Houghton Sheffield Poultry Knife

[kootenay joe]

"Houghton Sheffield Poultry Knife" was the listing title for this knife on ebay. It does have a hook, smaller than those on a Trapper style Bird knife, but maybe the old Sheffieldians had a penchant for smaller birds ? It could be a 'sparrow butt hook' and sparrows are birds and birds when eaten are poultry.
H'mmm. Let's see what the esteemed minds here can make of this old Poultry Knife.
3" sleeveboard, 3 thick, 6 blades/implements; master tang marked on front: "Houghton/32 Poultry" and on the back "Sheffield/Made".
kj

[knife7knut]

"Houghton Sheffield Poultry Knife" was the listing title for this knife on ebay. It does have a hook, smaller than those on a Trapper style Bird knife, but maybe the old Sheffieldians had a penchant for smaller birds ? It could be a 'sparrow butt hook' and sparrows are birds and birds when eaten are poultry.
H'mmm. Let's see what the esteemed minds here can make of this old Poultry Knife.
3" sleeveboard, 3 thick, 6 blades/implements; master tang marked on front: "Houghton/32 Poultry" and on the back "Sheffield/Made".
kj

Roland: I think the word Poultry is a address in Sheffield.Definitely an old gentleman's pocket knife. The hook is a glove and shoe hook and it looks like one of the implements on the spine is a cigar poker to put a hole in the end of a stogie.

[Froe]

It looks to me like the knife has tiny poultry shears and little gut hook.

[btrwtr]

Yes,
Poultry = Address
Hook = Button

[kootenay joe]

Awwwe, it's not for little birdies ?
Maybe this has something to do with this knife:
Houghton & Co on 32 Poultry St London was listed In 1891 as "stationers" in the following book -
Kelly's Post Office London Directory - Page 1068
This info is courtesy of Lee Longblade.

Mr Houghton likely had a high end clientele and ordered these knives to sell in his Stationary store. Maybe 1880's or a bit earlier. Likely no way to know the manufacturer beyond being in Sheffield.
Not many people search ebay for "Poultry knife" which helped keep the bidding down.
So, yes it is an old Gent's or Smoker's knife, used but in very good condition, likely 130 or more years old. Quite often these have part of the hook broken off (constipated birds ?) and the scissor spring missing. Hence it is a good score to find one with everything intact.
The style of file work on the spine i associate with the 'older Sheffield knives and less common on knives made after about 1890.
kj

[1967redrider]

This thread made me giggle a little.

Great looking gentleman's knife, kj, filework, pearl and everything!

[tongueriver]

That's a dandy!

[bighomer]

Recently there was some knives posted here to kill poultry, those spikes would sure do the job.
Gorgeous knife anyway

[galvanic1882]

That's one sweet knife KJ!!

[danno50]

Very nice, Roland!

[RobesonsRme.com]

Having no recollection of ever seeing humor from Roland, I first thought he was serious, as usual.

Great knife.

Charlie

[wlf]

Nothing fowl about that knife Roland.

[tongueriver]

Nothing fowl about that knife Roland.

This from a guy crazy for roosters!