"Old Knives"

r8shell said:
The seller listed this as "vintage bone jack knife" condition used. I can't argue with that. :D

The tang stamp is worn, and I can only read HO___. Considering the spacing of the stamp, I'm thinking a short word, like "Hobbs" "Home" or "Holly." Any guesses?
The secondary blade is broken off way high up the tang, so I don't know if I could read it even if I could manage to pivot it open.
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Comparing it to the Bunting and Son, it looks English to me. All steel construction. Iron or steel bolsters, rather than the brass and nickel on the Bunting. Being smaller, without the nice swedging on the blade, I'm thinking it wasn't as fancy a knife when new.
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r8shell - it is HOME and a 2 blade boys knife from the looks - 2 3/4"??... Here is my HOME single blade boys knife of the same design but with cocobolo (though I used to think it was walnut) - see the tang stamp ;) - certainly looks to be the same font on yours which for 170 years old has alot of character :thumbsup::thumbsup: I believe HOME (Holley & Merwin) was used 1846-1850 according to Goins but Levine has it 1850-1854 - either way r8shell early knife with alot of character and a hard to find stamp :cool:...

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Mescladis said:
Went to a flea market this morning and found this nice Rodgers and Sons (Congress pattern right ?). Too bad half the blades are broken, but I bought it for the handles, the stag and the bolsters looked so nice!
(sorry for the bad pic, I'll take some better ones later)

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I would have bought it for the handle, too. And there is enough blade left to still be useful.
 
Mescladis said:
Went to a flea market this morning and found this nice Rodgers and Sons (Congress pattern right ?). Too bad half the blades are broken, but I bought it for the handles, the stag and the bolsters looked so nice!
(sorry for the bad pic, I'll take some better ones later)

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Broken blades or not that is one heck of an old knife, and the stag is excellent. They definitely don't make them like that anymore.
 
LongBlade said:
r8shell - it is HOME and a 2 blade boys knife from the looks - 2 3/4"??... Here is my HOME single blade boys knife of the same design but with cocobolo (though I used to think it was walnut) - see the tang stamp ;) - certainly looks to be the same font on yours which for 170 years old has alot of character :thumbsup::thumbsup: I believe HOME (Holley & Merwin) was used 1846-1850 according to Goins but Levine has it 1850-1854 - either way r8shell early knife with alot of character and a hard to find stamp :cool:...

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Wow! Thank you!
That's a nice one you have; it's amazing the grain in the wood still looks so good. It sure looks like the same font, plus the pin placement has me convinced. I appreciate getting a closer idea of the original blade shape.

Mine measures 3 1/16th", and I guess it was a rich boy's knife. ;) I'm excited to have have it, it does have character, and isn't in too bad a shape considering its age. (I had to spend some time oiling the joint and rubbing inside the well with a wooden coffee stirrer to get most of the rust out, and now it's got a nice, quiet snap. :):thumbsup:

By the way, having handled a few bone covered knives of over 100 years old, I have a theory that cattle back then had denser bones. Maybe better diet, and lack of artificial growth hormones, and the old cow bone looks and feels like modern camel bone. Maybe it's just my imagination, or maybe the only examples that are still around are the ones that happened to be strong enough not to crack apart over the years. :confused:
 
Thanks and glad to help r8shell :thumbsup::thumbsup:.. That’s cool it is a little over 3” - I’ve seen 3 with a single blade over the years all at 2 3/4” but I forgot to mention that yours is the only 2 blade of the pattern from HOME that I have seen and slightly bigger at 3 1/16” :cool:.. I agree old bone has that appeal - it takes on that age rich color from years of handling too :)

Cheers - Lee
 
Herder my friend.
I have seen a lot of New York Knives - as we all have- but my friend :eek: :eek: This one is absolutely exceptional!

I’m looking at that stunning Ebony that hasn’t the slightest mark on it - the finishing is amazing- looking at the pins - and the Shield and I just know running your fingers across that that would be as smooth as silk with that perfect fit and finish. As Charlie would say “ C & F ing” lol.

Ok that’s just the Handle - Looking at that gorgeous Main with the lovely Etching - This Knife seems to have not once been used?
 
Herder, wonderful NYK Company Big jack!

Here is another NYK Company Hawkbill Knife branded and sold by Marshall Wells Hardware. I became interested in Marshal Wells Knives when I found this folding hunter a couple of years ago marketed by MW but obviously a NYK Company Knife.

I have since been on the lookout for them and when this Hawkbill showed up on EBay I had to go for it. I now have three of them. This folding hunter, Hawkbill and a pen knife. Many MW knives were made by NYK company.

Marshall Wells Hardware Company was started in Duluth MN in 1892. It was a wholesale hardware company. Sometime around 1917 the hardware part of the company name was dropped and it became just Marshall-Wells. Both of these have the Zenith Globe trademark on the mark side blade tangs (the Hawkbill etched on the blade also) and Marshall Wells HDW. Co. On the pile side blade tangs. These two were probably then produced sometime between circa 1892 and 1917.
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Thanks, Kai76, Augie, TheChunk, Campellclanman, and Luger. The N.Y. ebony jack is 3-3/4 closed and the "Hammer Brand" marking is an etch.
Hammer Brand etches were not generally very deep and would wear off pretty easily.

A couple of great Marshall Wells examples, Luger. Nice stamps and etches.
 
herder said:
Thanks, Kai76, Augie, TheChunk, Campellclanman, and Luger. The N.Y. ebony jack is 3-3/4 closed and the "Hammer Brand" marking is an etch.
Hammer Brand etches were not generally very deep and would wear off pretty easily.

A couple of great Marshall Wells examples, Luger. Nice stamps and etches.
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Thanks Herder, puts it just under a Jumbo which start at 3 7/8" or so, still looks to have a lot of the attributes of a Jumbo, great knife!
 
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