"Old Knives"

I can't remember if I posted this one yet or not, I picked it up about a month or so ago.

Camillus #16


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herder said:
Seeing that unique and interesting blade stamp on r8shell's pearl Simmons folder prompted me to post another old folder with a pretty neat blade stamp.
Commonly called a champagne knife, this is really more of a gentleman's folder which just happens to have a corkscrew and foil cutting blade along with a main spear and pen blade.
The front blade stamp reads "S & A" over "Germany". S & A stands for Sperry & Alexander which was a New York retailer that existed from circa 1893 to 1927. The more interesting blade stamp sits on the back side of the two spear point blades. It is a picture of a Centaur shooting a bow with the word "Centaur" underneath. It's a very well made German knife which could be called a whittler with the foil cutting blade as the center blade. With a handle length of 3-1/4 inches, it has nickel silver bolsters, shield, and side trim for the corkscrew. Some would call the handles pressed stag which is really just finely marbled genuine natural stag. A fine knife all in all with a century mark at its back.

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herder, your beautiful S & A knife reminded me of this somewhat later S & A Jack, probably made by Schrade Cut Co. after WWI.
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Thanks, Paul!! :)
(and thanks to all the "likes" out there!!:D)
 
Campbellclanman said:
Wow- Thats a real nice old Gem Herder, Absolute attention to detail on the Tools on that Knife.
I would have called this Pressed Stag - Herder this is not so?

Old...... I am guessing that we knife addicts do like Knives that are old, I do for sure- and so do a great percentage of the Traditional Folk it seems, I like to collect very nice old Carving sets, usually old, old Stag ones if I can, to be honest I don't really go for the Silver handled sets at all- ornate as they may be.

I know this isnt really the proper place to place this - but I figure a lot of you will appreciate this post.

As I was saying - I have accumulated quite a few very nice Carver sets - you know the ones we get out at Christmas time to carve the Turkey with the lovely big Carving Knife and Fork to match - well I hope you do - it's kind of a special feeling when you do do this.

I did not yet have an old J.Russell & Co Green River Works set, and I always wanted an example that could take a worthy place in my collection...

I found something...

Lovely Old Stag, just a great Carving Knife and Fork, I really like the Ferules not over the top- just right, The Fork in my eyes is a work of art, they Tapered the Tangs on both the Fork and Carver....
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I have picked up a lovely old- very old Russell Green River Box as well- I love this example, also I have (not the original from the box ) a set of six very early Table Knives - Jigged wooden Handles...heres the Box though ...

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Thanks Campbellclanman, you could call it pressed stag if you wish, but it is just another form of natural stag.
Beautiful carving set with some fantastic stag!!! I think carving sets are often over looked and under appreciated by many.
And the graphics on that old Russell box are way cool!!!
 
Campbellclanman said:
Here is something I am extremely happy to receive, but a knife that comes with questions.....

The knife is a fantastic original and honest Knife, a John Primble, India Steel Works - Harness Jack .....The only fault is a chip in the Bone- and the Photo's make this look so so bad compared to what it does "in real life"....
Nice Etc, Nice Bone, Hammered Pins, gorgeous Punch....

I study ( or try to )these Knives- in fact lately I am compiling photos of Punches, but for the life of me, I cant tell who made this punch, I want to put forward my views and invite others - their opinion on the maker - If only I could have some form of documentation / reference- this would make me very happy....

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STUNNING , Deep Blade etch....

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Here is the Tang stamps- it is said/ written that the more desirable Primble's are the India Steel Works, clearly showing the Stampings and the lovely Punch, the Walk and Talk of both Blade and Punch are extremely positive and firm - like the day this knife was made! I am showing both the front and rear of the punch here......

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Stamped on the Rear of the Main Blade 05670

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Another view..
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My thoughts, I posted on page 791 of the Thread an gorgeous Townley HJ - Post #15801, Charlie came in and helped a couple of posts later - post # 15803 , I am 100% sure that that Townley is an empire made Knife- with connections to Challenge, either Challenge contracted Empire to make the Knife- or Empire sold their punches to Challenge.The Townley..



The Shield: The Primble has the same Shield - like the CHALLENGE HJ's,

The Knife would be exact as the Townly and Challenges .... though this knife has no Rats tailed Bolsters and also a Tip Bolster.
Same Grind on Blade, Same Swage.

The missing Pin: There is no small centre Pin on this Primble -just the large - where as when you compare the Challenge Knives and Empire Knives in the postings of mine and Charlies - Page 791... those two companies are exact - but this Primble has only the one centre Pin.

The Bone: I have a Voos, and also the Camillus Bone as well that looks very similar?

So my mind is bouncing in between a few different Cutlers of who? may have made this knife, in order of suspicion, ( the number 05670 stamped behind the Main may help greatly)
Challenge / Empire
Camillus
Robeson

Has anyone got a HJ with this Punch?
Has anyone have a knife with similarities with that number 05680 stamped behind the Main?

Thanks for looking folks, have a great day.
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Another wonderful harness jack model, and that etch, WOW!!!
Wish I could add more information to your punch blade questions, but you are well ahead of me in that area.
 
V.P., you are certainly building a nice Ulster collection, and that Schrade Walden is a looker also.

SteveC, A fine old Camillus folder.

waynorth, that is one of the best S & A models I've ever seen, and that blade etch is just over the top!!!

Here is a nice old Henckels with a wharncliffe handle and clip style main blade. Some pretty good looking German stag on this old gal. :)

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Catch up time whew....
Hey Kev- Oh man I love that Schrade my friend!:)

Sweet Mumma- Sir Charlie that S A .... just a stunning knife! It looks to be a decent sized Knife as well- what does that one measure up closed?
The Ebony is so dense and deep! and how can we overlook that Etch as others have mentioned!!!!:eek:

Herder my friend- Thank you so much for the kind comments on the Carver and HJ - I will find out more about this knife one day!
Boy that Henckells Stag is a beauty!!!! what a Gem! like you say that Stag is gorgeous- it looks as though the Stag has been "hafted" well - What I am trying to say is .... When Handled the Stag is nice and thin as the early Germans ( and English ) did so well!

Very nice eye candy everyone - Thank you!
 
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herder said:
Very interesting knife and I don't remember seeing one quite like that before.
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Campbellclanman said:
That is a great Old Knife Lee- would have been quite an item in it's day- as it still is.

I came across this older Lockwood Bros. Knife the other day- now dont get me wrong folks- these are simply not the most attractive Knives that were made- but man the Blade are something else- with absolute minmal use- both blades full.
This Knife doesnt have England stamped on the Knife- which isnt always to say its pre 1890's because it may have been intended for local sale and not export?
Both Blades having marvelous and typical Swedge work- all heavily stamped- with the Ostrich & Real Knife- Pampa...this stamping was used because to battle prolific copying of Lockwoods work coming from Solingen in the earlier days.

I have found that the only other "Cold Finger Knife" that I have come across is the single bladed version with Brass Scales, the single balded knives had the registration number : REGd.No. 6411S, Where as this Aluminium two bladed Knife I have here has the registration number : REGd.No. 64115, theres no mistaking the difference between the 5 and S - the S means single?
Both the Wharncliffe and the Spey have had little use- extremely strong Snap with nice thick springs -a stout Knife from a Great Sheffield Cutler....

My Question to anyone who may know...what is the meaning of a Cold Finger Knife?

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I have three Cold Finger knives, and the box they came in, that originally had a half dozen. These are the single blade, brass scaled ones, but the Reg'd No. is exactly the same as yours, it end in 5, not s, I can post a picture of it if you want. I've just "rediscovered" them, 40 years after my childhood, they are lovely knives, in a functional way, the spring is really positive, the blade nicely honed and sharp. The blade is a clip point, quite a wide blade.
 
Pin up girl and advertising knives were a bread & butter item for Aerial Mfg Cutlery and it is rare to find them in decent condition (aka still intact and without massive fading). I couldn't resist but to negotiate with the seller of this one ;):thumbsup: I really like the Aerial Knives since they are sort of in my backyard, same goes for Marbles knives.

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veitsi_poika said:
Pin up girl and advertising knives were a bread & butter item for Aerial Mfg Cutlery and it is rare to find them in decent condition (aka still intact and without massive fading). I couldn't resist but to negotiate with the seller of this one ;):thumbsup: I really like the Aerial Knives since they are sort of in my backyard, same goes for Marbles knives.

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That one looks to be in great shape. And the knife's nice, too. :p
Is that a paper photograph with clear celluloid over it?
 
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