Orgill Brothers & Co. Commemorative I*XL Pearl Canoe Scrimshaw

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

Here is an extra fancy Schrade I*XL from 1981. Canada Post's time-machine dropped it off today and it is pristine and bling-o-licious! It's lengthy full name, according to the paperwork, is the "Orgill Brothers & Co. Commemorative I*XL Pearl Canoe Scrimshaw".

I recommend hitting play to listen to what could be this knife's "theme song" while you browse. As soon as I saw the paperwork's cover drawing I thought of this song. It's a classic:

"Virgil, quick, come 'n see, there go the Robert E.Lee" The Band

[video=youtube;lF2tTft3MPc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF2tTft3MPc[/video]

It's a three-blade canoe pattern with engraved nickel-silver bolsters, Orgill Bros. blade etches and gorgeous, genuine MOP handles featuring scrimshaw by Bill Feeney (also did The Heralds of the Sea series http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/842551-Schrade-I*XL-quot-Heralds-Of-The-Sea-quot-bone-scrimshaw-sets-%281981%29?highlight=heralds). It came in an oak (?) display box with a maroon flocked display tray. Also included is a scrimshawed plaque of (pre-ban, legal) elephant ivory! The knife and plaque came in their original factory plastic bags (knife was still quite oily!) and the COA and pamphlet describing Orgill Bros. etc are super crisp and minty as well. My knife is serial number 149 of 350.

The MOP handles are quite thick and pics don't do them justice. As you turn the knife in the light it shines out blues and pinks from different depths of the slab. You can catch the blue light coming off them in the reflections on the bolsters.

 

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

You might have noticed that nowhere on the knife do you find the name Schrade. If it wasn't for the paperwork you might not ever get the connection. Funny how they go on about the age of the canoe pattern and it's proud history in America when it's an English knife in a pattern that Schrade never produced. I'm still wondering why in 100 years Schrade never tooled-up for canoe knife production... but I digress. Also interesting to note is that the scrimshawed plaque doesn't even get mentioned in the write-up. It's worth mentioning!

The ivory plaque really is something special. The scrimshaw work is more intensive and detailed than that on the knife and the ivory has great striations and colour. Highly polished! I hope my pics capture it. It really is as nice as the knife itself but in a different way. Together they are a knock-out. I believe the display box was designed to have the plaque attached to the top (if you are so inclined, I'm not) by the size and shape of the raised rectangular area.

 

[Dave Thinkstoomuch]

When I tried to research this knife I found only a few examples and every one is different. The scrimshaws differ, as would be expected if done free-hand, with some taking up far more of the handle than on my example. My scrim seems tiny by comparison.

Then comes the engraving which has me really confused. Only two of the six examples I found seem to have matching engraving. Two have none at all. Pictures paint a thousand words...

Over at AAPK Ringmaster posted he had #142 and it had no engraving at all. "Re., the Orgill Bros. Knife - I have the same knife, minus the engraving and provenance. Same pearl, and same scrim, tho'. Mine is serial #142." Mine is only 7 away serial-wise and it sure is engraved. No pic of #142 but here is #057 looking finished but not engraved:

Here's one posted by wiredhair at AAPK supposedly from the factory wall collection. I don't really doubt it but those wall collection COA's are worthless. Note that it is double-signed but blank. It seems a billion blank ones were done up to add "Value" to whatever knife the seller might pair it with. If blank ones got out who's to say the ones that are filled in are Golden? Once again, I digress... This one has a different blade-etch as well.

The engraving on #238 and #331 seems to be very similar if not exactly the same:

Here's a combo pic showing the bolsters all lined up:

Note that the position of the serial number on the bolster is different on #238 and #331 from W-000, 057, and 149. Two different series? I also read that perhaps a 100 sterling versions were made up for a blade show at the time. delander posted that he had one here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/380002-The-(New-and-Improved)-old-school-Schrade-thread?p=3492178#post3492178 but his pics have disappeared since 2006. I can't find a pic of a sterling one to see if it's stamped as such etc. but I think they are more than a rumour.

So what does this boil down to? Large variations in this SFO. I know that I like the engraving on mine with it's shading and differing types of cuts. Sterling would be awesome as always. I will keep an eye out for one of those.

It seems odd to me that engraving is not mentioned in the Schrade paperwork and my theory thus far is that the knives were sent out to be engraved (or not) by Orgill Bros. themselves after Schrade was done with the order. Also odd is no mention of the ivory plaque. That wasn't a selling point? I think I will try and contact Orgill but they are so big now and this is so long ago that I don't expect answers. Worth a shot though.

 

[Ballenxj]

That is one ornate knife.

 

[tongueriver]

If I am not mistaken, one of these knives will go up for sale tonight...er...somewhere.

 

[Codger_64]

If I am not mistaken, one of these knives will go up for sale tonight...er...somewhere.

Post reported because I can't afford to buy one! JK, jk.