Will Power
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Smoothbone too
That your actual Pocket Worn:thumbup:
That your actual Pocket Worn:thumbup:
-
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"Old Knives"
- Thread starter VCM3
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That IXL is Super! Hey, I know that knife
lambertiana
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Kerry, that IXL is sweet!
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Wine truthfully doesn't get better with age. But, truthfully, this IXL lockback will! :thumbup:
Great images of an awesome folder. Thanks, Kerry.
- Joe
Will Power
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That Wostenholm XLs! The stag looks so smoky and rich that I wanna make a pot of soup out of it.
My sentiments exactly:thumbup: TASTY
More ultimate knives from Kerry,thank you.
Could you put a date on this knife?
Last edited:
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That is a real beauty Kerry. To answer willgoy, it looks just like the 1531 in the 1885 Wostenholm catalogue so 1880s-to very early 1900s time frame I think for the manufacture of the knife.
Will Power
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Thanks once again s-k!
This must be one of the earliest lockbacks or? I hope you have all those catalogues safely scanned and archived, they are a priceless asset to future cutlerologists.
This must be one of the earliest lockbacks or? I hope you have all those catalogues safely scanned and archived, they are a priceless asset to future cutlerologists.
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You're welcome. I think there was a lockback history thread either on this site or somewhere else not too long ago. I'll try to locate it.
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In an attemp to help date these.......
OLDEST
1 Federal shield, Celebrated stamp, spear and common nick
2 Kerry's knife
3 worn clip point, Sheffield England stamp
4 Mint spear point, long pull, Sheffield England stamp
NEWEST
Quote,
"The first knife with the celebrated stamp, no England, no Sheffield, spearpoint with common nail nick and ordered with a federal shield ( most of these IXL lockbacks had no shield ) is about mid to late 1800's up to 1880 or so. A used and pitted blade, mostly full and still nice and tight. The locking bar notch in the tang on these early examples sticks up extremely proud of the bolster when closed. In later knives it got more flush over time, and by 1890 or so it eventually became flush with the bolster in the closed position from then on.
The next knife stamped Sheffield England with the well worn and pitted clip with matchstrike pull is from about 1890 to 1920, but through experience and the stag complexity, I know it is a lot closer to 1890 than 1920. Perfect lockup, but some side to side play common in all these long early lockbacks made by any company. These are all
4 9/16" knives.
The last example stamped Sheffield England bearing the spear with a long pull has the same stamp as the last knife but judging by the stag, it's non fluted bolsters, and having handled many over time, I know it was made a lot closer to 1920 than 1890. Most of the really complex stag was gone by 1900. Not only was this example never used, it wasn't even handled or opened. It literally sat in a top dresser drawer it's entire life. It could hardly be opened when I got it due to the dried oil in it's joint and locking mechanism. Even now the lockbar can barely be pressed down and the blade is extremely tight even while rotating open or closed. There are barely no rotation marks on the tang, and I put most of those there. The blade retains it's original black (crocus) polish on both sides along with a few peppers and that one nasty spider on the reverse. It is in remarkable condition overall.
With these three knives and the spectacular example posted by Kerry, you have here a good visual history of several different versions of the same Wostenholm lockback built between the mid 1800's through the 1920's.
There are 5 images each of the first two knives, in order, and then seven of the last one"
First knife
Second knife
OLDEST
1 Federal shield, Celebrated stamp, spear and common nick
2 Kerry's knife
3 worn clip point, Sheffield England stamp
4 Mint spear point, long pull, Sheffield England stamp
NEWEST
Quote,
"The first knife with the celebrated stamp, no England, no Sheffield, spearpoint with common nail nick and ordered with a federal shield ( most of these IXL lockbacks had no shield ) is about mid to late 1800's up to 1880 or so. A used and pitted blade, mostly full and still nice and tight. The locking bar notch in the tang on these early examples sticks up extremely proud of the bolster when closed. In later knives it got more flush over time, and by 1890 or so it eventually became flush with the bolster in the closed position from then on.
The next knife stamped Sheffield England with the well worn and pitted clip with matchstrike pull is from about 1890 to 1920, but through experience and the stag complexity, I know it is a lot closer to 1890 than 1920. Perfect lockup, but some side to side play common in all these long early lockbacks made by any company. These are all
4 9/16" knives.
The last example stamped Sheffield England bearing the spear with a long pull has the same stamp as the last knife but judging by the stag, it's non fluted bolsters, and having handled many over time, I know it was made a lot closer to 1920 than 1890. Most of the really complex stag was gone by 1900. Not only was this example never used, it wasn't even handled or opened. It literally sat in a top dresser drawer it's entire life. It could hardly be opened when I got it due to the dried oil in it's joint and locking mechanism. Even now the lockbar can barely be pressed down and the blade is extremely tight even while rotating open or closed. There are barely no rotation marks on the tang, and I put most of those there. The blade retains it's original black (crocus) polish on both sides along with a few peppers and that one nasty spider on the reverse. It is in remarkable condition overall.
With these three knives and the spectacular example posted by Kerry, you have here a good visual history of several different versions of the same Wostenholm lockback built between the mid 1800's through the 1920's.
There are 5 images each of the first two knives, in order, and then seven of the last one"
First knife
Second knife
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Continued
"The last example stamped Sheffield England bearing the spear with a long pull has the same stamp as the last knife but judging by the stag, it's non fluted bolsters, and having handled many over time, I know it was made a lot closer to 1920 than 1890. Most of the really complex stag was gone by 1900. Not only was this example never used, it wasn't even handled or opened. It literally sat in a top dresser drawer it's entire life. It could hardly be opened when I got it due to the dried oil in it's joint and locking mechanism. Even now the lockbar can barely be pressed down and the blade is extremely tight even while rotating open or closed. There are barely no rotation marks on the tang, and I put most of those there. The blade retains it's original black (crocus) polish on both sides along with a few peppers and that one nasty spider on the reverse. It is in remarkable condition overall"
"The last example stamped Sheffield England bearing the spear with a long pull has the same stamp as the last knife but judging by the stag, it's non fluted bolsters, and having handled many over time, I know it was made a lot closer to 1920 than 1890. Most of the really complex stag was gone by 1900. Not only was this example never used, it wasn't even handled or opened. It literally sat in a top dresser drawer it's entire life. It could hardly be opened when I got it due to the dried oil in it's joint and locking mechanism. Even now the lockbar can barely be pressed down and the blade is extremely tight even while rotating open or closed. There are barely no rotation marks on the tang, and I put most of those there. The blade retains it's original black (crocus) polish on both sides along with a few peppers and that one nasty spider on the reverse. It is in remarkable condition overall"
Will Power
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Thank you very much for the scholarship and pictures of these wonderful lockbacks.
It is a most impressive pattern indeed,that stag is out of this world. Can anybody say when Clip blades became popular? I always believed they started in America and were produced by English&German cutlers in response to a liking for this blade in America. The Spear seems to be the usual European blade, or?
Regards, W
It is a most impressive pattern indeed,that stag is out of this world. Can anybody say when Clip blades became popular? I always believed they started in America and were produced by English&German cutlers in response to a liking for this blade in America. The Spear seems to be the usual European blade, or?
Regards, W
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Wow! Great scans, great knives (love that stag) and very informative. Thanks to Vince and his friend for taking the time.