Question about what to do with some old knives

Iris

Iris

Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
91
Hi guys,
I'm new to this forum and am not a knife collector. (I was directed here to learn more about the old knives I am selling for my mum).
It is a set of 6 C + X Lockwood Brother Sheffield Real knife Pampa folding knives. They were found in their original box hidden up in the rafters of my mum's old garage.
I need some info as to whether I did the right thing keeping them as a set or whether they would have been more value individually. Also, does the custom company logo etching of 'Young's Sheep Dips' make them more rare and collectable?
Also, should I have cleaned the rust off (they might have come up close to mint as they are unused as far as I know). I know a little about them but only from my online research. I'd love to hear your words of wisdom :)
Please tell me your thoughts :)
Cheers, Iris

PS What would be the best way to remove the rust?


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I have edited your post to bring it within the posting guidelines.
edited to add:
And I have moved your other thread in the General Forum off line.
 
I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that links were not allowed. How do I add pictures to my post please? Thanks :)
 
As a registered member you are allowed to ask general questions, but not questions about buying, selling, or price.

You can upload pictures to a web hosting site such as photobucket. Then copy the web address of the picture. Paste the picture in your post. Then wrap it in code like this:
 
If folks can see them without logging in, it should work. But I don't believe I've seen anyone post pics using Pinterest.

The usual suspects are photobucket and imgur.
 
Hi guys, I'm new here. Not a knife collector but I have in my possession these:
LOCKWOOD BROTHERS SHEFFIELD REAL KNIFE PAMPA - Antique boxed set folding knives (Presumed UNUSED!) Selling on behalf of my mum. I would love information on these. Eg how old are they? From my research I've estimated they were made circa 1886-1919 as that's when the Real Knife Pampa logo was used. Am I right? They were found in the box up in the rafters of my mum's old garage. Other than some rust they seem to have fared well... I think they are pretty awesome. :) Would they worth splitting up or should I keep them as a set in box. Does the 'Young's Sheep Dips' company logo make them more or less collectable? Think that's all my questions lol... if you have any more interesting info about them though, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!

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Iris, personally I wouldn't clean those knives. I think its safe to say that 9 out of 10 people who would be interested in them, would prefer them untouched.
So often the real value and collectability of a older knife is drastically reduced by cleaning, especially when not done by a true professional. That seems to be quite a find. I'd be hesitant to guess on true value. I would suggest being patient, do some more research and hopefully other, more knowledgeable members will chime in to help you.
Regards, Robert
 
Dont touch them at all - They wont ever come up Mint- period, all you will do is de-value them as to whatever value they have now.
 
The logo does not make them more valuable- that was simply etched there for the Customer who ordered the knives as a advertisement tool.

Asking any questions on value as to selling is against any rules that blade Forums have here as a Registered Member, so be careful or the Mods will come in swinging :-)

Please do not try to remove the rust whatsoever- you WILL destroy the knife- they are in the condition they are in now. You can only help bt using a rag with Mineral Oil on it- resist any other suggestions to use Steel Wool - again you will ruin the knife.
 
The thing that interests me the most is the How? and Why? and Who? did they get up in the rafters of Mums garage.
Any clues ? Was a member of the family involved in either sheep dipping or knife selling or maybe even collecting?
Or were they already up there when your parents bought or moved into the house?
Who buys a brand new set of six identical knives? (apart from members of this forum that is:D).

The box alone makes me think pre 1970- thats only a theory mind you.
Also what country are you in ? USA or Britain? or ?? Has anyone PMd you with a tempting offer yet?
I would be hanging on to them until the facts present themselves. Without breaking the rules about value I will state for the record that they are gorgeous looking old knives.;)
question questions -feed me Seymour.

Its a mystery and the games afoot. You have come to the right place.
Dorlock-Holmes.jpg
 
of Granville Works, Sylvester Street, Sheffield
founded by John Lockwood who took out his first trademark in 1767.
1856 Lockwood Brothers, merchants & table knife, sheep shear, file, edge tool, joiner's tool, steel, &c. mfrs. 7 4 Arundel street, & Spital hill[1]
c1922 Amalgamated with other cutlery companies to form a company named Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturers.[2]

could they be this old?
maybe.

"Robert Young & Co Ltd, sheep dip and disinfectant manufacturers-1911-1978"

I'm thinking closer to the 1978 end of Youngs business.

To be honest if I cast my mind back to 1978 (I was 14) things were still fairly primitive in comparison to today-
the digital printing age was in the future and many businesses were still clinging desperately to the old world of pre ww2. eg that box with its fountain pen labelling.

Ive just been tomcatting over to British blades forum and there is info on Lockwood bros- but nothing to date these knives.

Iris -any chance of some closer up pics of the blades both sides to get a look at the etch- do they have the "ostrich" (its more likely a rhea from the pampas).
 
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Hi guys, oh wow thank you everyone for replying! Great to know not to touch them. I shan't! :) I will post some closer up pics of the blades yes and no the Rhea bird is not on the blades only on the box. I too did some research on the Sheep dipping company and there was a New Zealand branch of the company in Petone, Wellington. So that is how they ended up in my end of the world. (I'm in Hawkes Bay New Zealand). They were certainly an exciting thing to find and they were in the garage of the house my mum bought in 1996 though we hadn't come across them till only a few years ago. I wish I'd come across this forum earlier. It is lovely to see the enthusiasm for the knives though. I have fallen in love with them myself and I'm not even a collector. I think there is an old world charm about them. I had guessed their age to be between 1886-1919 as I'd read that is when the Rhea brand was used till. I could paste some of the info on here I've found out about them... hold on...
 
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Ok I'm going to have to read those rules lol... I'll try behave like a good girl. I am literally interested in more info about them though. Are they what you would call a Lamb foot? Cheers :) PS won't touch 'em then. Good to know my instincts were right. My mum wanted to clean the rust. I thought it a bad idea.
 
Here is as much as I know just from 'google research' lol

This is an antique*boxed set*of half a dozen folding/pocket knives (presumed unused)*manufactured by LOCKWOOD BROTHERS, Sylvester St., Sheffield. *A subsidiary company of Joseph Elliot & Sons (Sheffield) Ltd.
The box has the words Real Knife Pampa*with the associated Rhea bird logo (often mistaken for an Emu or Ostrich)*which according to my research was used*Circa 1886-1919
It also has the word Stag referring obviously to the handle material.
In addition it has the handwritten 1/2 Doz (referring to the number of knives) plus a parts number: Z369 which I don't know if is relevant to collectors.

Each blade is stamped with company logo: C+X Lockwood Brothers Sheffield, as well as*etched with the 'Young's Sheep Dips' company name for which they were clearly produced.
(Young's Sheep Dips was a product*sold by the international manufacturer: Robert Young & Co Ltd. Glasgow. The NZ branch of Young's Sheep Dips Ltd, was in Petone, Wellington**which would explain why these knives were shipped*half way across the world and subsequently found by my mother in the rafters of her old garage).

As is clear from the photographs, the blades are quite rusty and the box rather tattered. The rafters are not a very protected place when it comes to moisture it would seem. I have not attempted to clean the rust off as I wasn't sure if this would affect the value of the knives. But I would assume this wouldn't be a difficult thing to do.

The blades are sharp and very pointy and open/close tightly with no wobble, which leads me to believe further that these were unused and have remained in this tattered wee box for possibly over a hundred years.
They are what I would describe as 'full tang' and each knife has 3 small nails or rivets attaching the handle to the blade.
The total length with blade extended is approx. 15.5cm. The length of the blade is 5cm (not including the stamped hilt part).
 
Iris, this is an interesting story. I'd be glad to post some more information on the company who made your knives, and I'm sure others will also. However, you must respect the rules of the forum, and avoid commercial discussion :thumbup:
 
I'm not sure what commercial discussion means sorry Jack Black. But I'm trying to stick to the rules. Someone asked me if I'd been made a tempting offer and I only replied. I didn't realise that was breaking the rules. Please feel free to tell me exactly where I said something and I can delete. I truly want to be respectful of the forum rules.
 
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