Prune Big, or Go Home!

[ibute21]

You know, I was just thinking about that one the other day. I’m glad you still have it. Beautiful knife.

 

[Rufus1949]

Jack my friend, Taylor Eye Witness is a Stamp that immediately grabs my attention - what a beauty!

Nice Wolfertz & Co. Allentown PA. Lithicus, Great to see those awesome Old Ebony beauties come out from obscurity and into the open where a Tang stamp / Cutler that is not often seen, a great story and a great Knife!
I love that Wood, pretty sure it would be Cocobolo? Ebony can have all sorts of beautiful character Colours too ! Lots to look at - Love it!

Charlie, that Humason & Beckley is just gorgeous, another rare Stamp / Cutler we never see, like you say the condition is awesome!

Mr. Hilborn my friend, that Pruner is stunning, that was a very good score matey.

Rufus1949, Stag only gets better doesn't it! I can't get enough of older Stag like this, and whenever I pick up an older Pruner / Hawkbill the very first thing I look for is to see if it is Integral Construction like those two old beauties you have, now please forgive me my friend as I am sure I will have the dates wrong, but I think that most Sheffield Cutlers stopped Integral construction in the later 1800's fir example 1870's or so- but again I don't know I just remember discussions about this subject in the past.

You could be correct....I am using some passing information given to me by someone much more knowledgeable (JB). He was giving his best estimate.

 

[Old Engineer]

Just discovered that my original posting of this one does not have the photos anymore . Got his one in 2020

I also carried and used this one today .

Harry

 

[Campbellclanman]

You could be correct....I am using some passing information given to me by someone much more knowledgeable (JB). He was giving his best estimate.

If JB is Jack Black- that would be the one person to trust with anything Sheffield, Jack and also Herder.

Harry, you could post that one all day long and we would never tire of seeing it!

 

[Jack Black]

Jack my friend, Taylor Eye Witness is a Stamp that immediately grabs my attention - what a beauty!

Thanks mate

You could be correct....I am using some passing information given to me by someone much more knowledgeable (JB). He was giving his best estimate.

Really?!

Do you mean me Bob?

 

[Old Engineer]

When I see the Taylors Eye Witness logo blade stamp , it just draws my attention . I am sure that there are more people who would also like to see and hear more about that beautiful old pruner .

Harry

 

[Jack Black]

When I see the Taylors Eye Witness logo blade stamp , it just draws my attention . I am sure that there are more people who would also like to see and hear more about that beautiful old pruner .

Harry

Thank you Harry These photos are from a few years ago I'm afraid. Knife is 7 3/8" overall, blade is 2 7/8" (measured from the front of the tang to the tip). The steel liners are not integral to the bolsters. I rather like the old tang stamp

 

[Old Engineer]

Thank you Harry These photos are from a few years ago I'm afraid. Knife is 7 3/8" overall, blade is 2 7/8" (measured from the front of the tang to the tip). The steel liners are not integral to the bolsters. I rather like the old tang stamp

Thank you very much Jack !!!!!!!!!

Harry

 

[Jack Black]

Thank you very much Jack !!!!!!!!!

Harry

Thank you for your interest Harry, I should really take some better photos

 

[Jack Black]

Here's an old Capped Pruner by Saynor, Cooke & Ridal

 

[Digger Stubble]

I recently polished the bone handles with a buffing wheel.
The color lightened up a little and the structure of the bone became more visible, which I like.
A before comparison picture is one side back.

 

[lithicus]

Nice Wolfertz & Co. Allentown PA. Lithicus, Great to see those awesome Old Ebony beauties come out from obscurity and into the open where a Tang stamp / Cutler that is not often seen, a great story and a great Knife!

Thank you very much! It does seem to be a less common knife. One I am very proud to have!!

Thank you Harry These photos are from a few years ago I'm afraid. Knife is 7 3/8" overall, blade is 2 7/8" (measured from the front of the tang to the tip). The steel liners are not integral to the bolsters. I rather like the old tang stamp

Here's an old Capped Pruner by Saynor, Cooke & Ridal

Wow... Absolutely stunning examples of old pruning knives, Jack!! Thanks for posting!

 

[Jack Black]

Wow... Absolutely stunning examples of old pruning knives, Jack!! Thanks for posting!

Thank you kindly

 

[Jack Black]

I'm wary about hard and fast rules when it comes to Sheffield knives, but Bernard Levine dates integral bolsters on European folders to before 1860.

 

[screened porch]

I'm wary about hard and fast rules when it comes to Sheffield knives, but Bernard Levine dates integral bolsters on European folders to before 1860.

Was he forgetting Barlow in the 1600s?
Or maybe I'm misunderstanding "integral bolsters".

 

[Jack Black]

Was he forgetting Barlow in the 1600s?
Or maybe I'm misunderstanding "integral bolsters".

We first see integral bolsters on the fixed blade utility knives, which were carried, primarily as eating implements, in the 16th century. Adding a 'shoulder' to a forged knife was not only easier, and cheaper, than having to add a separate bolster, but it also strengthened the knife at the point where the forces applied would be greatest, and breakage most likely. We see these integral bolsters starting to appear on knives in the 16th century, with the start of a fashion for inset-scale knives, which we later see on early Spring Knives, and Barlows. Fashion, rather than function, generally led design though. One thing is certain, in Sheffield, if a type of construction supposedly died out, there'll be at least one or two cutlers still doing it 50 years later! Don't forget they were still forging pen knife blades and hand-cutting files in the 1960's! Features like this can only, for the most part, be factors in assessing the age of a knife, in my opinion. It's easier to say when a practice started, rather than when it ended. The Spring knife did not appear until the early 17th century, and many do not have bolsters at all. John Barlow, the grandson of Obadiah, who first registered the famous 'BARLOW' mark, did not finish his apprenticeship until 1745.

 

[lithicus]

We first see integral bolsters on the fixed blade utility knives, which were carried, primarily as eating implements, in the 16th century. Adding a 'shoulder' to a forged knife was not only easier, and cheaper, than having to add a separate bolster, but it also strengthened the knife at the point where the forces applied would be greatest, and breakage most likely. We see these integral bolsters starting to appear on knives in the 16th century, with the start of a fashion for inset-scale knives, which we later see on early Spring Knives, and Barlows. Fashion, rather than function, generally led design though. One thing is certain, in Sheffield, if a type of construction supposedly died out, there'll be at least one or two cutlers still doing it 50 years later! Don't forget they were still forging pen knife blades and hand-cutting files in the 1960's! Features like this can only, for the most part, be factors in assessing the age of a knife, in my opinion. It's easier to say when a practice started, rather than when it ended. The Spring knife did not appear until the early 17th century, and many do not have bolsters at all. John Barlow, the grandson of Obadiah, who first registered the famous 'BARLOW' mark, did not finish his apprenticeship until 1745.

What a great piece of information! Thanks for sharing! I always find posts about dates and construction super interesting.

 

[Jack Black]

What a great piece of information! Thanks for sharing! I always find posts about dates and construction super interesting.

Thank you, the best book I know of in terms of cutlery history is Simon Moore's Cutlery For The Table: A History of British Table and Pocket Cutlery

 

[rockman0]

Here's two that belong in this thread.

 

[waynorth]

Here's two that belong in this thread.
View attachment 2432732View attachment 2432734

Coupla nice ones, Rob!!!
That Southern & Richardson is special!!