Prune Big, or Go Home!

[Jack Black]

Jack that is such a fantastic Pruner! Love it!!!! Sure it has some grinding but man it still commands respect!
Awesome!

Thanks mate, I think someone has run a Dremel along to blade in attempt to 'clean' it I see the same thing quite often unfortunately. Hard to polish them out without removing the blade stamp

 

[waynorth]

Thanks mate, I think someone has run a Dremel along to blade in attempt to 'clean' it I see the same thing quite often unfortunately. Hard to polish them out without removing the blade stamp

Still a nice knife to find, Jack!! Interestingly marked on both sides of the blade!!

 

[Jack Black]

Still a nice knife to find, Jack!! Interestingly marked on both sides of the blade!!

Thanks Charlie, looks like they wanted their money's worth!

 

[waynorth]

I might have posted these Big Pruners before, but I took some new scans today!! Ogling these knives, you can tell they were made with pride;
and I suspect (and hope) that they will be around a couple of generations from now!! Prune Big!!!
O-V-B, by Hibbard, Spencer and Bartlett!!!
Remington, conveniently dated by the original (likely) owner, D.E, 1938!!!
Southington (arched), probably put away wet a few times, but still a big, functional knife!!!

Finally, an Ulster from Ellenville!!!

All great old seal-cap and rattailed pruners with great knife presence!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Here is a Pruner / Hawkbill that does not compare to 99% of the stellar knives shared in this amazing Thread, in saying this, this is exactly what the knife was marketed as- a lower budget Knife that helped Sears cover the whole range of quality knives, that it was almost hard NOT to make a sale.

Dunlap, named after Col. Tom Dunlap who was the Hardware Purchasing Manager for Sears and Roebuck.

Its quite hard to find a Dunlap with an Etch, I am in fault for the softening of the etch as it was super clear and strong, but the Rust was quite active and I had to very carefully neutralize it, so whats left is still a late 30's Pruner perhaps stepping into early 40's that has never been used, and relatively intact.

It holds an important place in my Sears collection within the 3rd tier part that features Kwik Kut, Dunlap and Fulton knives - all Sears brand names predominantly Camillus, there were others who joined the manufacturing party- even from Germany that sported Sears Dunlap name.

Please let me off lightly if you think that these knives hold no importance, I disagree but that what makes knife collecting so attractive is all the avenues we can stroll down, I think that Sears have a huge part of the Knife history in the USA, and I value greatly all the knives I have related to this company whether the knife is 1st, 2nd or 3rd teir.
What I find very interesting is the 2nd and 3rd tiered knives all have the same high quality blades, Punches etc, just different Handle materials, and in some cases coining or polishing inside liners for the top fella's etc.

.

 

[Campbellclanman]

I might have posted these Big Pruners before, but I took some new scans today!! Ogling these knives, you can tell they were made with pride;
and I suspect (and hope) that they will be around a couple of generations from now!! Prune Big!!!View attachment 3132758
O-V-B, by Hibbard, Spencer and Bartlett!!!View attachment 3132762
Remington, conveniently dated by the original (likely) owner, D.E, 1938!!!View attachment 3132763
Southington (arched), probably put away wet a few times, but still a big, functional knife!!!
View attachment 3132765
Finally, an Ulster from Ellenville!!!

All great old seal-cap and rattailed pruners with great knife presence!!

Each and every one of those beasts I absolutely love Charlie!

 

[waynorth]

Each and every one of those beasts I absolutely love Charlie!

We must have evolved from the same tribe, Duncan!!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

There is really something about those big Pruners- just look at those 4 you just posted, still to this day they look fantastic- and when we manage to get these with the Butt Plate they are finished off so nicely!

 

[waynorth]

There is really something about those big Pruners- just look at those 4 you just posted, still to this day they look fantastic- and when we manage to get these with the Butt Plate they are finished off so nicely!

I like the "heft" in hand!! Some of those butt plates are robust enough to drive tacks!! I wonder what else they were used for?? Anyone???

 

[waynorth]

" S.Hibbert & Son" Pruner from the late 1800s!! Slightly reduced sized Brass Butt Cap, this knife has integral bolsters, typical of that time period!!
The blade is slightly tipped, but firm and snappy!! Nice, somewhat crude, old knife!!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Charlie, tip or no tip- that is one heck-of-a great knife, I just love looking at these old Pruners!, How is that for a real thick Rats-tailed Bolster, finished off with a nice fine thread below the Rats tail- and that Stag held on with Iron - it doesn't get a lot better getting such nostalgic feeling checking out these great knives

 

[waynorth]

Charlie, tip or no tip- that is one heck-of-a great knife, I just love looking at these old Pruners!, How is that for a real thick Rats-tailed Bolster, finished off with a nice fine thread below the Rats tail- and that Stag held on with Iron - it doesn't get a lot better getting such nostalgic feeling checking out these great knives

If You weren't tall and trim, and I wasn't short and fat, I'd swear we were knife-brother-twins, separated at birth!!!

 

[Jack Black]

I barely have any large Pruners left, having given them away. This old TEW is one of the few

 

[Campbellclanman]

If You weren't tall and trim, and I wasn't short and fat, I'd swear we were knife-brother-twins, separated at birth!!!

I will correct that statement Charlie, I am a hollowed out trunk that has succumbed to rot, where your sturdy roots hold fast into the Earth and will so for many a year!

 

[Campbellclanman]

I barely have any large Pruners left, having given them away. This old TEW is one of the few

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I too would hold onto that one Jack my friend, I wonder what Eye Witnesses first tang stamp looked like- that one of yours would be close wouldn't you say Jack?

 

[Jack Black]

I too would hold onto that one Jack my friend, I wonder what Eye Witnesses first tang stamp looked like- that one of yours would be close wouldn't you say Jack?

It's an old stamp for sure Duncan, both the mark, (which John Taylor registered in 1838), and the company. (Needham, Veall, and Tyzack) have a very convoluted history. I'm glad you were able to see the old Eye Witness Works, when it was still operational (if only barely so) my friend

 

[screened porch]

 

[Jack Black]

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Nice Jer

 

[Jack Black]

It turns out that I do still have this Capped Pruner by Saynor, Cooke, & Riddal

 

[Campbellclanman]

It's an old stamp for sure Duncan, both the mark, (which John Taylor registered in 1838), and the company. (Needham, Veall, and Tyzack) have a very convoluted history. I'm glad you were able to see the old Eye Witness Works, when it was still operational (if only barely so) my friend

I remember it well Jack, Imagined all the work incoming and outgoing those arches! That was such a great day, Thank you so much again for that Jack!

It turns out that I do still have this Capped Pruner by Saynor, Cooke, & Riddal

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What an Ol'Beauty!