hawkbills have had the pivot pin replaced. I am seeing only one side but the pivot pin looks like a replacement.
kj

well,i have 14 days once it arrives to return for refund......i'll post some better pictures when it arrives.
as for cleaning,do you think it'd hurt the value just to get the bolsters looking like metal again verses the
look of rust?....not gonna go crazy,just clean rust if any.....and im thinkin bout removing the scratches
from blade if not to deep....
advice?....VALUE?...estimate assuming blade snaps,tight.....
jd

 

[jdracing]

Finally got this one home....Shame the box has marker damage.....You can see thru it though...Any
ideas on how to remove the marker from the printing?
This knife looks,and has the feel of Silver......Soft an smooth feel,though weird.
JD

 

[Pipeman]

It is a pruning knife with a hawkbill blade. A lot of these old pruning knives have great stag and yours is not an exception. Nice! You took a lot of liberties with the tang stamp (see photo below). It looks like "T.Turner & Co Cutlers to His Majesty". Goins' Encyclopedia has a lot of very similar entries. One of the entries is "Turner & Co Cutlers to His Majesty Encore c1830-37" but I don't know if it is a match. I suspect so. The blade appears to say "Encore". Maybe someone will have more info for you... Jack Black?

I'm going to ignore the part about "cleaning".

I could be wrong but I think HIS majesty is likely Edward or Geo 5th, otherwise it has to be 1830s, pre Victoria. Great old pruner.

Best regards

Robin

 

[kootenay joe]

jdr, the old Utica GS box is fine as it is. you would only mess it up by trying to remove the marker ink. I think this box is rare and therefore has some value. It's the only one i have seen.
kj

 

[Campbellclanman]

The Pivot pin from Factory on many of these old Pruners etc look to have been replaced but in fact were/are original, Quite crude in the finishing and pronounced - I put that question the BL quite some time ago about the Pivot Pin looking so rough, I have an old TT Encore Rope Knife - the Blade is still very full and had little use and yet sports the same pivot pin finishing.

 

[smiling-knife]

Hi JD, That's a great looking knife. Beautiful stag scales. I think your knife dates to the early 1900s. His Majesty in this case being Edward 1901 to 1910. It looks similar to the pruner on the far right of this 1905 catalogue page. I hope this helps.

 

[jdracing]

Hi JD, That's a great looking knife. Beautiful stag scales. I think your knife dates to the early 1900s. His Majesty in this case being Edward 1901 to 1910. It looks similar to the pruner on the far right of this 1905 catalogue page. I hope this helps.

it sure does....i'll take some good pictures soon as it arrives.....can't wait.....jd

 

[smiling-knife]

Looking forward to seeing your pics. This is the jack knife on the far left of the page. A contemporary of yours. I thought it might be of interest.

 

[kootenay joe]

Regarding pivot pins in these vintage Hawkbills. BRL has said that these pins were rather soft and became worn rather quickly. The commonest in-home repair is to use a nail, cut off excess and peen ends. In other patterns a replaced pivot pin often indicates a replaced blade but with Hawkbills it is more likely to be just pin replacement.
kj

 

[Jack Black]

Nice Thomas Turner's fellers, and nice to see that catologue pic S-K

Interesting discussion on pivot pins, I have a few with gnarly pins, and others that appear to have been re-pinned with a nail.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Looking forward to seeing your pics. This is the jack knife on the far left of the page. A contemporary of yours. I thought it might be of interest.

SK my friend - that's a beautiful knife right there - I went to the Museum the other day with my lovely Daughter Kelsey - I just needed a day off and to spend it with her was really great, I thought of Jack when we walked through a Auckland Street set up 100 years ago and in the window were two old Sheffield's that were in the right era of the shop - on the Right will be a Harrisons Bros, Sheffield Rope Knife like Jack and myself own - now SK Did you not show one of these as well ?- I am pretty sure you did, the other knife to the left ( both knives had stunning Stag as we are seeing on the discussed knives above ( Encore ).....anyway the left knife I could make out as it had a section of the Stag to be perfectly routed out - as if the place a nice square plate/shield ( for engraving purposes ) strange as I have never seen this, I dont think it to be a factory detail, but the edges were so incredibly perfect and ever so slightly rounded, and sported the same hue/ colouring as the rest of the Stag - which sort of tells me its ( the notch ) been there for a very very long time...anyhoo....



Also along the window a wee bit were a few more knives - please excuse the terrible photo's as you know its extremely hard trying to photograph through Glass, Looks like a Serpentine Slippie-possibly German on the Far right, and second from the left is a Tortoise Shell Gentleman's Knife .....



Also in another display were some TOP-OF-THE-LINE Carvers that you would ever find, ABSOLUTE EXQUISITE Ivory and bone pieces.....

 

[waynorth]

This looks like the same vintage knife as the one with the flattened section, Duncan.
It's either a locker number, or a Sailor's I.D. number I think.

 

[supratentorial]

Sounds like a nice time, Duncan! Thank you for sharing the photos!

This little Cattaraugus peanut arrived in the mail today. The blades appear to be full with the original edges... except for the chipped tip on the pen blade. The pen blade has some original shine to it. Walks and talks like a new knife.

I mainly bought it because of the interesting shape of the clip blade and the Roger's "Indian Trail" jigged bone covers. The clip blade has a nice saber grind and a swedge. It seems somewhat unusual to put a saber grind on such a small blade... at least to me and I think it's neat. "Indian Trail" has a bit of a worm groove in it and somehow they actually managed to fit it all on this tiny handle.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Charlie I remember when you first showed that lovely knife. There was much discussion as to what those numbers referred to. I love the old style of the numbers and of course he whole knife.

Jake- instantly I can see why you like that knife. That's is one very very nice wee knife. That blade is a mixture of Turkish Clip and Sabre. Man that is a striking knife. Great score.

 

[waynorth]

Great knife Jake! Uber patina!!