Vintage Pradel blade swiss army knife , GENUINE ???

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scott1

Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
3
Hi if anyone is able to tell me any info on this pocket knife i wiould be most greatfull as i am an ignoramus in such matters.
is it a common knife ?, dose it have any value? what age would you say it was, Should i just bin it ?
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First, it is not a genuine "Swiss Army Knife". Only Victorinox and Wenger have that distinction as they are under contract to the Swiss Government to supply knives to the Army. As to this one, I have never seen it so don't have any information. I'm guessing that it is German made "look alike" and older. Does it have any other markings on the Tang?
 
No other markings other than the green label and TH.PRADEL on the blade. all the pins and hanging part are brass, blades still dangerously sharp all snaps into position very strongly, seems like a quality knife.
 
scott1 said:
sorry i dont know what a Tang is >>
Click to expand...

No problem, the Tang is the thicker part at the base of the blade that the rivet goes through. It is where manufacturer information is usually stamped into the metal. Looks like you made a good find.
 
A very similar knife is illustrated on page 70 of Jean-Noel Mouret's "Knives of the World" (I picked this up at Half Price Books). It is descibed as a "good-quality copy of a Swiss knife, manufactured in France by Ducher of Thiers." Pradel is another small French manufacturer, known for well made knives. Hope this helps.
 
I bought one like yours at a knife club meeting last week. It appears to match yours, except mine has plastic "craked ice" handles. On the tang it reads (in English language) "Made in France". The stamping is baffling, though: Made in is on top line, and France is stamped under it, with the tops of the letters cut off, as if by two separate stamping tools, the bottom stamped a bit off-vertical. The knife appears to be a heavy-duty piece, heavy and durable. The rivets are solid, in spite of it's obvious age. (The can opener seems to be 1940's or -50's.)
Cleaned up, it's kind of attractive, something I might call a French Army Knife! (after all, it does have a corkscrew.)
---Bryan O
 
no info here, but it is a decent looking knife, if you bin it, throw it in my trash bin why don't ya ;)? :):)
M_M
 
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