Treasures From Jack's Virtual Table

[waynorth]

Two weeks is too long Jack!! Get it looked at!!
Jack Black

 

[Jack Black]

I always enjoy seeing the interesting knives on your "table", Jack!


Two weeks? That doesn't sound good. You might should get a doctor to look at that.

Two weeks is too long Jack!! Get it looked at!!
Jack Black

Thank you my friends, it's looking a bit better today, but I keep catching it, hoping I don't get an ingrowing nail Incredible the trouble such a small injury can cause, I must have gone through a whole box of band-aids

 

[Jack Black]

About a dozen of the knives in my 'virtual table' came from the same job-lot I bought from a market trader. There was supposed to be a second lot coming the following week, but he basically pulled a 'fast one' These two sheath knives are from the lot, despite their differences, they'd both be described by Sheffield cutlers as 'Whittle Tang Bowies' (ie with stick tangs rather than full tangs). Knives like this have been produced in Sheffield for well over a century, but only one of these is a Sheffield knife, the other was made in Germany, where similar knives have been produced for nearly as long as in Sheffield.

The lower knife (above) is one of the Sheffield 'Town Patterns', that means that it was produced by cutlers all over the town. This one has a 4 1/2" blade, but they come in a number of sizes, and slightly differing patterns. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a tang-stamp, but it could have been produced by any number of cutlers. The omission of the stamp is probably because it was sold by a factor, who wanted to keep the source of his knives private, or it may have been produced by one of the thousands of jobbing cutlers or 'Little Mesters', who once operated in Sheffield. Another possibility is that it was produced during WW2, when only knives for government contracts were supposed to be produced. That's a controversial subject, worthy of more discussion I think, but in this case, I think the knife was probably produced post-WW2.

The sheaths for these knives have been absolute rubbish, at least all of my lifetime, and I won't bother trying to do anything with it.

The other knife, on the left above is made by the famous Solingen cutler Heinrich Kaufmann & Sohne, who first made the Mercator 'Black Cat', and like the famous lock-knife, it bears their K55 stamp. It hasn't been hafted quite as well as the Sheffield knife, but the sheath is probably very slightly better, though still not worth salvaging.

Two perfectly useful knives

 

[Jack Black]

This is a traditional leather workers' Half-Moon Knife or Round Knife, sometimes called a Lunette (but you might want to avoid Googling that word these days). While many such knives were made in Sheffield, this one carries the name of Thomas Dixon & Sons of Walsall in the English Midlands, where the British leather trade has long been based.

 

[JohnDF]

This is a traditional leather workers' Half-Moon Knife or Round Knife, sometimes called a Lunette (but you might want to avoid Googling that word these days). While many such knives were made in Sheffield, this one carries the name of Thomas Dixon & Sons of Walsall in the English Midlands, where the British leather trade has long been based.

Cool Head Knife, Jack.
I've handled a few of those in my day. Still have some stashed away somewhere.

 

[Jack Black]

Cool Head Knife, Jack.
I've handled a few of those in my day. Still have some stashed away somewhere.

Thanks John, I know that Dave Horsewright still uses one (and indeed makes them)

 

[Jack Black]

This is a simple key-chain Lobster, nice enough in its manufacture (in Italy). Probably given away by the company whose name it carries, perhaps by Reps (travelling salesmen) to valued customers.

 

[screened porch]

This is a simple key-chain Lobster, nice enough in its manufacture (in Italy). Probably given away by the company whose name it carries, perhaps by Reps (travelling salesmen) to valued customers.

Looks like solid handles rather than crimped on covers?

 

[Jack Black]

Looks like solid handles rather than crimped on covers?

They are Jer, it's quite well-made

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks John, I know that Dave Horsewright still uses one (and indeed makes them)

Very cool knife Jack! Heck I use one every day, well almost. Those Dixon and Sons are suppose to be some pretty good ones. I've got an old Blanchard skivving knife but no Dixons.

 

[Jack Black]

Very cool knife Jack! Heck I use one every day, well almost. Those Dixon and Sons are suppose to be some pretty good ones. I've got an old Blanchard skivving knife but no Dixons.

Thanks Dave, I'd be happy to send it you over sometime Here's another Dixon I picked up some years ago, older I think, but I passed it onto another member

The sheath is original, and the studs were embossed with the Dixon name

 

[Jack Black]

Not a knife, but a travel razor, made in Sheffield by Thomas Ward & Co. There's a pretty good collector's site focusing on the firm here . I would dispute the age of the firm though. I know that they go back before the 1920's because my great-grandfather was a foreman at the firm, and he was killed in WW1 (his brother also worked for Ward's). According to Geoff Tweedale, they were advertising in trade catalogues from 1916.

This seems to be quite an obscure razor, and I've not been able to find another example online. It's interesting that one of the components is plastic, but I guess there was a time when it was universally considered to be a wonder material.

 

[Jack Black]

This long-bladed homemade Dirk or Dagger has been cobbled together from a Fairbairn-Sykes Knife blade, by someone of very modest talent. A shame they didn't add a cross-guard, then they wouldn't have had to spoil the F-S blade by thinning it out to fit the stag handle

 

[screened porch]

Quirky stuff, but I can relate to the modest talent.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks Dave, I'd be happy to send it you over sometime Here's another Dixon I picked up some years ago, older I think, but I passed it onto another member

The sheath is original, and the studs were embossed with the Dixon name

Very cool Buddy! Mine have a little more polish on em when I sheip em out:

 

[Jack Black]

Very cool Buddy! Mine have a little more polish on em when I sheip em out:

They look just a little bit more classy Dave! Beautiful sheath too my friend

 

[Jack Black]

This is a WW2 era British Royal Navy Clasp Knife by Joseph Allen of Sheffield. It's an earlier model with a copper bail, rather than the later steel bail, which was issued into the 1980's.

They're a heavy knife, designed to be worn on a lanyard. This sailor must have been a thin chap as he has his knife secured on a lanyard round his waist.

After their owner's naval service was complete, many of these knives were pressed into use as tool-box knives on Civvie Street, and used just as hard. Sadly, despite their extremely robust build, many are found with damaged blades. The point is particularly vulnerable if the knife is dropped, because of the sheer weight of the knife.

Joseph Allen were established in Sheffield in the latter half of the 19th century, acquiring the 'Non-XXL' mark in 1883 (for the use of which Adolph Kastor later paid a royalty). The firm made clasp knives for the British Army and Navy in both World Wars.

 

[Jack Black]

A bunch of Key Knives, two by Richards of Sheffield, and one by Stocker & Co of Solingen.

The latter (with pre-1952 D.R.G.M. mark) is quite similar to a Paul Henckel model, kindly gifted to me by my friend @herder A (Adolf) Mohr, later Polar-Mohr, is a manufacturer of paper-cutting machines. On the pile side of the Stocker knife, there is the Polar stamp of the firm which used between 1940 and 1960, so we can date it between 1940 and 1952. Hofeim in Taunus, Germany, is where the company has its headquarters.

 

[donn]

This is a WW2 era British Royal Navy Clasp Knife by Joseph Allen of Sheffield. It's an earlier model with a copper bail, rather than the later steel bail, which was issued into the 1980's.

They're a heavy knife, designed to be worn on a lanyard. This sailor must have been a thin chap as he has his knife secured on a lanyard round his waist.

After their owner's naval service was complete, many of these knives were pressed into use as tool-box knives on Civvie Street, and used just as hard. Sadly, despite their extremely robust build, many are found with damaged blades. The point is particularly vulnerable if the knife is dropped, because of the sheer weight of the knife.

Joseph Allen were established in Sheffield in the latter half of the 19th century, acquiring the 'Non-XXL' mark in 1883 (for the use of which Adolph Kastor later paid a royalty). The firm made clasp knives for the British Army and Navy in both World Wars.

That's a great example of a clasp knife you have there. I have one of the later ones you mention which is in excellent nick. A Joseph Rodgers numbered 21306 but without a broad arrow.

 

[Jack Black]

That's a great example of a clasp knife you have there. I have one of the later ones you mention which is in excellent nick. A Joseph Rodgers numbered 21306 but without a broad arrow.

Thanks David, that's is in superb condition My grandfather gave me a later Rodgers with the broad arrow. I can't remember if it was date-stamped or not, as they often are

Here's something quite different, another one from the large job-lot I bought. It's a Black Cat-type lock knife, with a tang-stamp which just says 'Solingen, W. Germany'.

The edge has taken a few dings