TOWLKA Republic of Ireland Camper's Knife

T

tvacchino

Joined
Mar 19, 2014
Messages
44
I'm embarrassed to even post picture of this knife honestly :barf:
I probably was given this when I was way to young to understand and it shows unfortunately.
Anyone have any input on these like when they were produced (years).
I use it for whittling and stuff now but probably should retire it.

out,
t
 
I can't help you on the date, maybe late 70's early 80s, but that's a total guess.

Don't be embarrassed to show us your knife. I know guys that buy $125 knives but carry stamped shell Imperials and Colonials as EDC's. The fact that you have had this since you were young makes it special, I'm sure it has great memories attached to it.

Please share pics with us, we like pictures...
 
I thought they were JOWIKA. Ive been known to make mistakes tho:confused:
 
Jowika it is. Likely from the 60's to early 70's before Baer bought it from Eugene Weber. Low pricepoint knives were their stock in trade. Listowel, Ireland... the knives will also be found marked STAG Ireland. The factory was eventually used to produce a line of Imperial Tradesman knives and tools, closed a year or so before the Imperial Schrade closure in Ellenville. The German parent company was Stahwlarenfabrik Eugen Weber & Altenbach KG.

bernard_levine said:
It took me many years to figure out that it is a J, not a T.

The full name of the firm was: Jowika Stahlwarenfabrik Eugen Weber & Altenbach KG.

It was founded in Solingen prior to 1928, under the name Johann & Wilhelm Kleinewefers GMBH, Messerfabrik. JWK for short, hence JoWiKa.

Sold to Eugen Weber in the 1930s. Weber was married to a woman named Altenbach, from a family that manufactured innovative low-priced pocketknives, as well as other cutlery items.

In 1960 Weber opened a branch factory in Listowel Ireland. It was sold to Albert M. Baer of Imperial Schrade in 1978; he kept on the German born manager. The Listowel factory was closed about a year and a half before the U.S. Schrade factory closed. Les deAsis of Benchmade bought some of its newer machinery (he said it cost more to ship than to buy).

The Jowika factory in Solingen closed in 1984.
...
BRL...
Click to expand...
 
Funny you guys bring that up "Towlka" or Jowika" as I couldn't tell honestly by the stamp on mine?
But when I did a search before posting it came back as "Towlka" so I assumed....
Thanx for clearing that up.

Will post pictures. But as I said originally I was so embarrassed by the condition of knife I didn't want to post!
I took a good cleaning, oiling etc to it lastnite. And though it still has bad blade damage (due to my younger self and a grinder it appears)!
It looks better anyway.
I will say also that Flitz Metal Polish did a great job taking care of much of the grime. if not the grinder damage.
Also it amazingly removed from the plastic case area what looked to be some kind of resign glue that had been there "forever" and I thought was permanent.
a little scrub with Flitz a toothbrush and the resign slid right off!

out,
t
 
Not a bad old knife. I have definately seen worse. And if you are so inclined, I'd bet you can clean up those grind marks more. They were what they were, low pricepoint knives intended for the younger market where money was not in abundence. Many were used and abused by young owners and really, they stood up surprisingly well. A higher pricepoint knife is not grinder/file/pry resistant any more than these. And low pricepoint knives have a storied history right alongside the higher pricepoint knives. Here are two I recently purchased which was made in Germany for the U.S. low price-point market before the 1930's, possibly as early as pre-WWI. I have definately seen more expensive knives much younger in worse condition.

s4m4wl.png


This one was made by the predecessor company of your knife, Altenbach GMBH. The previous one likely was as well.
10f2n1v.png


Cheaply made, they were still fully functional knives. And remain so nearly one hundred years later.
 
Awesome!
I must say given what I did to this Knife in my youth! That it even still exists is amazing 0_o
I wonder if it may have been my Fathers originally (i'll ask) and He handed it down to me?
Codger what/ how would you recommend for possibly fixing said Grinder damage?

Thanx for sharing your knowledge and those other examples!!

out,
t
 
I am not a cutler but I would suggest some very fine sandpaper on a foam mousepad. It will reduce the blade, but you decide when to stop. You could use coarser paper working up to finer paper for final polish. The knife will never be new again, that is a given. But you won't ruin it's value by doing some cleanup on the blades. After all, it's value to you is as a relic of your youth, when you were first learning to use and care for knives. It might be valuable to your own children and grandchildren some day for that very reason, in spite of it's pricepoint and relic condition.
 
Thanx Codger!
I've used fine steel wool as well to remove rust but have never gone much beyond that.
I will try the fine sandpaper (I have the foam pad ones for woodwork) and see how it goes.
I guess it is really impossible to figure out when this knife was produced really?
Does the marking next to the brand give any indication maybe (looks like a penguin to me)?

out,
t
 
Hey, that's not bad! I've had a couple of Jowika's in far worse shape! :D :thumbup:
 
tvacchino said:
I'm embarrassed to even post picture of this knife honestly :barf:
I probably was given this when I was way to young to understand and it shows unfortunately.
Anyone have any input on these like when they were produced (years).
I use it for whittling and stuff now but probably should retire it.

out,
t
Click to expand...

I had a brown bone case stockman that I bought with my paper route money from a local hardware store when I was about ten years old. I used it and carried it every day and the blades became a nice darkened steel. When I was a teenager, I graduated to a Sodbuster. The last place I remember seeing these knives was before I left home and got married. I have a lot of nice old knives today that would be considered better, more valuable, etc., but, I often wonder what ever became of that first Case stockman I carried as a child. I would love to see it again. You are very lucky to have your knife and best regards !:)
 
I'm a graphic Designer by profession. And I'm always impressed by the design of these older knifes! Whether they were "cheaply" made or not.
It's like old Muscle Cars compared to the plastic uninspired boxes we drive around in now. What happened to the "character" in design?

out,
t
 
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