A knife from my great great grandfather.

I think you can contact Gorham for more information. Are there any other markings? There should be a tiny stamp somewhere that is a date code, usually a small picture of some object. There is something else on the blade but its hard to tell if its anything....

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I arrived home this evening to an unexpected package from my mother, who has been spending her pandemic time going through her house organizing. I closed in the package was several letters from members of my Dad's family and several pocket knives. The knife that I am going to share with you in this thread had it's own letter from my Great Aunt Bess. The letter was written 1/8/1970. She explains that she received the knife from her grandfather 70 years prior (1900) and it was given to him when he was a boy. It was given to him by a gentleman who he ran errands for. The gentleman was a frequent traveler to Europe according to the letter.

If anyone has information on this knife or can point me in the right direction to look it would be appreciated.
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Nice story...thanks for sharing!
 
I think you can contact Gorham for more information. Are there any other markings? There should be a tiny stamp somewhere that is a date code, usually a small picture of some object. There is something else on the blade but its hard to tell if its anything....

5AHHf9pl.jpg
On the pile side tang there is the number "481"
 
It has rich family history and is fascinating.

What do you think the scales are made of? Lot of German knives and US were metal, and aluminium used to be a very costly option early on.

The 'hallmarks' are not really authentic I'd argue, they look like English hallmarks but there's something odd. Not all items of Sterling Silver had a maker's mark but they all have to have purity stamp - Lion passant which always faces left, this shows it is at least 92.5% silver. There is Britannia Silver too which is higher 95.5 & over but it carries the Britannia sitting mark. Silver made in England between c.1830-90 has a monarch's head as well due to tax. There must be a Guild mark, the city it was assayed in, it LOOKS like a Birmingham anchor yes but that year letter does not appear to correspond to any of the year letters shown by the Birmingham assay office.

Are the blades sharp? are they tough because they could be silver plate EPNS, if they are Sterling they are VERY soft and they blacken like all silver with tarnish.
Crucially, British silver doesn't have the word Sterling stamped on it as it has hallmarks. This word appears on American silver of the c19th/20th.

Here's a link on hallmarks

Thanks, Will

https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/media/37533/birmingham-hallmarks-03.pdf

https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/guides/information-guides/hallmarks/
 
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It has rich family history and is fascinating.

What do you think the scales are made of? Lot of German knives and US were metal, and aluminium used to be a very costly option early on.

The 'hallmarks' are not really authentic I'd argue, they look like English hallmarks but there's something odd. Not all items of Sterling Silver had a maker's mark but they all have to have purity stamp - Lion passant which always faces left, this shows it is at least 92.5% silver. There is Britannia Silver too which is higher 95.5 & over but it carries the Britannia sitting mark. Silver made in England between c.1830-90 has a monarch's head as well due to tax. There must be a Guild mark, the city it was assayed in, it LOOKS like a Birmingham anchor yes but that year letter does not appear to correspond to any of the year letters shown by the Birmingham assay office.

Are the blades sharp? are they tough because they could be silver plate EPNS, if they are Sterling they are VERY soft and they blacken like all silver with tarnish.
Crucially, British silver doesn't have the word Sterling stamped on it as it has hallmarks. This word appears on American silver of the c19th/20th.

Here's a link on hallmarks

Thanks, Will

https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/media/37533/birmingham-hallmarks-03.pdf

https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/guides/information-guides/hallmarks/
Thanks Will.

I think we have it pinned down to Gorham out of Providence RI. Some time between 1865 and 1885.
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