The "Office Knife" The Office-ial Thread!

bdev

bdev

Joined
Feb 8, 2013
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I was always curious about the "office knife" and the June 2014 issue of Knife World inspired me to find one for my collection. I didn't want to spend a lot so I found an inexpensive worn version made by the Meridian Cutlery Co.

Post pics if you have one.

Here's the Meridian....

 
Only one I currently have. OVB:

large.jpg
 
My dad had one of those. I don't remember if I have it or a brother or sister got that one.
I still wonder why it was felt necessary to write "office knife" so large on them.
 
And here I was thinking GEC #9, before I saw there are actually "office" pocket knives.
 
thedaver8 said:
Is the office knife a style of knife?
Click to expand...

Actually, the design did have a purpose. The main blade was a spear for general use and the secondary blade was an ink eraser (see post #2). The secondary blade was shaped somewhat like a spey but came to a point. You erased the ink by scraping until the ink was removed from the paper. This also removed a layer of paper but I guess paper was a lot thicker in the 1930's.
 
Are they still making these? I've run across several, supposedly by Camillus, that look brand new.
 
One of two Office Knife patterns by Robeson, 422274. One is a bit smaller than the other.

Right now, I forget which.

 
Apparently these knives were used for many years before the invention of "White-Out", to erase (scrape away) mistakes made in ink! An added spear blade to open letters made the tool more versatile.
Here are my two, a Schrade Walden, and a long-pull Camillus:

OfficeKnives1_zps24e87910.jpg
 
Woo-hoo for that Camillus - looks like they raised the bar with that long pull and all those extra fancy curly-cue designs!!

I liked seeing all of these - I actually remember seeing secretaries scraping the type off of type written (actually typewriters) letters, when I was a young sprout.

I guess I did not pay proper attention to the knife they used. :D

I do not have one and I might have to keep my eyes peeled for one of these.:thumbup:
 
From now on i will erase everything with only a knife. :D that is the manliest thing i have heard all week!
 
As a subtext, it's interesting to see that there was more than one supplier of "French Ivory", which was usually celluloid!
 
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