USA made 1950's vintage Shur-Lock knife...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

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Aug 4, 2013
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I was at the flea market this morning, and ran across a (Hallanger?) Shur-Lock knife. It's design incorporates no back spring. One simply unlocks a lever on the tang end of the handle that allows one to swing either one of the two blades out. Once a blade is out in full open position, one simply locks the lever again, locking the blade open.
It's handle is like a Douk-Douk or a Mercator k55k, meaning it has the same kind of stamped steel/folded to shape method handle. It is stamped with "stainless steel" on the frame, (other than that, no steel designation), and also stamped "made in USA". The entire knife seems to have simplicity and inexpensive manufacturing in mind, yet it seems well enough made for what it is.
I have the knife in my car as I post this, with me being out eating right now. I have not returned home yet from this morning's flea market excursion. Later I will post a few pics of this knife. It seems totally unused, and retains it's factory edge.
For $5, I could not pass up buying it for my collection. I have simply never seen one before, and being USA made, it will be yet another interesting knife to own.
Looking it up on the internet, it seems they were made during the 1950's. I was surprised to have found almost zilch about it online, and I'm hoping some of you fellas here will chime in with more info about it :)

The following was a pic I found online of the same model knife...

 
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I have definitely seen one of these before, and I believe these actually came with a decent leather belt sheath.

I don't think these were exactly a cheapo budget knife, but are all stainless like this because they were intended as a fishing knife.
 
Well, got home and wiped her down. Definitely not a knife I ever seen before, and it's uniqueness will play well within my collection.
I again tried seeking out more info online, but to no avail. I was kind'a surprised about that, I was expecting to get all sorts of online hits for it.
It shows no signs of any use, still having a perfect factory edge, just a few minor scuffs here and there from handling/storage.

Here she is amongst my other "gots" this morning at the flea market, (all had for $21). The Danbury Mint cars are 80's vintage pewter made in England. And, the little MOP folding button hook may be an antique, but there are no makers markings :)




 
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I've been online searching for more info on this knife, and finally found this posting from a person that had purchased one online. Anyhow, I am pasting it here...

"Just got this fish knife off of eBay. It was made by I. & J. Manufacturing of Plainfield, NJ between 1947 and 1952. It has an unusual locking mechanism I have never seen before, so I figured I'd show it to all of you!
icon_biggrin.gif

Opening the lever releases the blade from the closed position. Closing the lever locks it in place whether the blade is out or in the handle. Also, it says Pat. 2617187 on it."

The person posted the supposed name of the firm that manufactured it, (I. & J. Manufacturing of Plainfield NJ), but my searching that name online came up empty. The knife was supposedly only made from 1947 to 1952, (5 years), and if true, makes my specimen at least 67 years old.
She seems to be a pretty rare bird, in great shape, and my paying only $5 for it, well... an absolute bargain! :)
 
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Never seen this one before but it kinda looks like one the George schrade designs
 
flylock said:
Never seen this one before but it kinda looks like one the George schrade designs
Click to expand...

http://www.google.com/patents?id=fwVHAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=2617187&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=0_1

No, the patent has the inventor's name, and it's not Schrade.

The Inventor was Joseph Hopta.

I find knife history to be fascinating :)


I'm guessing the flea market vendor I purchased this from, may have likely acquired the knife from an estate sale of some sort. The condition screams out as being an item that was likely in someone's collection, and therefore kept so well. The very few and minor scuffs it does have, were likely gotten while the knife got shuffled around by folks sifting through the shoe box full of knives the vendor had it in.
I did not find any other knives in that box that caught my eye as being anything special, but since I hit the market a little later than usual, it had likely been picked over by others by that time. The early bird usualy gets those worms, (or at least the thicker and jucier ones) ;)
 
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Jimmy, that is a very cool knife from a design and history perspective. Good thing it fell into the hands of someone who will keep it pristine - I'd take it fishing! Very, very nice. OH
 
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