"Old Knives"

Figured I'd get some nice old ebony into the mix here, this one is an old Challenge Cutlery cigar whittler. Something about sunk joints and ebony or pearl covers on an old knife that looks really classy IMHO! ;)

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Challenge_Ebony_Whittler1.jpg


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This is a WW11 era Camillus gifted to me by BigBiscuit. He had the covers replaced with Cocobolo wood by a member here but I do not know who.

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From the "your guess is as good as mine" file... A multi-tool (knife, pliers, awl/punch/scribe?) from O. Barnett Tool Co. of Newark, NJ.





It's been well-used but that shortened sheepsfoot's plenty sharp and has less play than some newer imports fresh off the factory floor. The punch also seems shortened but it has a wicked tip on it and it almost seems quasi-cruciform in its design. It seems more supportive of torquing/drilling through material (leather, plaster, et al.)





This is way more awesome than any Leatherman. :p :cool:

 
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Nice knives, guys.

TsarBomba, Neat find. There are several guys that repair and resell tool knives on Ebay. Your knife is patched on the pile side and the entire handle was dyed dark so that the donor piece matched. These knives must have been used hard back in the day since they are often in rough condition. Some even look like they've been used as hammers.

Here's an original box and some ads...

supratentorial said:
Here are a couple of photos of an original box... I wish 1-2 dozen plier knives had been in the box when I bought it. ;) The knife in the illustration on the box is an early variation.

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supratentorial said:
Oscar Barnett Tool Company. LGIV says they went out of business in 1915. The merchant catalog ads continue atleast until 1919.

Patented in 1900 --> US Patent No. 662005: http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=NaFlAAAAEBAJ

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Btw, I posted a 1905 catalog scan in the old catalog thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-amp-Ads-(Images-Only)?p=9475720#post9475720
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I thought That one might grab your attention Jake!

Nice to see TsarBomba, I ALWAYS think of Jake when I see a folding Tool like this- as he does have some nice examples.
 
supratentorial said:
TsarBomba, Neat find. There are several guys that repair and resell tool knives on Ebay. Your knife is patched on the pile side and the entire handle was dyed dark so that the donor piece matched. These knives must have been used hard back in the day since they are often in rough condition. Some even look like they've been used as hammers.
Here's an original box and some ads...
Click to expand...

Wow! :eek: That is some awesome information, sir! Thank you, I'm glad to see that the knife is reasonably intact and in all likelihood wasn't used to drive too many nails. It's an interesting design; for a linesman, the pliers might not break wide enough and obviously using it to get a grip on a stubborn nut or bolt might be unwieldy, but it is awesome to "put the face to the name" and experience the history of these tools, even if only indirectly. It is very much appreciated, and I hope you don't mind if I copy some of the information about the Barnett into my knife notebook. :D

Campbellclanman said:
Nice to see TsarBomba, I ALWAYS think of Jake when I see a folding Tool like this- as he does have some nice examples.
Click to expand...

I can see he was ready and able to deliver the real scoop on this. Looking at the literature and then holding those pocket-worn scales in your hand is as close to a time machine as we can get with current technology, I wager. :)

supratentorial said:
Thank you, Duncan. There aren't many folks collecting tool knives but I enjoy them. Here are a few...
Click to expand...

The adjustable wrench knife is outstanding, I love it on-sight. :p :D Top center, is that basically a linesman's knife with the modified stripper blade sporting a clip instead of the usual hawkbill? I've always wanted to see the full extent of how cutlers went wild with blade combinations on that TL-29 platform; the combinations I have probably don't even begin to scratch the surface.

Thanks for sharing! :thumbup:
 
Thank you. I'm glad it interests you. Your knife doesn't look like it was used to drive many nails. Many of them have dents on the bolsters from hammering. Regarding the knife with the hawkbill blade: I does look similar to a wire stripper but it's actually a catch that allows the handle for the pruner to be locked closed. I do have a few Klein TL-29 type knives with adjustable wrenches and one with a folding crate opener. TL-29 type knives are fun to collect. Some had interesting locking mechanisms as well. On some of the oldies, the screwdriver unlocks by pressing down on the spine of the main blade. And some have a lock release button in the middle of the handle.
 
Great old Barnett, TsarBomba! I just love the old tool boxes:thumbup::thumbup:;) That one is a gem to my eye

Jake, love to see your collection of them and Thank You so much for all the super cool information!! Your contributions are greatly appreciated!
 
TsarBomba said:
...I've always wanted to see the full extent of how cutlers went wild with blade combinations on that TL-29 platform; the combinations I have probably don't even begin to scratch the surface.

Thanks for sharing! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Here are a few examples of Klein TL-29 type knives with additional tools. The crate opener unfolds from the handle.



These two Schrade knives have a locking screwdriver that unlocks by pressing down on the spine of the knife blade. Newer versions had a liner lock (like the Klein knives above).







This Remington has a button on the pile side that unlocks the screwdriver. You can see the lock release button in the second photo. It's the 3rd knife from the right.




There were also knives with a lockback single electrician screwdriver. I borrowed Charlie's photo of an old Empire and a modern custom reproduction

waynorth said:
Nice custom "Copeland" Eisman!
Custom Electrician's knives are indeed rare. I am lucky enough to have this nice one, which is compared to an old one, likely made by Empire.
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supratentorial said:
Nice knives, guys.

TsarBomba, Neat find. There are several guys that repair and resell tool knives on Ebay. Your knife is patched on the pile side and the entire handle was dyed dark so that the donor piece matched. These knives must have been used hard back in the day since they are often in rough condition. Some even look like they've been used as hammers.

Here's an original box and some ads...
Click to expand...

Very interesting Nate.

That Devine ad is the first time I've seen the quality of steel actually described in such a way (85) which I assume would mean the carbon content. Thanks for posting.

Best regards

Robin
 
supratentorial said:
Here are a few examples of Klein TL-29 type knives with additional tools. The crate opener unfolds from the handle.
...
These two Schrade knives have a locking screwdriver that unlocks by pressing down on the spine of the knife blade. Newer versions had a liner lock (like the Klein knives above).
..
This Remington has a button on the pile side that unlocks the screwdriver. You can see the lock release button in the second photo. It's the 3rd knife from the right.
...
There were also knives with a lockback single electrician screwdriver. I borrowed Charlie's photo of an old Empire and a modern custom reproduction
Click to expand...

Awesome stuff, Jake!

I am pretty sure I have an identical example at home to that first pictured Schrade, although if it's truly the same the locking mechanism was broken/defeated before I got it. It snaps like any Camillus ever did and it is as sturdy as ever but the screwdriver does not seem to lock like every other '29 I've ever had. Without opening it up I can't tell if this is just a slipjoint-only variant or if the lock is broken. Is there any way to tell by examining the blades?

The Kleins with the adjustable wrenches are now among my grails. Both the winterbottom and tortoise shell versions are outstanding! :thumbup:

Getting excited for these particular knives again. Last time this happened I blinked and ended up with a small drawer full of 'em. :p
 
Thank you, guys. TsarBomba, you should see the locking mechanism (if there is one) inside the well. If you post a photo like this one then me or another forum member will be able to identify it.

 
Neat barlow. Clauss had knives made for them by several companies. I have an old Clauss jack knife that was probably made by Case. I'm not sure who made your knife. Maybe Utica?

Thank you, r redden. Goods used to be packaged in wooden boxes and crate openers were common every day items. But that knife is the only example of this pattern that I've seen. It seems likely that it was a promotional item for opening boxes of candies. It has an advertisement for C.S. Ball Candy Company on the crate opener. At first, I thought "ball candy" meant gum balls but "C.S. Ball" was the name of the fellow that owned the company. They were located in Ohio but they are no longer in business. The company is very old but I have not figured out when they closed down.
 
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