Show Your Vintage Knife

[Private Lugnutz]

Finding them a new home. What is the correct word for that?

No idea! Honestly, I was just cracking wise, thinking you meant "rehoned", and you had made a fat-fingered m/n typo!

 

[555]

I still do (a 1963 I got from my Great Aunt, an original WAC and lifer who retired in '73), and I have one in the glove compartment of my truck, and in the top drawer of my toolbox down the basement as well, and I have pressed others I have found into the hands of my children. I am on record here and in a long-lost thread up on the General Discussion board (where I probably argued too vigorously with all the Swiss Army proponents...) saying it's my favorite knife. Stainless steel, indestructible, comfortable grip, and looks great, too!

I'd argue right along with you. A good sturdy knife and I never had one let me down.

 

[Farmer J.]

This knife was once known as a "G.P." (for general purpose), but most collectors, including our thread host, call them MIL-K's, short for their full MIL-K-818 military standard designation. I read an early draft of an excellent and well-researched study he has done on them in which I was shocked to learn that they were in development, but not yet issued, as far back as late WWII.

I still do (a 1963 I got from my Great Aunt, an original WAC and lifer who retired in '73), and I have one in the glove compartment of my truck, and in the top drawer of my toolbox down the basement as well, and I have pressed others I have found into the hands of my children. I am on record here and in a long-lost thread up on the General Discussion board (where I probably argued too vigorously with all the Swiss Army proponents...) saying it's my favorite knife. Stainless steel, indestructible, comfortable grip, and looks great, too!

Fair enough. That classic pattern is a great combination and I also have them in toolbox and desk drawer.. It's nice to carry something familiar and what suits you.
I carried the same Swiss army knife i actually purchased in Switzerland from 1971 until about 20 years ago, when a friend of mine visited Mr Leatherman and brought me home a present, one of the first Leatherman 'Waves', made 'pat pending'. I've had that in the pocket of my work jeans ever since! The Swiss knife lives in my travel bag now so is never far away.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I was ecstatic to pick up this vintage Colonial "Ranger" pocket knife in decent condition this morning! There was a whole series of these for boys, including a "Space Ship" and a "Davy Crocket", and if memory serves they all had the Morse Code alphabet on the flip side. This one is a little beat up and would probably rate out as just good+ overall, but the blades and graphics are very good, especially for a flea market find. It's not loose and perfectly useable, but it will go under lock and key display and then be given to one of my grandsons one day.

 

[Isaiah6113]

Hello all,

Here are my knives below. I also posted three to the Vintage Boy Scout Tools thread.

1. Barlow / Sabre Japan 603. The Barlow I bought in 1975/76.
2. K-419 Japan. Had this since I was a boy in the 60s; don't remember where or exactly when I got it.
3. Lamplough 41 Solingen Germany. This was in my electrical box until recently; had it for many years and do not remember from where I obtained it, or when. There is a small crack midpoint on one of the scales.
4. Bowie Original Knife / Solingen Germany. This beast I found when camping in 1978. I tripped with it in hand during that camping trip and received 32 stitches as a result. I made the sheath around the same time. Never used it since, the quillion broke off a few years after that.

Cheers,

Matthew

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This thing, found at my flea market last week, isn't what anyone has in mind when they hear or see the word "penknife" - which is an old British term, originally used to describe any small knife used to whittle down and keep a fine point on an old-fashioned quill for dipping in ink as a pen, and now used commonly to describe any very small pocketknife.

This is actually a pen and a knife! It is refillable. That nib works just like a pen, depressing to release ink. The pinkish hue on the threads is red ink residue. (Someone was using it to correct papers, balance books, mark medieval feast days on the calendar, or transcribe scripture.)

Made by Imperial, Providence, R.I., don't know when.

Totally gimmicky, but I couldn't resist.

 

[AreBeeBee]

There's one caution with those MIL-K knives. Apparently the backsprings on some were not heat-treated properly and are brittle. In normal use — one blade/tool open at a time — you'd never discover this. But if you open halfway two blades that are on the same backspring, odds are the backspring may snap due to the extra stress. (You'll see some MILK-Ks offered on ebay, usually for parts, that have a broken backspring.)

So the common way of displaying these tools — two blades fully open and two halfway — should be avoided unless you're careful to make sure each backspring has one that's fully open and one that's half-open. Moreover, the half-open blade should be opened second and closed first, the point being never to have two blades on the same backspring half open at the same time.

I found this out the hard way... Luckily for me, although Camillus had gone out of business when this happened, a former Camillus employee named Tom Williams (since deceased) had a supply of NOS backsprings for MIL-K knives and repaired mine for a nominal charge.

Edit: The MIL-Ks fall within the general "camper" pattern of four blade knives, and so I've become allergic to doing that display trick with any camper-pattern knife, no matter who made it and when.

 

[gpw_42]

Channeling Ben Kenobi, “there’s a term I haven’t heard in a very long time…”

… the word "penknife"…

AreBeeBee, thanks for the Paul Harvey on how the MIL-Ks so often end up SNAFU’d. Neat knives, with some collectibility, but definitely not “soldier proof!”

 

[Old Radar]

so often end up SNAFU’d.

I think you mean FUBAR'd.

 

[gpw_42]

I think you mean FUBAR'd.

Technically, no. If only bc we can typically still ID them as MIL-Ks.

But they’re surely FUBAR’d as users by that point!

 

[RTM]

I think we are at TARFUN level.

 

[Modern Garage]

Following Lugz' description above this knife is even too small to be a pen knife. I found this Camco "Charm" knife at my mom's house last week. As my wife observed: "She probably took that away from one of you boys when you were little."
It shows up in Camillus catalogs at $3.55 per dozen and suggested retail of $.79 in the late fifties.
Joe

 

[Dave455]

There's one caution with those MIL-K knives. Apparently the backsprings on some were not heat-treated properly and are brittle. In normal use — one blade/tool open at a time — you'd never discover this. But if you open halfway two blades that are on the same backspring, odds are the backspring may snap due to the extra stress. (You'll see some MILK-Ks offered on ebay, usually for parts, that have a broken backspring.)

So the common way of displaying these tools — two blades fully open and two halfway — should be avoided unless you're careful to make sure each backspring has one that's fully open and one that's half-open. Moreover, the half-open blade should be opened second and closed first, the point being never to have two blades on the same backspring half open at the same time.

I found this out the hard way... Luckily for me, although Camillus had gone out of business when this happened, a former Camillus employee named Tom Williams (since deceased) had a supply of NOS backsprings for MIL-K knives and repaired mine for a nominal charge.

Edit: The MIL-Ks fall within the general "camper" pattern of four blade knives, and so I've become allergic to doing that display trick with any camper-pattern knife, no matter who made it and when.

This is good advice for ANY knife that blades at both ends on the same spring!

 

[jwilson645]

These belonged to my dad. I remember him carrying in their leather belt case. The single blade was his hunting knife and the double blade was his "going to town" knife. No idea where the cases got off to. Gonna have to find replacements

 

[jwilson645]

These belonged to my dad. I remember him carrying in their leather belt case. The single blade was his hunting knife and the double blade was his "going to town" knife.

 

[gpw_42]

Thanks to ModernGarage, Dave455 and JWilson645 for your additions to the thread! JWilson, I connect with having your dad's knives. Very cool!

 

[bbbarracuda]

Just found these in a random box of tools. I think from what I’ve found the cast aluminum handle knife is from a WW2 era mess kit. I think the other two are from more recent? But don’t know. Any info appreciated. Thanks

 

[d42jeep]

I found this well used one at an estate sale a week ago or so. Many of my mess kit utensils are dated but they used very similar ones for a long time after WW2.
-Don

 

[Shiftless]

Here is one that just turned up after cleaning out an old storage area. This used to belong to my FIL. I found it buried in a pile of worn out cutting tools.

Does anybody have a clue as to age? I know HS&B was in business until about 1960.

Hibbard Spencer and Bartlett

 

[gpw_42]

Shiftless, that's a sweet old knife, even with the broken/missing parts. No info to offer on HS&B, but if you're looking for a project, check out www.oldschoolknifeworks.com for replacement scales. You can probably recycle the brass pins in the knife; if not PM me. If I can find it, I have some brass rod leftover from doing that project on a Camillus Scout-style knife.

 

[four.cycle]

Hibbard / Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Co., 211 E. North Water Street, Chicago, IL / "O.V.B." ("Our Very Best") "Rev-O-Noc" "Revonoc" / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers-p2.html#hsb / http://www.thckk.org/history/hsb.pdf / https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/hibbard-spencer-bartlett/ / https://www.roadshowcollectibles.ca...de-by-sandusky-probably-between-1882-and-1917 /

^ I don't know if any of those URLs are going to be of any help. My first guess would be check bladeforums.com and see if one of the members there recognizes it.

I don't have any documentation on HSB's line of knives. I can probably find that unit on an old catalog page, but I don't think that's going to give us any clue on vintage.

 

[ezriderga]

I bought this Buck 110 many years ago and I’m not sure if I ever used it however I will keep it until I give it to one of my grandsons.

 

[Unk]

Some of my old ones. The Chris Wolf knives were made by Schatt & Morgan and sold through Sears around 1905 to 1920. The Jess Crouch knives were sold by W Stokes Kirk Company.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Very nice jack knives! That ad is incredibly wise and funny at the same time. "No attempt is made to make the knife look attractive."

 

[Unk]

Thank you Lugs. Here are some of my wood handle knives. Mostly ebony and cocobolo, with a few Rosewood thrown in. The top row are all E.C. Simmons Keen Kutters. The bottom row is from various makers. Most of these date from around 1900 to 1930s. I've been collecting for about 20 years, but I have slowed down in the last few years. Mostly vintage knives, but I have a few GEC knives thrown in the mix.

 

[MisterEd]

S. Richard Southbridge, MASS, Knifemaker, started his own cutlery in the 1860's and finally sold the company to a wire manufacturer in 1928.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here are some of my wood handle knives.

That's a very nice line up.

 

[Unk]

That's a very nice line up.

Thank you sir!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'd love to see the dogleg closer up.

 

[Unk]

I'd love to see the dogleg closer up.

I assume you are talking about the first little knife? That's an E.C. Simmons Keen Kutter. Ebony scales, crest shield, and only 3 inches closed. The crest shield was popular ~1920s to 1930s or so. Here's a closer picture.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The numeral 7 blade. Second row.

 

[Unk]

The numeral 7 blade. Second row.

That's a timber scribe. Used to carve on wooden barrels and / or wooden pallets, or trees (for surveyors) etc. Hibbard, Spencer and Bartlett # 2998. Ebony handles, I think (maybe cocobolo - sometimes it's hard to tell.) 3 & 5/8" closed. Here's a couple of pics.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Cool. I have a fixed blade version somewhere. I don't think I've ever seen one that folded.

 

[RTM]

Cool. I have a fixed blade version somewhere. I don't think I've ever seen one that folded.

Here is one I had, from above, but passed it on

Show Your Vintage Knife

Double Barrel makes a STRONG entry to the thread - welcome aboard! Randall 2-7 and Randall 14. The sheath on the 14 is from the mid-90s or newer (based on Randall button), but very unusual to me with the gator (?) skin, plus Sullivan's and Randall marks. I've never developed any skill at...

www.garagejournal.com

catalog cut

Camillus Pocket Knives [1950 Catalog Excerpt] : Camillus Cutlery Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

8 p., illus., 29.8 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Here is another one, looks similar but cleaner, its also a New York Knife Company

 

[Unk]

Amazon still sells a folding one - just look for timber scribe.

That's a nice one, RTM. Looks like brass scales. Thanks for sending the Bingham catalog link. I only have one Bingham - it's the one in the middle of the bottom row in with all the spots on the blade in the picture with all the wood handled knives (with the clip blade).

 

[blunn]

I have a few , nothing special other than sentimental value .

 

[Old Radar]

That's a load of sentiment!!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's a load of sentiment!!

And a very nice case to store it in! Seriously, @blunn, I am jealous and inspired. Mine are in a drawer. It's a cool drawer, in a cool old chest, but they're hidden, not displayed. I love it.

 

[housewolf]

An old case riggers knife I just “found” the other day. I don’t remember where I got it but I used to carry it about 25-30 years ago.

 

[Unk]

Nice old Case, Housewolf!

Here's a Joseph Haywood from Sheffield with ivory scales. This should date to sometime in the 1800s. They could button their shoes, open a bottle of wine, and cut open their Amazon packages with this one!