The Rogers Bone Thread

[philco]

Let me confess I didn't go all the way back through all the listings that came up when I entered "Rogers Bone" in the search engine here on AAPK, but as far as I searched I didn't find a thread devoted totally to Rogers Bone handled knives.

I think it would be a great educational asset to this forum to have a picture thread of all Rogers Bone handled cutlery. If you've got one or more knives handled in Rogers Bone, please post pictures here on this thread and tell us what you can about the maker, time frame of production, or other information. Even if you've posted pictures of the same knife elsewhere if it fits here, please post it here.

[jlw257]

Thanks Philco for coming up with this
Here is a Tested Trapper with Early Roger Bone
Here another one with Red Roger Bone W R Case and Sons
Thanks for looking

[wiseguy]

From what I gather this 1930s Presto automatic is handled in Rogers bone

[wazu013]

1-Case 6151 Banana trapper with Rogers Jigged Antique bone. It was the Collector's club 2010 winter promotion.
2-Case 2008 Gunboat Canoe Rogers Jigged Brown bone.
3-Case 2009 Gunboat Canoe Rogers Jigged Green bone.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I'm not at all sure I actually "know" Rogers bone when I see it, but I have a few Robesons from prior to WWII that I was told were Rogers bone by the sellers.

Herewith:

[jerryd6818]

Phil, I hope you don't mind (if you do, speak up and feel free to delete this post), I thought a thread devoted to Rogers Bone should include Mr. Benard Levine's 1987 article on the subject.

http://www.knife-expert.com/bonehand.txt

"ROGERS BONE (c)1987

by BERNARD LEVINE * BOX 2404 * EUGENE OR 97402 * 541-484-0294

KNIFE WORLD * PO BOX 3395 * KNOXVILLE TN 37927
WHUT IZZIT NUMBER 119 NOVEMBER 1987

Rogers bone was made by the Rogers Manufacturing Company of
Rockfall, Connecticut. On the telephone I interviewed Mr. Vincent
Bitel, Senior, president of the Rogers Manufacturing Company, and his
son, Mr. Vincent Bitel, Junior.
Mr. Bitel, Senior, informed me that the firm started in business in
1891, making manufactured bone products, and also bone fertilizer.
They began to make jigged bone pocketknife scales around the turn of
the century. Other manufactured bone products included combs,
toothbrush handles, baby pacifiers, and one of their biggest sellers,
corn-cob pipe bits. This particular item was discontinued in the
1950s.
Early in the century, one of this firm's competitors in the bone
business was Rogers & Hubbard. About the time of the First World War,
Rogers Mfg. Co. traded its bone fertilizer operation to Rogers &
Hubbard, and received in return the other firm's manufactured bone
products business. From that time forward, Rogers Mfg. Co. was the
nation's largest maker of manufactured bone products.
At first, all of the bone used by Rogers Mfg. Co. came from domestic
cattle. By the 1920s, and perhaps even earlier, all of it was coming
from overseas, mainly from Argentina.
Most of Rogers's pocketknife handle material was made in the
distinctive jigging pattern that collectors call "Rogers bone," but
that the firm in fact called "Rogers Stag." Rogers Stag was made
using a specially designed jigging machine which the company still
has, but that has not been used since 1962 (they have no interest in
starting it up again). They also made small quantities of other
styles of jigged bone for pocketknives.
Rogers Mfg. Co. also made jigged bone for hunting knives and for
kitchen utensils. For hunting knives, they made a style of jigging
they called "Indian Trail." This is a long random "worm" style of
jigging. Their biggest customer for bone kitchen utensil handles was
Landers Frary & Clark, who used the bone mainly on kitchen forks.
During the Second World War, Rogers's production of jigged bone
handles continued without interruption. Many of those handles wound
up on cutlery items made for the government.
The bone used by Rogers during the war was all imported. It came
from Argentina, Brazil, and a new source: Australia. The Australian
bone came mainly from old (15+ years old) tough range cattle, and so
was very thick and dense and strong. This heavy Australian bone was
used mainly for hunting knife handles.
In the 1950s, cost-conscious cutlery manufacturers began to
discontinue the production of bone handled pocketknives. Rogers Mfg.
Co. changed with the changing times, and began to offer synthetic
pocketknife handles. Mr. Bitel, who started with Rogers in 1955, was
involved in the transition. He states that Rogers Mfg. Co. was the
first firm to produce pocketknife scales made out of Delrin (a DuPont
acetal resin). One trademark Rogers used for synthetic handle
materials was Romco.

NOTE: Doesn't this make you wonder about the Delrin® handles on Camillus knives? I've always thought it is the closest of the Delrin® handles to looking like the old Rogers Bone. (J.D.)

Rogers Mfg. Co. last sold bone pocketknife handle material in 1962.
The firm still supplies limited quantities of synthetic handle
material to the cutlery industry, but domestic and foreign competitors
have taken most of that specialized business away."

[jerryd6818]

And then there's the knives.

Camillus short line #14 from probably the mid-'40s to sometime in the mid-'50s.

Couple of short line Camillus #72s. First generation with the pen blade, made in 1946 or 1st quarter of 1947.

And then a short line Camillus #72, 2nd generation (small clip blade) from 1947 to the mid-1950s.

I would have had another short line 2nd generation if it hadn't been stolen from my mailbox.

[gino]

1940-64 Case xx 6232 My favorite I own

[Mumbleypeg]

Here's my Case Bradford 6001 Rogers bone tri-fold. 4-3/4" slabs of Rogers bone on each side. Posted previously in the Case Knife Collectors forum.

Ken

[philco]

Here's one of my most rare knives, a Robeson Girl Scout knife. It has (IMO) some beautiful Rogers Bone handles.

[philco]

Here are a pair of Imperial Cattlemans knives sporting Rogers Bone handles.

[zp4ja]

Great knives Gents!

Here's my Case Bradford 6001 Rogers bone tri-fold. 4-3/4" slabs of Rogers bone on each side. Posted previously in the Case Knife Collectors forum.

Ken

Ken,

If I had to choose one knife and one knife only, this model would be it. Great old piece.

I have only ever seen 4 of these including yours and the one I have. Rare bird.

Regards, Jerry

[Mumbleypeg]

Thanks Jerry. I'm privileged to be its caretaker for a while. As sturdy and practical as they are and considering they were made in both the Case Bradford and Case Tested era, it is a wonder you don't see more of them. A little too big for the pocket I guess.

Ken

[RobesonsRme.com]

Phil, change that background, my head keeps spinning to the right. Kind of like watching the intro to Twilight Zone.

Nice knives though.

You and I are a select duo on AAPK. I bet nobody else has a Robeson GS knife.

Charlie

[Colonel26]

I'm not an expert on Rogers bone, but I have a couple I think are Rogers bone. They aren't quite the quality of y'all's, but I like em!
1) Camillus (made in USA stamp) 4 blade stockman.

2) Camillus 72 first generation.

3) Two Wards stockman knives.

[Colonel26]

Here's some more.

1) Two camillus 69's

2) Two Western split back 4 inch whittlers. One is WELL worn and has a paint filled piece missing in the back. But I like it anyway.

3) Western scout

[FRJ]

I don't think I have a trained eye for Rogers bone.
I believe some one said these Wards had Rogers bone on them.
I was going to show my Imperial cattle knives, but there's no need to be redundant, especially when Phil's knives blow mine out of the water.
Great post Phil and great knives here.

[wazu013]

All the old bone looks like Rogers to me
1-Union scout
2-Brown Shoes scout

[philco]

Wazu the top one I'm pretty sure is, the bottom one, not so sure. Let's see what some of the "pros" think.

[philco]

Phil, change that background, my head keeps spinning to the right. Kind of like watching the intro to Twilight Zone.

Charlie

Charlie that's my photo tribute to Sander's Knives. I was afraid they have the blue placemat copyrighted so I went with green instead.

[RalphAlsip]

Here is a Remington Bullet R1303 that I believe has Rogers bone. My perception is that Rogers bone gets better with age (i.e., patina and a little pocket wear enhances it).

[peanut740]

Great bunch of knives, although there are a couple I would not consider to be Rogers bone.Mumbleypeg 's knives is a great example of Rogers bone in my opinion.Also the scout knives you see stamped made in the USA have Rogers bone on them.Here are 3 examples with varying shades of color.
Many companies jigged their own bone and it had some similar look.

[peanut740]

Here are a couple Case Bradford toenails in Rogers bone.

[basser5]

Camillus........

[philco]

More Camillus.........