All About Pocket Knives

Here's a giant.

Dimitri - you're pulling out all the stops now - That is nice large hawkbill - one heck of a blade Spring loaded? Or is that just a blade lock off the bolster?

Hope you don't mind me asking or guessing as to location of origin - Spanish or Eastern European? Or neither ... Interestingly I haven't seen many German hawkbills but that would not be my guess here ... How about dating of this big boy - early to mid 1900s?

To me I enjoy you sharing these for multiple reasons especially when I am seeing something different and an unknown - good way to learn and good to store away in the ol' noggin for future reference

LongBlade wrote:Dimitri - you're pulling out all the stops now - That is nice large hawkbill - one heck of a blade Spring loaded? Or is that just a blade lock off the bolster?

Thanks Lee! No not spring loaded just a conventional back spring and that is a lock to keep it open.

LongBlade wrote:Hope you don't mind me asking or guessing as to location of origin - Spanish or Eastern European? Or neither ... Interestingly I haven't seen many German hawkbills but that would not be my guess here ... How about dating of this big boy - early to mid 1900s?

Don't mind at all I welcome questions There are no marks on this knife at all but I have seen many with French and Spanish marks, so either one would be a good guess as to where it was made. As to a date pre 1930 is as close as I can get.

LongBlade wrote:To me I enjoy you sharing these for multiple reasons especially when I am seeing something different and an unknown - good way to learn and good to store away in the ol' noggin for future reference

Lee, I am glad to share my collection on this forum and glad you are learning as I am sure many others are I also really appreciate the time you, and the handful of others, take to reply to just about every post someone makes in this forum

I have a French knife that Dimitri identified, he got lucky , that’s got a very hooked hawkbill.

Dimitri - .. Thanks again!! The sharing and knowledge is indeed appreciated by a number of us ...

Lyle - Given all the vineyards in France I can see a big need for hawkbills ... When I think about French knives I think most I have seen were horticultural and hawbills..

Miller Bro's wrote: Here's a giant.

Well..... I recon so!

MAN, what a knife! I bet that joker can cut off a big ole limb.
(even a human limb if you aint careful......)

Mike

George Butler picked this up a couple of weeks ago and never posted it.

Nice one Bill, looks like as had little use.

Thanks John, I have thought about cleaning it a little.

Miller Bro's wrote:Here's a giant.

Dimitri, I have almost the same knife except an inch shorter and horn scales. Mine has "Vincent" over a line dash line, and then a last name I can't read that looks like FKRRAB--. I've never been able to figure out the name of country. I have a number of smaller ones with no name and without steel liners, some lockbacks and some slip joints. I always assumed, probably incorrectly, that they were French and possibly Italian. ___Dave

BWT wrote:George Butler picked this up a couple of weeks ago and never posted it.

Bill, that's a beauty love the horn handles

djknife13 wrote:Dimitri, I have almost the same knife except an inch shorter and horn scales. Mine has "Vincent" over a line dash line, and then a last name I can't read that looks like FKRRAB--. I've never been able to figure out the name of country. I have a number of smaller ones with no name and without steel liners, some lockbacks and some slip joints. I always assumed, probably incorrectly, that they were French and possibly Italian. ___Dave

If you can get me a clear picture of that knife and stamp I may be able to help you identify it. Would also like to see pictures of the other ones you mentioned!

wlf wrote:I have a French knife that Dimitri identified, he got lucky , that’s got a very hooked hawkbill.

Thanks it's certainly different.

Yeah I've been known to get lucky once in a blue moon

BWT wrote:George Butler picked this up a couple of weeks ago and never posted it.

That’s a beauty of a Hawkbill Bill ... nice full blade with stamp & horn handles - nice score ....

Miller Bro's wrote:

djknife13 wrote:Dimitri, I have almost the same knife except an inch shorter and horn scales. Mine has "Vincent" over a line dash line, and then a last name I can't read that looks like FKRRAB--. I've never been able to figure out the name of country. I have a number of smaller ones with no name and without steel liners, some lockbacks and some slip joints. I always assumed, probably incorrectly, that they were French and possibly Italian. ___Dave

If you can get me a clear picture of that knife and stamp I may be able to help you identify it. Would also like to see pictures of the other ones you mentioned!

Thanks, I'll try to get one tomorrow when I have good light. ____Dave

That is a big one, Dimitri, very nice! Great old knife in good condition, BWT! I really like the blade stamps on some of the old Sheffield knives.

Miller Bro's wrote:

djknife13 wrote:Dimitri, I have almost the same knife except an inch shorter and horn scales. Mine has "Vincent" over a line dash line, and then a last name I can't read that looks like FKRRAB--. I've never been able to figure out the name of country. I have a number of smaller ones with no name and without steel liners, some lockbacks and some slip joints. I always assumed, probably incorrectly, that they were French and possibly Italian. ___Dave

If you can get me a clear picture of that knife and stamp I may be able to help you identify it. Would also like to see pictures of the other ones you mentioned!

Dimitri; Here are the knives that I have that are of similar shape as yours. I haven't been able to find the manufacture of the one I posted the stamping of. I have several hundred Hawkbills and none with a name close to this one. Thanks____Dave

danno50 wrote:That is a big one, Dimitri, very nice!

Thanks Dan!

djknife13 wrote:Dimitri; Here are the knives that I have that are of similar shape as yours. I haven't been able to find the manufacture of the one I posted the stamping of. I have several hundred Hawkbills and none with a name close to this one. Thanks____Dave

Dave thanks for the pictures beautiful old knives!

Here's what I believe it reads:

Vincent
---•---
Farrar

Vincent would be the name of the maker and " Farrar or Ferrar" is an occupational surname for a blacksmith or ironworker.

There was a John Vincent working out of London in the mid 1800's that is all the information I can provide

Hope this helps

Miller Bro's wrote:

djknife13 wrote:Dimitri; Here are the knives that I have that are of similar shape as yours. I haven't been able to find the manufacture of the one I posted the stamping of. I have several hundred Hawkbills and none with a name close to this one. Thanks____Dave

Dave thanks for the pictures beautiful old knives!

Here's what I believe it reads:

Vincent
---•---
Farrar

Vincent would be the name of the maker and " Farrar or Ferrar" is an occupational surname for a blacksmith or ironworker.

There was a John Vincent working out of London in the mid 1800's that is all the information I can provide

Hope this helps

Yes thanks. I kept thinking it was a first and last name but what you are saying makes sense. ___Dave

danno50 wrote:That is a big one, Dimitri, very nice! Great old knife in good condition, BWT! I really like the blade stamps on some of the old Sheffield knives.

Thanks Dan!!

djknife13 wrote:

Miller Bro's wrote:

djknife13 wrote:Dimitri, I have almost the same knife except an inch shorter and horn scales. Mine has "Vincent" over a line dash line, and then a last name I can't read that looks like FKRRAB--. I've never been able to figure out the name of country. I have a number of smaller ones with no name and without steel liners, some lockbacks and some slip joints. I always assumed, probably incorrectly, that they were French and possibly Italian. ___Dave

If you can get me a clear picture of that knife and stamp I may be able to help you identify it. Would also like to see pictures of the other ones you mentioned!

Dimitri; Here are the knives that I have that are of similar shape as yours. I haven't been able to find the manufacture of the one I posted the stamping of. I have several hundred Hawkbills and none with a name close to this one. Thanks____Dave

Very nice and interesting too Dave

Those are some old and beautiful Hawkbills Dave ... That is very cool having a London made Hawkbill too!!! Hawkbills are one of my favorite patterns to collect for sure and thought I had a decent number in my collection... until you said you have several hundred - WOW ...

LongBlade wrote:Those are some old and beautiful Hawkbills Dave ... That is very cool having a London made Hawkbill too!!! Hawkbills are one of my favorite patterns to collect for sure and thought I had a decent number in my collection... until you said you have several hundred - WOW ...

Thanks Lee. I concentrated pretty heavily on hawkbills for several years and ended up at about 400. I've posted my best and rarest four including my two blade true split back English before but I'll probably dig them out and get a picture of them together. I even know where they are in the safe because I stumbled on them a couple days age looking for something else.____Dave

Nice ones, Dave! WOW, 400 is a lot of hawkbills!!