"Old Knives"

I'm certain your Green River is older than mine, great old jack :thumbsup: Appreciate the link to Russell history, in my limited internet search for knives I've not seen many Russell jacks. The stag secured my interest. Thanks Augie !





Thanks Harry :thumbsup: hope you are well :thumbsup:
You are welcome Rob and we are very well . We have just had some our families here for the week end . Thank you very much for asking .

Harry
 
Thanks Duncan! These Russell HJs are the only two I have ever seen!!
I have sent queries to Russell collectors in the past. If anyone hears about or sees one, I'd love to , in turn, hear from them!:rolleyes:
 
Hey Charlie I was just looking at those gorgeous HJ's - are they Empire Built? ? the bottom Ebony Russell HJ is a dead ringer for my Townsley ( Empire Built ) HJ.
 
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A photo of the Knives closed- in the same order.

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Again the Knives in the same order with the addition of a nice Empire Girl Guide's Scout Knife with the punch as another example of the Empire Punch - that matches the Lovely Jigged Bone Challenge HJ's Punch.

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Now the four Punches together- keeping in the same order still..
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and the Pile side of the Punches - in the same order again...
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Just threw in this extra photo of the Comparison Knives that I had on file..
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Charlie - here are the Challenge HJ's and in the top photos ( middle Ebony HJ is the Townley )
 
Great comparison photos, Duncan!! They sure look like they all , yours and mine, came from the same work benches!!
 
Interesting Charlie! I don't know if I would be able to keep my cool if I saw a Russell HJ :eek: :D, as Paul and I were talking the other day- if you have only come across these two in your Harness Jack collecting / Hunting time- then they would most likely be near the only two around - that we know of.
 
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Speaking of not often see....

I would love to hear from anyone who has seen or own anything like this lovely wee thing.
At just over 2 & 3/4 inches long closed - this delicate Ebony Handled four Line stamped HJ is so so well made- it honestly makes you appreciate these great Cutler Firms.

PLEASE - forgive me for the painfully terrible at night indoor shots of this knife- Just yuk :oops:

This is not the first Camillus I have seen using the Robeson Punch- or to be safe a Robeson styled punch- I cannot see any difference at all in the Punch to be anything different than the Robeson's Punch- of course slimmer to fit the very delicate small frame of this knife.

Nice Walk and Talk- Silver Nickel Bolsters and Silver Nickel Liners and Pins - This Knife has had very little use, just a great little and interesting HJ made by an amazing U.S Cutler firm - a welcome addition to my HJ Family!:)
It came in a wee Pouch that itself is Tapered to fit the Small and interesting Bolster - original? no markings on the Clip fastners to indicate Camillus.

Why this Shape? To represent a Bottle - Bolster upwards? Has Gold Lettering of the name A.ECKELS on the Pile Ebony handle.

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Thanks Dave!

Jeff - those were my initial thoughts - but the pipe Tamper Knife usually has a long narrow round Spike - for the use of cleaning etc where as this is an actual Harness Jack- as in a proper Punch- perhaps an HJ with a Pipe Tamper Bolstered end Jeff?

Edited for weird predictive txt spelling :oops:
 
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I think you are right Jeff - I dont see any other reason- perhaps this is just a darned wee handy tool - HJ, and a Pipe Smokers friend?
 
Thanks North Shore, for the nice comments.

waynorth, those Russell harness jacks are certainly rare in my book and are very neat!!! Russell Barlow models were offered in nearly every hardware and sporting goods catalog from the late 1800s through WW II, but it's darn hard to find any ads or paperworks for non-Barlow Russell folders from the early 1900s onward. I believe that Russell stopped making all folders aside from Barlow models much past the late 1920s, and I also think that the blade stamps on your models date to the 1920s. Did Russell actually make those models or contract out for them, who knows??? But they certainly are uncommon as you suggested.
The shield on the bone handled model was used on other Russell folders, but I have never seen the shield on the ebony model used before on a Russell.

Campbellclanman, Very cool Camillus model which looks like a "Pipe Tamper" as black mamba suggested. It seems like I've seen paperwork for that knife but can't find it at the moment. I'll keep searching...
 
Dave Jeff and Herder - Thank you for the comments.
Thank you also Herder for having a look for those papers my friend.
 
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