Pens and Gents' Knives

waynorth

waynorth

Dealer / Materials Provider
Joined
Nov 19, 2005
Messages
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A couple of comments in the "Old Knives" sticky above prompted me to start this thread.
I was lamenting the fact that smaller antique knives "don't get no respect", and one of our resident knifemakers agreed with me.
Everyone wants "bigger, better", but as many experienced users will tell you, it is amazing what can be accomplished with smaller knives. So this thread is dedicated to smaller Pens and Jacks.
Here is a group of four; Empire, E.C.Simmons KeenKutter, KeenKutter and last, another Empire.

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The top Empire is the smallest, and simply amazing at 2 3/8"!!!
The blades are offset ground to snuggle next to each other on one spring, and they are nicely swedged to ease past each other; but they don't rub!! It's not a skeleton, handled by a jeweler, but a cutlery-made knife, with Silver laminated over steel for the handles, and riveted straight through. Blows me away!!:eek:

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The Keens are both also well made, with fully detailed stamps on each blade! You don't see that nice of stamp on many larger knives, especially the Simmons. Different contracting companies, but I'm not sure which ones.
Both are reassuringly "walky and talky"!:D

The bottom one, an early Empire and a bit larger, at a hair over 3", was someone's talisman for sure. The nicely jigged handles are quite worn from pocket and finger rubbing, but the blades are full, and they snap like a frisky spring colt! The knife tries to leap out of your hand when the blades talk!!

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(The beads are much older than the knives IMO.)

Let's see your Wee Beasties!!
 
No doubt the high-end knives of their day, but now most people want to collect the larger patterns, which were cheaper back then.

This Henckels is just a shade under 2 3/4:

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Here's some small jacks that actually perform well for their size. My brother in law bought a gazebo and I helped put it up. It was packaged in a ton of cardboard and one of these little fellas cut it up like nothing.

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Here's a small congress, a CM McClung.

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Nice, fully detailed knife, Mike! If it's under 2 1/2", how long is the second knife in the last pic???

Never get tired of seeing that raft of EOs, Steve!
 
Charlie, I fixed the length on the first knife in my post. The second one is just under 2 and half inches.
 
Here's a little german 4 blade in pearl, in nicely used condition, all blades marked GEO ROGERS. 2 3/4 inches

Best regards

Robin

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This little jewel is just under 3 1/2 inches closed. It is the first knife I reach for when I need to open a package. More often than not the pen blade gets used. It is an amazing cutter.
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I've often lamented the lack of equal-end patterns by modern makers. :(
And many of the higher-end makers (GEC, File & Wire) focus on large, bulky, heavy pocketknives. They're nice, but lacking the grace of the small old pocketknives that American men used to carry.

Not an equal-end, but here's a nice gentleman's pen knife from Bruckmann:
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And here's another small Bruckmann, this one in celluloid with a hidden spring:
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Thanks for showing those, Waynorth. The pearl Keen Kutter is my ideal of what a pocketknife should be, although that silver Empire is fantastic. :thumbup:
 
Mike Robuck said:
Charlie, I fixed the length on the first knife in my post. The second one is just under 2 and half inches.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Mike!
Got any more wee Bairnes??
Nice stag, Mack!! (I was confused yesterday; sorry!)
Bruckmanns are superior knives, Dave. Got a friend out here who collects them avidly!
 
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I've shown pictures of this one before... but here we go again:

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Tiny, but still got a good bit of snap to it. I don't use it for much other than opening letters.
 
LG4 lists Clark Brothers as a Kansas City, MO manufacturer and importer of German and English knives from 1895-1929. This little MOP senator pen marked "Clark Bros Sheffield" is just a hair over 2 1/4" closed.

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This batch has been up before. Largest is a Robeson Shuredge at 3 3/8" closed, smallest is a Broch & Koch at 2 1/2" closed.

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Charlie
Here are three pens, the upper is marked T. Lawrence cutlery Co Germany and is 2 1/2 in. The middle is marked A.W. cutlery Co Germany at 2 1/4in and the bottom is a Wards Bros England pen at 2 3/4 in. The trade beads are Venetian green hearts made from the early 17th century to the early 19th century, this string is early, was dug at an early U.S. site in the 30s. I kept this string as part payment for selling a Hopewell turtle effigy pipe for a client.

Best regards

Robin

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Oh My ! i should not be 'knifin' today, but Gent's knives ! i'll take a few pics when the sun rises. But which ones ? i've been nabbing these on ebay for a song and now i have hundreds. Separate storage folders for "Gent's Knives USA", Britian, Germany, Japan and "Others".
i'll find a few but it's hard to find the best without devoting a few hours, and i should not be 'knifin' today !
roland
 
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