Will Rogers’ Pocket Knife

[DandyJim]

Hello all. First post, strange question.

Recently I took a trip and along the way visited the Cherokee Nation welcome center in Vinita, Ok. where they have a small exhibit of humorist Will Rogers. Upon reading up on him a bit, I found out on accident that his actual pocket knife is on display at the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, Ok., as part of the plane crash exhibit. It made me wonder if anyone here has seen it in person.

Does anyone know anything about the knife itself? Pattern, maker, size, or any documented history behind it?

Thanks!

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." — Will Rogers. Or Mark Twain. Or someone …

 

[Jack Black]

Welcome to The Porch Dandy Jim

 

[jackknife]

Hello all. First post, strange question.

Recently I took a trip and along the way visited the Cherokee Nation welcome center in Vinita, Ok. where they have a small exhibit of humorist Will Rogers. Upon reading up on him a bit, I found out on accident that his actual pocket knife is on display at the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, Ok., as part of the plane crash exhibit. It made me wonder if anyone here has seen it in person.

Does anyone know anything about the knife itself? Pattern, maker, size, or any documented history behind it?

Thanks!

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." — Will Rogers. Or Mark Twain. Or someone …

This is what I gathered from the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Oklahoma. He was carrying three different pocket knives on his at the time of the crash. He was known to carry multiple pocket knives to support his whittling habit. One was a three bladed stockman pattern. He favored the cattle/stockman patterns. But he was also carrying a scout type knife because he had need of a can opener because he and Willy Post were carrying a large amount of canned chili on their trip.

 

[JW225]

Using The Google yields photos of a Will Rogers commemorative knife (Stockman) issued by Schrade. Perhaps a nod to his actual pocket knife?

 

[Stelth]

 

[waynorth]

He had quite a reputation!! No wonder some thought he'd be a good president!!!

 

[Lesknife]

I had read about his habit of whittling and often wondered what kind of pocket knife he used and what he liked to whittle. Thanks for sharing this information. Very interesting to me !

 

[jmh33]

Great thread!!
Enjoying the posts!!
John

 

[Stelth]

I doubt that the commemorative knife is the exact model he carried. If it were, that fact would probably be touted in the pamphlet. Schrade did a lot of commemorative models based on famous people.