"Old Knives"

Charles- YET ANOTHER beauty, I would love to be present during a Maintenance Oil-up day at your house!

That Bone would have to be described as THE Pickbone!
 
Nice NYKs Charles!

That Wolfertz Jack with the reddish wood looks like a Camillus-made knife Philllll.
I'll see if I can find a picture of one marked Camillus that I have in a display.
 
RobertJ1;

"MASTER QUALITY" was a trademark/logo used by Montgomery-Ward Hardware Company and they marketed pocketknives circa 1935 - 1950, according to Goins Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings.

"MASTER QUALITY" was etched on the master blade.

Goins does list a tang stamp, MASTER QUALITY MADE IN U.S.A., but gave no other information and did not link it to Montgomery-Ward Hardware.

I don't know all of the cutlery companies that made knives for them, but some were reportedly made by Winchester.

If that doesn't fit with the knife you are talking about, I have no other useful information.
 
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Anyone have any information regarding Master Quality slipjoints? I cannot seem to Google-Fu anything regarding them at all. I have one and am curious to learn more about them. Thanks everyone!

I'd recommend picking up copies of Levine's Guide and Goins' Encyclopedia. An internet search is likely to pull up as much misinformation as information.

RobertJ1;

"MASTER QUALITY" was a trademark/logo used by Montgomery-Ward Hardware Company and they marketed pocketknives circa 1935 - 1950, according to Goins Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings.

"MASTER QUALITY" was etched on the master blade.

Goins does list a tang stamp, MASTER QUALITY MADE IN U.S.A., but gave no other information and did not link it to Montgomery-Ward Hardware.

I don't know all of the cutlery companies that made knives for them, but some were reportedly made by Winchester.

If that doesn't fit with the knife you are talking about, I have no other useful information.

I sold a pen knife on the exchange recently and if I recall correctly LGIV says most of these knives were made by Utica for Wards but some may have been made by Winchester. I think LGIV gives the same dates... which makes sense since Goins was a contributor. There were a bunch of Wards knives that were auctioned a few years ago and many of them looked like the blades were blanked but otherwise unfinished. I suspect some of those knives may have been made recently from old parts. None of those had etched blades though.

 
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Thanks for all the nice comments on my NYKCo. posts. Here is an older and bigger brother to the small swayback jack. I have posted this one a couple of years ago, but the bone is really an eye catcher.
Charles
newyorkjack1.jpg


newyorkjack2.jpg

I like this old style. I like the modern reproductions also but I think it's unfortunate that nobody uses this style of the swayback pattern anymore.
 
Thanks Charles! It's got a couple cracks that it looks like someone filled in with glue.

Yours is nice. I really like the long pull!

Am I correct in thinking these are around 1890(ish) manufacture?
 
Thanks Charles! It's got a couple cracks that it looks like someone filled in with glue.

Yours is nice. I really like the long pull!

Am I correct in thinking these are around 1890(ish) manufacture?

Levines IV lists the Bridgeport mark as 1886-1888. Rare knives for sure
Charles
 
I like this old style. I like the modern reproductions also but I think it's unfortunate that nobody uses this style of the swayback pattern anymore.

I agree, this is great pattern. Wish there was modern manufacturing of this.

The Hatch cutlery knives are stunning Phillll and Charles, your collections are amazing.

Mike
 
Thomas Turner & Co. Cutlers to his Majesty Encore, Sheffield, England, 1834-1953:
35l90ed.jpg

10pcytz.jpg

b8oe9x.jpg


Unlike most old knives that I find, this knife has a very nice antique patina on it (similar to my antique mid-1800's bench that it is pictured on) and will be left as found. "ENCORE" is deep stamped on the blade, blade is centered, and snaps are very strong. Four and five eighths inches long closed. :)
 
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Primble:

I like that one very much, especially the stag. Just outstanding!! Even though this is not a pattern I would collect I would this one for the stag.

Charles
 
Thomas Turner & Co. Cutlers to his Majesty Encore, Sheffield, England, 1834-1953:
35l90ed.jpg



Unlike most old knives that I find, this knife has a very nice antique patina on it (similar to my antique mid-1800's bench that it is pictured on) and will be left as found. "ENCORE" is deep stamped on the blade, blade is centered, and snaps are very strong. Four and five eighths inches long closed. :)

That one just pushes all the right buttons Primble !!!! Thanks for the great pictures !!!!!!!

Harry
 
Posted this one in Primbles NYKCo. thread, but I think it fits here as well.
Charles
newyorkteardropjack1.jpg


newyorkteardropjack2.jpg


newyorkteardropjack3.jpg
 
Thanks for all the nice comments on my NYKCo. posts. Here is an older and bigger brother to the small swayback jack. I have posted this one a couple of years ago, but the bone is really an eye catcher.

An absolutely breathtaking swayback, Charles! :thumbup: :thumbup: Interesting to see how some of the patterns evolve, newer versions having much broader master blades and a totally different frame profile. Yours is a real wonderful example!

Anyone have any information regarding Master Quality slipjoints? I cannot seem to Google-Fu anything regarding them at all. I have one and am curious to learn more about them. Thanks everyone!

"MASTER QUALITY" was a trademark/logo used by Montgomery-Ward Hardware Company and they marketed pocketknives circa 1935 - 1950, according to Goins Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings.
"MASTER QUALITY" was etched on the master blade.
Goins does list a tang stamp, MASTER QUALITY MADE IN U.S.A., but gave no other information and did not link it to Montgomery-Ward Hardware.
I don't know all of the cutlery companies that made knives for them, but some were reportedly made by Winchester.
If that doesn't fit with the knife you are talking about, I have no other useful information.

That's pretty useful. I can only add what a picture of my one example of the Master Quality tang stamp, on a stock/carpenter's knife with black "jigged" composite scales that is likely not old enough to qualify for inclusion in this thread without a caveat such as the fact that this one has the stamp in question. This arrived literally days ago and I haven't even had a proper opportunity to take stock of the knife. :)



I sold a pen knife on the exchange recently and if I recall correctly LGIV says most of these knives were made by Utica for Wards but some may have been made by Winchester. I think LGIV gives the same dates... which makes sense since Goins was a contributor. There were a bunch of Wards knives that were auctioned a few years ago and many of them looked like the blades were blanked but otherwise unfinished. I suspect some of those knives may have been made recently from old parts. None of those had etched blades though.

I wonder if mine qualifies, undoubtedly being among the "newer" to sport the stamp. I confess I may have been fooled in my amateur knife identification. By the thickness, swedging, and overall profile of the clip on mine I had taken it for a Camillus build, though with no reasonable degree of certainty. :o



Thomas Turner & Co. Cutlers to his Majesty Encore, Sheffield, England, 1834-1953:

From a swayback jack to a swayback hawk! :eek: That's a sizeable hunk of stag, sir. :thumbup:

Posted this one in Primbles NYKCo. thread, but I think it fits here as well.

Some amazing knives you've shown in these last few pages, Charles. This one looks basically dead mint! I'm hoping for many more encores :thumbup: :)
 
I found this Camillus 72 in an antique mall. It needs a bit of cleaning. The small clip blade has been ground to an almost wharnecliffe shape. The blade edges are in good shape and are pretty sharp. For less than three dollars I think this may make a good whittler.

24690153842_a8fca3b280_z.jpg
 
Beautiful knives, Charles and Primble.

I wonder if mine qualifies, undoubtedly being among the "newer" to sport the stamp. I confess I may have been fooled in my amateur knife identification. By the thickness, swedging, and overall profile of the clip on mine I had taken it for a Camillus build, though with no reasonable degree of certainty. :o

The stamp on your knife seems to fit the entry in Goins' Encyclopedia that had no dates or details (in Charlie's post). I'm not familiar with this stamp but the knife looks "right" to me.

I found this Camillus 72 in an antique mall. It needs a bit of cleaning. The small clip blade has been ground to an almost wharnecliffe shape. The blade edges are in good shape and are pretty sharp. For less than three dollars I think this may make a good whittler.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1709/24690153842_a8fca3b280_z.jpg

Happy whittlin'
 
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