Oldest Traditional Pocket Knife You Actually Tote And Use ??

B

BrotherJim

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I don't tote the same pocket knife every day. Seldom do I tote the same pocket knife more than a day at a time. Sometimes not even the same one all day.
Pulled out this stockman for Wednesday and thought, this is the oldest pocket knife I actually tote and use ... even if not daily.

Some of you, perhaps many of you have older knives you tote and use and hopefully will share.
I would not be shocked to find that a few may only have relatively recent traditional pocket knives.
Please share those as well ... if it's the oldest you actually tote and use, it's the oldest you tote and use.

Not asking to see safe queens ... those aren't toted and used.
Not asking to see a whole bunch of knives from your collection ... there is after all, only one(1) that is oldest you tote and use.

So here's mine. Not ancient by any standard, but the oldest I actually tote and use.
Camillus Stockman made for Sears 1927-1940
No Camillus marks or stamps. The only tang stamp is shown in the pic.
There was a Sears Craftsman main blade etch at one time, that is now long gone. No shield.
Smooth walk 'n talk. Good snap. No blade play. No blade half-stop. Good transitions.
Long pull main. The other two blades have nicks. No cracks or gaps in the bone.
Springs flush open and closed expect the spey when open, leaves the spring slightly proud. About 3 7/8" closed.
Pretty sharp but may touch up today just to pass the time and relaxation. Maybe a little oil here and there.

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My oldest that I actually pocket carry and use with any regularity is this Robeson ShurEdge large stockman in strawberry bone. Made between 1948 and 1959, it is heavily patinated, but has terrific W&T and takes a screaming edge on all blades. Probably has another 3/4 of a century left in it, with normal care.

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The oldest pocket knife that I have carried, but only a handful of times, is this Robeson ShurEdge large jack in gray celluloid. Made between 1911 and 1939, it's a little rougher in condition, but still has good W&T even with the pitting. The lack of a straight-edged blade reduces it's pocket time.

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Odd timing for this thread, this morning I looked in the knife drawer to grab a new to me Remington R1 and it was next to my oldest knife, Old Timer mm89. 43 years in my possession, although it hasn't been carried continuously. Last year I did some restoration and turned the blades dark, which turned out to be disappointing but it still works well and sharp as hell. So by coincidence it is in my pocket today for the first time in a year though it does go in my pack when I go hunting.

Cheers,

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I could pretend that I misunderstood B BrotherJim 's intent, and tell you it's easy for me to identify the knife I've had the longest: my oldest knife is my Colonial Forest-Master that I've had for over 60 years.

I know B BrotherJim wants me to figure out which of the knives I carry regularly (and that's ALL my knives) was made the earliest. I found out that's a lot more challenging task for me! I have a couple of Imperial knives with tang stamp that places them in the 1936-1952 time frame (so definitely older than my Forest-Master), but I don't know how to narrow it down. I have a CASE XX half whittler that dates from somewhere between 1940 and 1964, which could be older than my Imperials or newer that my Forest-Master. o_O

But I have an EC Simmons Keen Kutter (thanks, Mark) that knowledgeable Forum members have told me was made between 1921 and 1934 (according to Sellens' authoritative Keen Kutter book). And I have an L.F.&C. pen knife (also, thanks to Mark) that was manufactured no earlier than 1912, when LF&C started producing pocket knives, and no later than the date when LF&C stopped making pocket knives, but that ending date seems to be a matter of debate. (Sources say LF&C stopped making cutlery of any kind in 1950, but some say that's when they stopped producing table cutlery and kitchen knives, while they halted production of pocket knives as early as 1930 (but a website with comprehensive info on BSA knives says LF&C made the official BSA knives from 1931-1939) or 1940.)

So, I really don't know which of my knives is oldest. I'm almost certain it's either
1) this Keen Kutter "budding knife" with spey blade and cocobolo covers (and I'll include a catalog cut of the knife found in a KK catalog from about 1930 - I can't find it in a 1922 KK catalog)
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or
2) this 2 5/8" LF&C waterfall celluloid pen knife with UNIVERSAL blade etch (with no border around the etch) and L.F.&C. / NEW BRITAIN / CONN. 3-line tang stamp
lf&c.deckrail.jpg

- GT
 
I'm not in the same league as many connoisseurs or Big Guns, and being European it's not always easy to source US knives for instance. However, I'm quite proud of this little Rem Sleeveboard pen construction from the 1920s. As he's an old gent, he doesn't get out as much as he would have done, but I enjoy letting him have a supervised airing a few times a year :)

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Otherwise, it would be far newer knives: a small Horn Laguiole from the early 1980s and a Winchester Black Box Stockman from 1987 which sees a lot of use and carry. But you did say just one...;)

Thanks, Will
 
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