"Old Knives"

[r redden]

Paul I have to reiterate that the covers are gorgeous I think the jigging is what makes them stand out. The presentation side seems a bit darker red in the pictures is that the case with it in hand?

 

[huelsdonk]

Herder - I'm largely ignorant of English knives, but that's a really nice looking jack.

Augie - That's a beautiful Empire. Wow. Is that rosewood? Nice MB amd whittler also - great bone and stag.

Thanks for sharing the knives.

 

[Augie]

Thank you Paul, Lloyd, John.

John, It's either rosewood or cocobolo, it has a warm glow to it.

 

[paulhilborn]

Paul I have to reiterate that the covers are gorgeous I think the jigging is what makes them stand out. The presentation side seems a bit darker red in the pictures is that the case with it in hand?

Thank you Randy, they are indeed a bit darker on the mark side. Both covers are so smooth it's a natural worry stone:thumbup:

 

[Campbellclanman]

While a little to recent for the "Sheffield Golden Years" thread, this fine old Christopher Johnson two blade folder dates to around the WWII era.
It includes many of the old Sheffield traits such as carbon steel blades, pinched nickel silver bolsters, half stops on both blades, and nice pic-bone handles.

Oh Man!!!
Thats a absolute stonker of a knife right there Herder - awesome!!!

Herder, that is a fine CJ jack, very nice bone on that one.

I've been adding a few, picked up a nice Empire jumbo jack, right at 4" and thick,

A Miller Bros jack, not the greatest shape but they don't seem to be that common,

Last a Wade & Butcher, slim, stag handles,

Augie- I had to carry these over to the next page- Oh Lordy!!! man you have a sweet selection my friend, The Empire is the ultimate Jack - what a stunner- just a top-notch knife my friend, theMiller is a beaut! - I would have snatched that up in a real hurry my friend!- as well as that W&B..

Ok...now I AM Jealous!!!!

 

[Gevonovich]

Lord have mercy on me to Duncan...lol. Augie is trying us

 

[Luger1952]

Just picked these two up the other day. The top knife is a New York Knife Co Walden 3.5 inch closed bare head Jack and the smaller or bottom one is a HSB & Company 3.25 closed Jack. The New York Jack has NO hammer brand mark on either tang just New York Knife Co Walden on both blade tangs. The Smaller Jack primary blade is marked four lines Hibbard/Spencer/Bartlett/& Co and the smaller blade arched HSB & Co/diamond/ reversed arched Chicago. Both have all hand hammered pins. The pick bone on each Jack handle is similar and a random type pick versus a more later machine type jigged non random repeat pattern. The HSB & Co Jack I assume but don't know for sure was probably made by NYKC or Schrade/Ulster or maybe even Empire. Both folders are in very good condition with no cracks in the bone handles, excellent W & T and used and sharpened blades but no significant blade loss with the exception of the pen blade on the NYKC. Lloyd

 

[huelsdonk]

Wow, Lloyd. First those superb Valley Forges and then these beauties. You're on a roll. . Awesome knives. That NYK especially is really special - looks pretty darn close to a full blade on the main. Thanks for sharing them.

 

[herder]

Thanks for the comments Augie, Paulhilborn, Luger, huelsdonk, and Cambellclanman, and more great knives shown by Augie and Luger.
There is a wonderful book called "Tweedale's Directory of Sheffield Cutlery" if anyone was looking for more information on Sheffield knives.

 

[Campbellclanman]

I do have that book my friend- and a good one it is- there is meant to be a revised one out now by Tweedale.

Oh Lloyd!!!!
Beautiful beautiful knives my friend. Now That everyone is what REAL Pic Bone looks like !!

 

[waynorth]

I mean, What Duncan said!!!!

 

[Augie]

Lloyd, just a wonderful pair of jacks but the NYK Co with its full spear is just over the top.

Duncan, Gev, thank you, my wife does say I'm trying but I don't think she means it in a nice way

Here is a fixed blade I originally put in Bernard's knife ID forum, it's an American Cutlery Company Bowie with really nice stag handles, company started in 1865 and went out of business in the 1920's. It is a very solid well made knife, i'm thinking this one was made in late 1800's.

 

[Cambertree]

Here's a very fine, classic Joseph Rodgers Bunny Knife, made for the Australian market.





This knife is very interesting, as it shows a bellied blade shape in both the clip main and the pen blade, which is optimised for its stated purpose: skinning rabbits. The clip blade seems quite distinctly different to Boys knife/Barlow knife clip shapes intended for the US market.

(Thanks to my friend 1500international for permission to post about this knife from his collection.)

 

[Jack Black]

WOW! The knives over the past couple of pages are absolutely outstanding! :thumbup:

 

[paulhilborn]

Lloyd, just terrific Jacks, the bone covers are amazing, nice full blades even if the pen is just a little down. Just great finds.

Chin, very neat Bunny knife. My wife nterest for sheffield knives increases daily. This one just fuels the fire.

John, ok my friend. Just look at the Bowie, man o man those covers are AMAZING!! What a fantastic knife. Wonderful find.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Chin - LOVE that JR!!!

Augie, Oh mate....I would have pounced on that Fixed Blade!, as my good friend says, those slabs are just gorgeous - everything about that knife is stunning!

 

[r8shell]

Here's a very fine, classic Joseph Rodgers Bunny Knife, made for the Australian market.


This knife is very interesting, as it shows a bellied blade shape in both the clip main and the pen blade, which is optimised for its stated purpose: skinning rabbits. The clip blade seems quite distinctly different to Boys knife/Barlow knife clip shapes intended for the US market.

(Thanks to my friend 1500international for permission to post about this knife from his collection.)

What a neat knife, thanks for showing it.

That really is an interesting blade shape. I'm inspired: the next time I pick up an old knife that's been badly over-sharpened into a recurve, rather than trying to correct the profile by removing metal in front of the recurve - straightening the edge, I'll grind behind it - extending the swoop up to the tang.

(I just re-read that last paragraph, and I'm not sure I explained in a way that makes sense. It's been a long week )

 

[Luger1952]

Thanks guys for the wonderful comments on my pick bone handle folders! I do love the look of pick bone handles and hand hammered pins. Gives an ancient look to a knife. Of course the downside to pick bone handles is that they are very subject to breaks and cracks. Apostlep has a great video on YouTube in his traditional folders Anthology Series about a Golden Rule HSB & Co. small Jack. The pick bone on that one is very very similar to mine. He does a good job critiquing this loaned to him folder for the review. If you haven't seen it, it is worth watching. Lloyd

 

[Cambertree]

What a neat knife, thanks for showing it.

That really is an interesting blade shape. I'm inspired: the next time I pick up an old knife that's been badly over-sharpened into a recurve, rather than trying to correct the profile by removing metal in front of the recurve - straightening the edge, I'll grind behind it - extending the swoop up to the tang.

(I just re-read that last paragraph, and I'm not sure I explained in a way that makes sense. It's been a long week )

I know exactly what you mean, you couldn't have been clearer, actually. :thumbup:

I enjoy resharpening and putting old workers back into service myself - to enjoy and use, or to give away to others, so I think that sounds like a worthy exercise, for sure.

I'll be interested to hear how you go with that, and what you will have to report on how an arced edge like that goes in your general use.

I'm told a lot of the time the old timers simply used the pen blade of their Bunny knives to make a very few strategic cuts and incisions, and otherwise used the Peeling method to skin their bunnies. For that reason, I find that pen blade belly very interesting in that knife.

If you were using your main blade to skin and clean, a larger animal, you might hold it with the blade pinched between thumb and forefinger and the handle balanced loosely in your fingers. The motion of the blade would sometimes be like a scooping, sideways motion, and at others a repetitive sweeping, forward pinch grip, separating connective tissues - meat, from skin.

So I guess a thing to consider, r8shell is that it may well be that the more common Barlow edge grind lines are better for general everyday use - this knife most certainly is optimised for it's skinning small game role, in addition to being a general use jackknife.

Personally, like you, I'd love to try out a jackknife with that kind of sweep in the blade...

What would you use to grind that arced edge up into the tang? Ceramic rods or files? Or the edge of coarse benchstones? Something like that?

Edit: There's a bit more information on these type of knives here from the Barlow thread a few months ago, for reference.

 

[r8shell]

Thanks, Cambertree, for the info on Bunny Knives.

Augie, that Jumbo Jack is stunning!

My latest (and possibly oldest) find:

Lockwood Brothers: