Show Your Vintage Knife

[30-30remchester]

Here is my one and only Honk Falls folder. Made between 1921-1929. Beautiful bone stag scales. The
master blade has 2 cut swedges and a long pull. It at one time was neglected and the master blade is pitted and over polished. I didn't do it.

 

[Beerhippie]

@Mike'smeatshop : Now, that there is a practical knife! Even has a liner lock that the most clumsy thumb can operate.

 

[B Halverson]

This knife belonged to a friend of mine who was in the Navy during the Korean War.

 

[d42jeep]

My wife likes to pick up items of local interest at garage and estate sales. She found this in Nevada over the summer. I finally got around to cleaning and photographing it yesterday. I googled the company and phone number but could find no residual traces of the Mirage Iron Works In Fernley. I guess the business was aptly named.
-Don

 

[RTM]

I googled the company and phone number but could find no residual traces of the Mirage Iron Works In Fernley. I guess the business was aptly named.

Spent all their funds on cheap promotional items?

 

[gpw_42]

Recently picked up this C.C.C. marked knife in east Tennessee. No back story, and I sorta doubt it's associated with the Civilian Conservation Corps, but it sure begs the question. 5-7/8" blade, 1/8" thick. I've soaked the handle in food-grade mineral oil to rejuvenate the stag a little. Otherwise, I'll need to make a sheath for it (on my "to learn" list, so it'll probably look like a 3rd Grader made it), Flitz it to work on some of the staining and look forward to using it!

 

[slowtwitch73]

There was a CCC brand out of Germany...

 

[30-30remchester]

Found this in a junk box. It was so rusty that the blades would not open. The scales are similar to " cracked ice" but not. The blade markings are all but gone from wear that a simple drop of oil now and then would prevent. All that can be read to identify the knife is a "WE-------, MADE IN USA". This blade screams "Western" to me but the few markings still visible are not the type they produced.

 

[30-30remchester]

Last imagine

 

[30-30remchester]

I guess this could be classified as vintage. American Knife Co. Plymouth. Made between 1849 and 1875. Ivory scales. A little swayback but what do you expect from a 150 year old tool.

 

[Beerhippie]

I guess this could be classified as vintage. American Knife Co. Plymouth. Made between 1849 and 1875. Ivory scales. A little swayback but what do you expect from a 150 year old tool.

Nice! As for "swayback", I've seen much worse on much younger blades. At least that one is straight.

 

[gpw_42]

RemChester that’s a nice addition, thanks! Like that old ivory, and Beerhippie is right on about the blade being sharpened straight, rather than with a curve. I’d enjoy having that one!

 

[30-30remchester]

Been awhile so here is an irvory scaled quill knife from the 1770's. The most "vintage" knife I own.

 

[Mandi716]

hibeard spencer bartlett vintage 2 blade pocket knife. Our very best on main blade. Ivory handle. Seems very old and thought it was cool to share it

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

hibeard spencer bartlett vintage 2 blade pocket knife. Our very best on main blade. Ivory handle. Seems very old and thought it was cool to share it

That is very cool. Did you find it in the US?

 

[B Halverson]

From a flea market a week ago, it was in a box of spend 30-06 casings they were trying to sell. I pulled it out and they took a buck for it. The handle is disintegrating from age, but I was interested in it because aside from that it looks to have never been really used or sharpened, the blades are full and wonderful. I think this knife may be from the 1940s. Since the photo was taken I pried the old handles off and oiled it. If I live to be 259 I may find time to make new handles for it and install them, so stay tuned.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Seems very old and thought it was cool to share it

Very nice. It might be the first OVB on the thread. Love the catamount.

 

[SC Fly Guy]

A couple of finds ($20) from my favorite resale shop. A 2002 Case Trapper in Yellow Delrin with a CV blade and a Schrade 8OT (import).

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

From a flea market a week ago, it was in a box of spend 30-06 casings they were trying to sell. I pulled it out and they took a buck for it. The handle is disintegrating from age, but I was interested in it because aside from that it looks to have never been really used or sharpened, the blades are full and wonderful. I think this knife may be from the 1940s. Since the photo was taken I pried the old handles off and oiled it. If I live to be 259 I may find time to make new handles for it and install them, so stay tuned.

Come on B Halverson. We want you back. You have some cool tools.

 

[four.cycle]

1946 Hardware Age Camillus ad pp 196

 

[gpw_42]

1946 Hardware Age Camillus ad pp 196

Excellent research, @four.cycle! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.

Happy New Year to all!

 

[llaht]

 

[llaht]

 

[four.cycle]

Excellent research, @four.cycle! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.

I stumbled across that looking for something else, actually.
I thought it might be a way to "date" specimens in the field.
I'm not well-versed on knife collecting. No idea why I own so many pocket knives.

 

[Provincial]

1946 Hardware Age Camillus ad pp 196

I posted an Imperial that has "Can Opener Pat. Pend." marked on the can opener (post #136 in this thread) and wonder if it could be the same patent?

Thanks for posting this!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I posted an Imperial that has "Can Opener Pat. Pend." marked on the can opener (post #136 in this thread) and wonder if it could be the same patent?

Your Imperial knife marking almost certainly refers to the Imperial patent (2,391,732), no? It was granted to Michael Mirando on Dec 25, 1945, and assigned to Imperial. If you are suggesting that Camillus is touting one of their rival competitor's patents in their own ads, Jock, I suppose it's possible, but highly unlikely, right?

I am not sure about bone handled 4-blade "camp knife" style pocket utility knives during WWII, but there were only two companies making the stainless steel handled (future "MIL-K") versions during WWII: Kingston (USMC and Army) and Stevenson (Army only). Kingston was a joint venture, formed in 1943 by Ulster and Imperial, joining forces to make knives for the war. It was dissolved in 1947. All the Kingston knives had "Kingston" on the bale, along with the "U.S. MARINE CORPS" marking or nothing (Army version) on the scale, and a "PAT. PEND." marking under "CANOPENER", squeezed together just like that, on the can opener blade, and nothing but "USA" (no name, no date) on the tang of the main blade. That PAT PEND notice is referring to the Imperial patent.

My interpretation of the Camillus ad is that it is probably referring to their own in-house can opener design (EDIT: there is no mention of a patent in the ad) and that they are being very liberal (bordering on misleading) with its development "in conjunction with the U.S. Navy" camp knives during WWII. They were involved, but it's my understanding they did not start making them until 1949.

Our host has a 1945 Kingston 4-piece military utility knife and he has studied this a lot closer than me. I would defer to him.

 

[snorvet]

I bought this Buck 110 in 1981 or 1982.

 

[Provincial]

Your Imperial knife marking almost certainly refers to the Imperial patent (2,391,732), no? It was granted to Michael Mirando on Dec 25, 1945, and assigned to Imperial. If you are suggesting that Camillus is touting one of their rival competitor's patents in their own ads, Jock, I suppose it's possible, but highly unlikely, right?

I am not sure about bone handled 4-blade "camp knife" style pocket utility knives during WWII, but there were only two companies making the stainless steel handled (future "MIL-K") versions during WWII: Kingston (USMC and Army) and Peterson (Army only). Kingston was a joint venture, formed in 1943 by Ulster and Imperial, joining forces to make knives for the war. It was dissolved in 1947. All the Kingston knives had "Kingston" on the bale, along with the "U.S. MARINE CORPS" marking or nothing (Army version) on the scale, and a "PAT. PEND." marking under "CANOPENER", squeezed together just like that, on the can opener blade, and nothing but "USA" (no name, no date) on the tang of the main blade. That PAT PEND notice is referring to the Imperial patent.

My interpretation of the Camillus ad is that it is probably referring to their own in-house can opener design (EDIT: there is no mention of a patent in the ad) and that they are being very liberal (bordering on misleading) with its development "in conjunction with the U.S. Navy" camp knives during WWII. They were involved, but it's my understanding they did not start making them until 1949.

Our host has a 1945 Kingston 4-piece military utility knife and he has studied this a lot closer than me. I would defer to him.

I just find it odd that two knife makers filed patents on can openers at the same time, while supplying knives using these openers to the Navy. Perhaps the Navy had input to the designs? Perhaps there was a slight difference between the two designs that qualified each for a patent?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Again, I don't see any mention of a patent in that Camillus ad. And I have no awareness or information about a 1945 Camillus patent for a can opener on a 4-piece pocket knife. If you do, please post it. Again, I also don't know anything about any other 4-piece pocket knives except the knife that would become the MIL-K.

Hypothetically, if Camillus also had a patent, I would certainly find that (two patents) far less odd than Camillus introducing a knife they describe as being "developed by Camillus" that is based on an Imperial patent.

Hoping Steve can weigh in with more.

 

[MisterEd]

An essential accessory for old knives?

 

[Shiftless]

My wife likes to pick up items of local interest at garage and estate sales. She found this in Nevada over the summer. I finally got around to cleaning and photographing it yesterday. I googled the company and phone number but could find no residual traces of the Mirage Iron Works In Fernley. I guess the business was aptly named.
-Don

I’ve fallen behind on following this thread.
I have been to Fernley NV. Lots of interesting old towns out in the desert. Old saloons are fascinating to me.

 

[Beerhippie]

I’ve fallen behind on following this thread.
I have been to Fernley NV. Lots of interesting old towns out in the desert. Old saloons are fascinating to me.

Me, too--if they're open

 

[Shiftless]

I bought this Buck 110 in 1981 or 1982.

Nice old folding Hunter you have there.
Two dots on each side of BUCK 110 means manufactured 1981-1986

 

[gpw_42]

I posted an Imperial that has "Can Opener Pat. Pend." marked on the can opener (post #136 in this thread) and wonder if it could be the same patent?

Thanks for posting this!

Again, I don't see any mention of a patent in that Camillus ad. And I have no awareness or information about a 1945 Camillus patent for a can opener on a 4-piece pocket knife. If you do, please post it. Again, I also don't know anything about any other 4-piece pocket knives except the knife that would become the MIL-K...

Hoping Steve can weigh in with more.

Here's @Provincial 's Imperial can opener, from his post #136:


Here's the can opener from my 1945 Kingston, as shown in post #352:

Putting these two pictures side by side amazed me how similarly (near identical) the two can openers are marked. Which is even more surprising when considering that Imperial was in Rhode Island and Kingston was in NY. I'll speculate that there was some level of information sharing going between the knife companies during the war; we know that went on in other industries. It also strengthened my curiosity to look for an approved patent.

The can opener patent was granted on Christmas Day 1945:

From: https://www.datamp.org/patents/advance.php?pn=2391732&id=40228&set=1

The full patent approval document is available here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2391732 and shows that it was assigned to Imperial Knife Co.:

 

[gpw_42]

Nice old folding Hunter you have there.
Two dots on each side of BUCK 110 means manufactured 1981-1986

@Shiftless is spot on. Anyone with a passing interest in Buck production dates should check out this page from the official Buck site:

https://www.buckknives.com/about/behind-the-blade/how-old-is-my-knife/

If you're deep into Buck 110s, check out this site, which gets into different versions and variants of each version: http://historyofthe110.com/#first_version

@snorvet that's a good looking 110! Thanks for sharing; it seems that every time I look deeper into Bucks there's more info. Not sure if that reflects info availability or my looking....

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Which is even more surprising when considering that Imperial was in Rhode Island and Kingston was in NY.

I'm not surprised. My understanding is that...

Kingston was a joint venture, formed in 1943 by Ulster and Imperial, joining forces to make knives for the war. It was dissolved in 1947.

Was I misinformed?! I'll see if I can find a reference.

 

[gpw_42]

Was I misinformed?! I'll see if I can find a reference.

I doubt it - I'd forgotten about Kingston being a joint venture. That would thoroughly explain the similarity of the markings.

 

[Mintgrun]

I found this old knife in a scrap metal bin yesterday. It is marked, West-Cut Boulder, Colo.. Apparently, West-Cut was made by Western.




I did a little google-image searching, but didn't see another all-composite handled knife. This one has a couple little hairline cracks and someone did some damage to the blade with a grinder, but it's still solid (and quite sharp). The overall length is nine inches; half blade, half handle.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Does the tang go through to the end? I can't tell.

 

[Mintgrun]

No. It doesn't show at the **** end.


I don't know what to call this sort of composite handle, but it's similar to vintage CutCo knives. Although, it has a very interesting mix of colors and "textures." The CutCo handles seem to be made to mimic wood. The ones with pointy butts are the next generation (serrated sandwich knives/spreaders). They also made them with red handles. The white one is pearly. The swirly ones are early. (little serrated steak knives)



The material is very durable, but I'm guessing years of cleaning them in the dishwasher would explain why they get rough and dry looking. I like how grippy those are.



The handles polish up nicely, if you take them through the grits. CutCo will do that for you and sharpen them too, all for free, if you pay shipping both ways.