Prune Big, or Go Home!

[Campbellclanman]

That was a good trade Charlie - a very good trade. You must have had a coffee beforehand.

 

[Blake the Blade]

I knew my dad carried a pruning knife...all stainless model as far as I was aware. Turned out to be something a bit more interesting on closer inspection. Knife is stamped 'Rogers..Sheffield' alongside the star and cross trade mark and the scales hallmarked silver with a leopard head hallmark for London (I think).

Apologies for poor quality photo.
Untitled by Blake Blade, on Flickr

 

[waynorth]

I traded some very nice Robeson knives to get this big five inch Terrier Cutlery Company EO horticulture jack.

Circa 1910 to 1916.

I have never seen nor heard tell of this pattern before.

I posted this in the Old Knives thread, but it goes here, as well.

How could I miss that big freaking knife????
Wonderful, rare score Charlie N!!!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Lol Charlie I too am surprised you missed that one- what a beautiful big ol Knife That is.

 

[Blake the Blade]

Very happy to have bought this recently from the tool department of a Bric-a-Brac shop for the princely sum of £2.00. Its a J.Nowill & Sons (Sheffield) large, stag handled pruner.
Untitled by Blake Blade, on Flickr
Untitled by Blake Blade, on Flickr

It has a cross keys mark alongside a star atop a capital D on one side of the tang. Can anyone tell me what this means? Many thanks.

- Mark.

 

[waynorth]

Interesting Nowill, Mark. Great looking old knife.
The stamping you describe sounds like their trademark, J.NOWILL & SONS.

 

[Blake the Blade]

Interesting Nowill, Mark. Great looking old knife.
The stamping you describe sounds like their trademark, J.NOWILL & SONS.

Thanks waynorth, yes you're right.

 

[Augie]

Blake, very nice old stag pruner, the old English pruners are such great looking knives.

Found this Wards pruner in nice shape with some good looking cocobolo.I'm thinking Schrade or Camillus made.

 

[Will Power]

I'm harvesting big today! Thanks Charlie

 

[pipedreams308]

 

[waynorth]

Three beauties in a row!!
Nice knives, John, Will and Todd!!

 

[waynorth]

Not exactly big - small really, but big on beauty; I bought this Peach Pruner, before I even knew who Jack Black was!! Still love it, and I am glad to be of Jack's acquaintance now!!
It is not perfect-looking, but it functions nicely. From what I have seen, F&F have improved at Wright's, but they were stylin' way back then!!
B Bartleby , I thought you'd like this!!

 

[Jack Black]

Not exactly big - small really, but big on beauty; I bought this Peach Pruner, before I even knew who Jack Black was!! Still love it, and I am glad to be of Jack's acquaintance now!!
It is not perfect-looking, but it functions nicely. From what I have seen, F&F have improved at Wright's, but they were stylin' way back there!!
B Bartleby , I thought you'd like this!!
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I always enjoy seeing this thread reappear Peach Pruner is a nice pattern I think Charlie

 

[Bartleby]

It is not perfect-looking, but it functions nicely. From what I have seen, F&F have improved at Wright's, but they were stylin' way back there!!
B Bartleby , I thought you'd like this!!

Sweet! Although with the Peach Pruner Pattern, it is perhaps more a case of prune small or go home! Nice horn on that one, the gentle curve on the peach pruner does make them surprisingly well suited to efficient cutting for their size. I have discovered that a fair number of full sized pruners were carried as rope knives long ago, the blade shape is well suited for it.

 

[waynorth]

Peach Pruners to date.
From the bottom, over ten years old I think, my first one, also seen above. The middle one, Jack found for me as I was trying to build a Horn handle display, maybe a year ago. Note the great Horn, both sides!! Finally, slightly finer in size, a hair shorter and a very slightly narrower bolster, this nice Stag knife!! Fresh from the home of Mr. Black!!
Note the bottom, oldest one has a Brass pivot pin!!
The oily fingerprint on the middle one proves I take good care of my knives - ahem.
The Walk and Talk is very consistent across all three, though the Fit is improved over the decade or so. All three could use a little honing, but I am not convinced to carry one yet.

 

[Bartleby]

All three could use a little honing, but I am not convinced to carry one yet.

Hone one and give it a go, I have been surprised at how well the gentle curve seems to pull items into the cut.

 

[waynorth]

It's such a well-wrought curve, I am tempted, Bart!!
Maybe next EDC!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Beautiful A.Wrights!

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

Medium to large hawkbills are used by coal miners back home quite a bit. Although not for pruning usually. They use them to strip insulation off heavy power cables, also to cut thick conveyer belts. Back in my Dads wild and wooly days (b4 my time) they was used in some rougher places in bar fights apparently liner locking types were preferred for that

 

[waynorth]

My days of grappling in bars are long over!! Now, cutting greens from the garden for dinner; THAT's a good use of a hawkbill!!