Will it be a Richards? - Return To Otley (now with pics)!



There was a second junk shop in the Otley arcade, run by two women who were even battier than the other one. They really did have a lot of rubbish on sale, but they had this gentleman in the window, very much like the chap that graced my first pocket knife. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the wooden figure (three or so feet tall) is clearly of an elderly vintage himself, the owners had decided to recently get him a new coat of war-paint. My apologies again for the poor photograph, but the two ladies took up most of the shop themselves, and it was hard to get in to look around or take a photograph. I hope you can at least see the tomahawk.
 
Thanks for taking us along on the trip to Otley, Jack.
Great post, I have truly enjoyed it.
 
Thank you once again gentlemen for all your very kind comments. There are quite a few small market towns near where I live, so I'm going to go and try and 'hunt' regularly. If anyone wants to start a crochet hook collection I might even return to Otley again :)

I'm a bit unsure what to do with the John Wells knife I found, whether I should have a go at cleaning it up, and sharpening what needs to be sharpened and fixing what needs to be fixed, or leaving as it is. Any opinions and advice would be appreciated.

Jack
 
Just came across an identical knife to the one I originally spotted in Otley online. Specs are given as follows:

Old Richards Sheffield Knife
"Mother of Pearl Celluloid Scout Knife"
Made in Sheffield, England 1940's

Vintage Richards Sheffield Knife "Mother of Pearl Celluloid Scout Knife". Nice mother of pearl swirl celluloid handle scales. High carbon steel spear point blade, polished stainless steel cap lifter screwdriver and can opener. All of the blades have good strong snap. Tang stamped with Richards Sheffield logo. Steel fluted bolsters, liners, inlaid crest shield, and bail. Nice old collectible scout pocket knife. Mint condition, never used or sharpened.

Made in Sheffield, England 1940's

Blade Material: High Carbon Steel & Stainless Steel
Handle Material: Swirl Celluloid
Blade Length: 2-1/2"
Closed Length: 3-5/8"
Weight: 2.5 oz

I don't know about the dating, I would have said it was from the 60's rather than the 40's.
 
Jack, he lived in Walton road, just off the Ecclesall road at the botanic gardens. Couldn't tell you when it was made I'm afraid mate, patina is well and truly embedded, but the blades are oddly leaf shaped for a pen knife from Sheffield, he had it for as long as I can remember, I got it when he passed away about 10 years ago.
 
pmew said:
Jack, he lived in Walton road, just off the Ecclesall road at the botanic gardens. Couldn't tell you when it was made I'm afraid mate, patina is well and truly embedded, but the blades are oddly leaf shaped for a pen knife from Sheffield, he had it for as long as I can remember, I got it when he passed away about 10 years ago.
Click to expand...

It's a small world indeed :) I spent my first 17 years living at 795 Ecclesall Road, and later in my twenties, at 721 for a year. I had friends who lived on Walton Road as a teenager. The Botanical Gardens are still there, but have changed somewhat since I was a kid, when we used to climb over the wall at night. I'm over in Sheffield regularly, could take you some photos if you like?

Jack
 
Yeah, that would be sweet. I remember mucking about in the bear pit when I was a wee lad in the botanic gardens, is it still there or has health and safety shut everything down?
 
pmew said:
Yeah, that would be sweet. I remember mucking about in the bear pit when I was a wee lad in the botanic gardens, is it still there or has health and safety shut everything down?
Click to expand...

As far as I know, it's a few years since I've been there, but it's still open, and it was always my favourite place in the Botanical Gardens. I'm going over to see one of my daughters in a couple of days, so I'll see if I can persuade her to go for a walk there. Do you remember the Rose Gardens with the Peter Pan statue too? Me and my friends sometimes used to play tag in there on summer evenings after we'd climbed over the wall, nobody ever bothered us. I used to know the guy in charge of the place, and his family, at one time too, though he was a bit of a misery!

I was just trying to pull a couple of images off the net for you, and I see that since I was last there, they've stuck a statue of a bear in there, rather spoils it in my opinion.

28439058.jpg


Bear_Pit_131.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Botanical_Gardens

http://sheffield-for-beginners.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/pit-of-dis-bear.html
 
That's not good, they took a lot of stuff out and changed it all around, the big statue and fountain of queen Victoria went too.
 
Jack, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your adventures of Otley. I too have met a few crochet matriarchs in my time, here in the U.S., and after your fine story believe I will start my collection of Otley crochet hooks.

Keep the stories coming! ...and watch out for flying balls of yarn.
 
My first knife was a Richards. Here in the UK is was difficult to find much else when I was growing up. They were pretty poor knives, but one knife I owned was slightly better than the usual ones I owned, and that was the camper in the picture. I still own it, it's tucked away in my safe. I used it for awhile as a kid then gave it to my grandfather, and he used it for awhile then it returned to me, so the history is much more important to me than the knife. I loved...and still do...the plastic stag scales.
The blade is carbon steel, I used gun blue to darken it years ago, it's now almost black. I will say it takes a better edge than many carbon blades I own today.
Good story Jack. We'd like more like that if you please :-)

PICT0042.JPG
 
pmew said:
That's not good, they took a lot of stuff out and changed it all around, the big statue and fountain of queen Victoria went too.
Click to expand...

Really? I hadn't realised that, what a shame.
 
Gevonovich said:
Jack, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your adventures of Otley. I too have met a few crochet matriarchs in my time, here in the U.S., and after your fine story believe I will start my collection of Otley crochet hooks.

Keep the stories coming! ...and watch out for flying balls of yarn.
Click to expand...

Thank you Gevonovich, very kind of you to say so (I'm afraid I've just directed you here from another thread). Maybe I could run a crochet-hook giveaway! :)
 
jacknife said:
My first knife was a Richards. Here in the UK is was difficult to find much else when I was growing up. They were pretty poor knives, but one knife I owned was slightly better than the usual ones I owned, and that was the camper in the picture. I still own it, it's tucked away in my safe. I used it for awhile as a kid then gave it to my grandfather, and he used it for awhile then it returned to me, so the history is much more important to me than the knife. I loved...and still do...the plastic stag scales.
The blade is carbon steel, I used gun blue to darken it years ago, it's now almost black. I will say it takes a better edge than many carbon blades I own today.
Good story Jack. We'd like more like that if you please :-)

PICT0042.JPG
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve. I'd never have guessed that camper was a Richards from the photo. Nice collection you have :)

I'm planning a trip into deepest South Yorkshire - Barnsley or Rotherham - next week, so a tale may result!

Jack
 
Jack Black said:
I'm a bit unsure what to do with the John Wells knife I found, whether I should have a go at cleaning it up, and sharpening what needs to be sharpened and fixing what needs to be fixed, or leaving as it is. Any opinions and advice would be appreciated.

Jack
Click to expand...

I don't think there's any harm in cleaning and sharpening a knife unless it's never been sharpened before.

This is a fun thread- reminds me of the locales and characters Emma Peel and Steed used to come across.

Almost forgot- here's a Slater rigging knife and a Rogers Bowie (I CUT MY WAY), about the only Sheffields I've got. I think the Bowie is quite a fine knife- I bought it in London on foreign study in the 1970s. and bent the cross throwing it after I got home.
6jWPVTym
 
scrteened porch said:
I don't think there's any harm in cleaning and sharpening a knife unless it's never been sharpened before.

This is a fun thread- reminds me of the locales and characters Emma Peel and Steed used to come across.

Almost forgot- here's a Slater rigging knife and a Rogers Bowie (I CUT MY WAY), about the only Sheffields I've got. I think the Bowie is quite a fine knife- I bought it in London on foreign study in the 1970s. and bent the cross throwing it after I got home.
6jWPVTym
Click to expand...

Thanks SP. I was in a tourist shop in Sheffield yesterday, which sells some over-priced Sheffield cutlery (eg machine-ground Bowie knives that were priced at £15 twenty years ago selling for £150) . I got chatting to the woman behind the counter, and showed her the old John Watts knife I got. She asked if I'd bid for it at auction! Her face was a picture when I told her I got it for £6 in an Otley junk shop.

I've not thought of The Avengers in years, though it was a real favourite of mine as a kid. I was once thrilled to be likened to 'a working-class (blue collar) John Steed' by friends some years ago, but I'm afraid the comparison had more to do with the fact I was carrying an umbrella than anything else. I might one to fend off crochet-hooks the next time I go to Otley! :D

I like your knives :) I used to have similar ones to both, and both patterns are still made in Sheffield. My clasp knife was a William Rodgers that my Grandfather carried in WW2, and a real beater. The Bowie was sent to me by a rep in the early 90's. Sadly, both knives were stolen, together with a lot of others, many years ago.
 
Jack Black said:
Thanks :) I respect Mr Levine's knowledge and experience, but I think the junk shops of Otley are a safer environment :)
Click to expand...

waynorth said:
:D:D:D
Who hasn't suffered a sling or an arrow there??:D:D:D
Click to expand...

I guess I'm fortunate that Roland (who suggested I post there) was the only person who responded to my inquiry about a Utica EO jack. I just assumed it was like when you move to a new town and all the kids at school ignore the new guy. Maybe being ignored is better than being abused!
 
This is a very enjoyable thread. Thanks Jack Black. This is another example of a Richards knife with the inexpensive shell-handled construction.

stag009.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top