If A Knife Could Talk What Stories Would It Tell..........

[Miller Bro's]

How many times have you heard it in person, at knife shows and on these internet forums "If the knife could only talk....." Collectors wondering who owned the knife? Where it has been? How was it used? Etc., etc.

I myself often wonder who it was that bought that old knife and carefully sharpened it till the blade was almost used up to the knife that is in unused condition and appears as if it left the factory yesterday even though it is a hundred years old.

We have all bought knives from either dealers, collectors, knife shows, and internet sources, but how often do you know for a fact who it was that owned the knife? Usually the only knives most collectors know for a fact who previously owned them is from knives passed down from family members, one of the reasons why these knives are highly regarded by collectors, even if the knife is rather common and on it`s own does not have a high dollar value, the value to the owner is priceless. Another pressing question amongst collectors is "how old is it"? This can often times be determined by the stampings. Lot`s of questions if you are a knife collector.

Every once and a while I buy a knife from a person that was the original owner and has owned the knife their entire life or obtain it from a direct family member, the nice thing about this is you can attach a name,place and time with the knife and get stories about it.

Several years ago items from the estate of Brigadier General Robin Olds were being sold by his daughter. I had no idea who this man was until after I purchased the only three pocket knives to come out of his estate. This guy served in two wars and is a true American hero! See his bio here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Olds

The Case Tested stag whittler probably was carried by Robin in World War II! The Kutmaster is Vietnam era and the Vernco is late 60`s-1970`s. All have been used and carried, I left them just as I received them, did not even wipe off the fingerprints!

Watch this interesting video from the history channel, I think it is ironic they named the mission after a knife, Operation Bolo:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgLLBsmFrkI[/youtube]



After looking at these knives I still ask myself, what stories could these knives tell if only they could talk!

[orvet]

That was a great video! I watched the whole thing.
Your knives have some excellent provenance!

The F4 was our bird! It was F4 squadrons that we always supported from a Headquarters & Maintenance Squadron,(H&MS), (H&MS 11, H&MS 13 and H&MS 15).
All three squadrons were supporting F5 "gun squadrons" (fighters).
It is amazing to stand on the flight line and watch a squadron of F4s take off and hit full ABs!
They would ride a column of fire up into the night sky!

[JAMESC41001]

The military channel just did a bio on general Olds. Really an amazing man. It's good to see his knife made into someone's hands who appreciates it, him, and where it's been. Thanx for posting it.

[whitebuffalo58]

Great stuff, Dimitri!!
Maybe we need a thread called "How did you use your knife today". Then I guess to some degree, our knives would be able to talk. I imagine our tales would be pretty boring compared to the stories Gen. Olds knives could tell, though. I know mine would be. Opening a package that was delivered by UPS ain't near as exciting as opening sealed orders for some top secret mission.

WB

[singin46]

Ditto, what others have said D! You are very fortunate to own these.

[Owd Wullie]

WAY COOL SNAG D!!

[RobesonsRme.com]

Good those made it into the care of someone like Dimitri.

I keep waiting for one of our Case experts to opine, but none so far.

So, in my well known ignorance of all things Case, I'll ask:

Is that or is that not, a Case Tested 5391 whittler?

Hmmmmmmm?

Charlie Noyes

[btrwtr]

Yes, that certainly looks to be a Case Tested 5391 stag whittler. And quite a nice one at that. A very large and desirable knife to many a collector.

Great history!

[philco]

Thanks D. Great post.

[Miller Bro's]

Thank you to everyone that replied!

I keep waiting for one of our Case experts to opine, but none so far.

So, in my well known ignorance of all things Case, I'll ask:

Is that or is that not, a Case Tested 5391 whittler?

Yes, everything Wayne said in his post. I might add that I believe this could be what is called "Red Stag" in the books but like you Charlie I plead ignorance when it comes to Case knives.

[knife7knut]

Here is one that although it is not a pocket knife could likely tell more than a few stories.
I acquired this;along with a fraternal sword as a gift from a fellow worker who had found both of them in the trunk of a car they had taken in trade at their used car lot.He knew I collected knives and asked if I wanted them.
The fraternal sword was a nice addition but not being into swords I just sort of set it aside. The other one was rather plain and looked kind of crude in construction but in the hand it felt very well balanced and the blade was almost shaving sharp even though there was a lot of surface rust. I put them both away in a storage locker and pretty much forgot about them.
When I moved to Michigan about 20 years ago they came with me and were relegated to being hung up in the finished basement.We rarely used the basement room and our son moved in while recuperating from a near fatal car crash.
I recently got them out and decided to do a little research on them.The older one had been looked at by a friend many years ago who owned an antique shop and while she wasn't well versed in weapons she was in early iron workings.She judged that by the style of the iron work the sword could be Revolutionary War era.
I posted it up on the Sword Forum to see if anyone had any thoughts on it and several people opined that it looked mid-18th century and a couple showed great interest in purchasing it.
So that is the story of that one.I often wonder if indeed it is Revolutionary War era if it had seen battle.The blade while extremely sharp also has more than a few nicks in it.True they could have come from some kid playing pirate but................. Guess I'll never know but it surely makes for interesting thought. Anyway here it is for all to see.

[knife7knut]

Here are two that might nold a few stories:

First one is a serpentine whittler with pearl scales;a bar shield engraved,"L.E.Stocker";a Wharmcliffe pattern master blade;a very unusually shaped manicure blade and one broken blade.Tang stamped,"Robert Klass Prussia" with the kissing cranes on the back side.
The first question that comes to mind is:Who was L.E.Stocker?Was he someone who appreciated a fine pearl handled knife?Was it a gift to him from his wife or another? How did the blade get broken? A clue may lie in the small chipping next to where the broken blade's nail mark had been:possibly it was difficult to open and he used a metal object to pull it open and possibly put undue side pressure on the blade in doing so.
The manicure blade has one of the most unusual shapes I've seen.Looks almost like a duck's bill in profile.Have yet to see another like it.
I don't remember exactly where and when I acquired it but it was at least 30 years ago.When did L.E.Stocker acquire it?The Prussia mark would seem to indicate pre-WWI but how early is open to question.Did he discard it when the blade broke or did he continue to use it for the remainder of his life? What kind of a life did it have prior to me acquiring it? Too many questions.
The next one is even more perplexing.It is a four blade gentlemen's jack(it is over 3" in length so I don't consider it a pen)shadow pattern(no bolsters)with sunken joints(the mark of an expensive knife)and extensive file work on the back springs and liners.What is a mystery is that it bears no stamps whatsoever and even close examination so no evidence that there ever was. After examining it I feel I may know why there were no stamps.
Although there are no cracks in the pearl anywhere there is a small piece missing near one end.It appears that the pearl shell may have de-laminated after it was assembled and fell out.A piece could be re-fitted but it would be very obvious and it couldn't be sold as a high end knife.
Another thing is the shape of two of the smaller blades.Every pen blade I have ever seen is symmetrically shaped in a spear point.These blades seem to be fuller on the bottom side and look a bit mis-shapen.As none of the blades appear to ever have been sharpened this could be another reason.
I have a couple of knives of this pattern that were made by George Wostenholm and this could very well be one of their rejected knives.Another strange thing is if the tang stamps were ground away they were done BEFORE the knife was assembled.Why would they go to the trouble to assemble an already documented defective knife? Maybe a worker who wanted a nice knife but couldn't afford it.We'll never know.
Anyway maybe these will you pause to come up with various scenarios.

[knife7knut]

Here's another one to throw into the mix:
I bought this at a flea market in Salem Massachusetts about 25 years ago for $6.The blade was pretty corroded and there were some dings and dents on the scales and bolsters but something about the knife told me it was special.
After very careful cleaning and polishing and upon close examination with a loupe I discovered some marks on the tang.On one side was a serial number engraved diagonally(728)and on the other was a series of O's in an arc which I later found out was the mark of Track Knives of Whitefish Montana.It is meant to symbolize a bear's paw.
The knife is built like a tank.The bolsters and liners are one piece brass and dovetailed where the bolsters meet the scales.This feature makes it unnecessary to use pins to hold the scales to the knife.This has two pins however:one for the lock bar and the other on the rear to(I believe)stabilize the back of spine.What is unusual about this back pin is it appears to be larger on one side than the other.Not sure if it is tapered or not;I've never tried to remove it.
The blade is of drop point configuration sans nail mark and rides on a huge(1/4 inch diameter)pivot pin. The scales are a straight grained hardwood(possibly rosewood)and in very good shape.The knife fits very comfortably in the hand.I prefer to lay my index finger along the spine of the blade while my 3 remaining fingers wrap across the bottom and my thumb in front of them on the bottom of the front bolster.In this position you can maintain an incredible amount of control while cutting.
With that out of the way I can begin to speculate.How and why did this expensive custom folder that had obviously seen quite a bit of use skinning animals(blood corrosion on a blade is very obvious)wind up in a flea market in a seaport town in Massachusetts? There aren't many people I know in the area that are hunters.Who purchased this knife originally and where was it used and more importantly why did he get rid of it? Maybe it was lost.Who knows?
Finding out any information about Track Knives is difficult at best.They were made for the Ithaca Gun Works in the early 1970's and were expensive then.I have seen many fixed blade Track knives offered for sale but only a couple of folders and those were the so-called Luger model because the lock mechanism was similar in operation to the toggle bolt of a Luger pistol.This knife was likely custom made as Track did a lot of one off lnives for customers.
Anyway that is the story as I see it;here are the pictures for your viewing pleasure.If anyone knows ANYTHING about the history of this knife I would appreciate it greatle if you could tell me.

[knife7knut]

A Tale of Two Whittlers................

On a roll here;see where this one goes...........

These two knives;although very similar in construction are separated by an ocean and probably 40-50 years.The I*XL was the first ivory scaled knife I ever bought sometime in the early 1970's.That the knife was already over 100 years old was amazing enough to me.To examine the knife under a loupe and see the symmetry of the ivory,"fingerprint"(the grain imparted to the ivory by the buildup of the layers)on the mark side and the relative plainness of it on the opposite.The gray patina of the blades that seems to be typical of early blade steels very uniform save near the edge where the stone has polished it.Of particular curiosity is the small curved blade that I had at first assumed to be a broken off and re-ground due to the wear of the two other blades.However if you look closely at the blade the tiny nail mark(about 3/16ths of an inch long)is full and of original size.This leads me to believe that it is original in shape and size.This was more or less confirmed when I acquired an R.Bunting & Sons knife of the same era(or a bit earlier)that had a nearly identical blade.
So then I asked myself what purpose this blade may have served.One conclusion is that it may have been used to trim off the tip of a cigar which is what gentlemen who may have owned a knife such as this would do.That the pen blade was ground so thin and perhaps used as a punch to pierce the cigar end after trimming.
So now we come to the shield:It has the initials "S.N.M." and the date "1870" inscribed.Was this a Christmas present for S.N.M. or perhaps it had been purchased by him for his own use.When you hold the knife in your hand you can almost picture some people sitting around a fireplace after consuming a great meal and sitting back to enjoy a fine cigar and perhaps a glass of brandy.That's what this knife says to me!

Finally we come to the other knife.Like the I*XL it's mark side ivory scale sports a nice symmetrical footprint on the mark side and a plain one on the opposite.The blades are much fuller than the previous although the blade etch(if there was one)is gone.The master blade sports a long false edge and both nail mark and straight pull and one of the secondary blades is a nail file.The pen blade shows the most wear which indicates to me that it was likely used mostly to pare fingernails and other light duty chores.The manicure blade appears pretty much unused except the file edges are dulled.The ivory has no cracks whatsoever so it was never dropped.
This particular knife came out of a rather large collection of military and civilian knives a friend of mine purchased.He collected militaria and had little interest in pocket knives so whenever he got a collection he would call me before he took them to the flea market and /or knife show to see if I was interested.I bought some great knives from him for very reasonable money.I would likewise contact him if I ran across military items as I had no interest in them at the time.So in the end I guess we both broke even.
So there you have it;a couple more for you to ponder.

[knife7knut]

Three more unusual knives.....................
First up is a small quill knife;at least I THINK it was a quill knife as the master blade is broken off at the tang.What made it unusual was the fact that the other blade was in fact a tiny mechanical pencil that still works!Also the fact that it sports the stamp of Unwin & Rogers;a company noted for it's switchblade knife/pistols in business from 1828 to 1857.Although I have seen several knife pistols this was the first knife other than those by them that I have seen.
I was tempted to have a small replacement blade welded on but decided against it.I believe it should be left as is.I would love to know what this little gem has experienced of it's hundred and fifty plus years of life.One interesting aspect is the backspring that tapers toward the blade end from the center rivet.That seemed to be a popular method employed on knives with varying thickness blades from that era.
Next up is another smoker's knife by Brookes & Crookes.It has the characteristic bell symbol between the names and is stamped Sheffield England on the reverse which may or may not indicate a post 1891 manufacture.It is actually an advertising knife made for Royston's of Halifax which I assume is(was)a tobacconist.The blade is extremely thin and capable of reaming a pipe stem(after the mouthpiece has been removed)and the cigar piercing blade is like a needle.The unique part of course is the tobacco tamping device that is stored on one side of the knife and when needed slides out about 3/8ths of an inch and flips 90 degrees to push the tobacco into the bowl.A delicate and very well made knife.Makes me think of Sherlock holmes when I hold it in my hand.
The last one is a bit of a mystery.A two bladed knife which is likely a ladies' fruit knife.I at first thought the scales were synthetic but rubbing them produced no odor and under a 30x loupe a faint grain can be seen.The master blade is shaped like a miniature table knife and the secondary is I believe an orange peeler.Someone suggested it could be a letter opener and indeed it works well in that function but I'll go with the peeler.The strange thing is the blades(as are all the metal pieces of the knife) are made of either brass or a low content gold alloy.It is stamped ,"GMT Co. JNC Germany" in two lines.I don't think it has been misspelled(the J rather than an I)but i'm not sure what the significance of that is.
I saw another like it on e-Bay once and tried to get it but it sold quickly.
All of these I wonder about such as who owned them before and how old they might be.I guess that is why I love knife collecting so much.

[Mason]

How many times have you heard it in person, at knife shows and on these internet forums "If the knife could only talk....." Collectors wondering who owned the knife? Where it has been? How was it used? Etc., etc.

I myself often wonder who it was that bought that old knife and carefully sharpened it till the blade was almost used up to the knife that is in unused condition and appears as if it left the factory yesterday even though it is a hundred years old.

We have all bought knives from either dealers, collectors, knife shows, and internet sources, but how often do you know for a fact who it was that owned the knife? Usually the only knives most collectors know for a fact who previously owned them is from knives passed down from family members, one of the reasons why these knives are highly regarded by collectors, even if the knife is rather common and on it`s own does not have a high dollar value, the value to the owner is priceless. Another pressing question amongst collectors is "how old is it"? This can often times be determined by the stampings. Lot`s of questions if you are a knife collector.

Every once and a while I buy a knife from a person that was the original owner and has owned the knife their entire life or obtain it from a direct family member, the nice thing about this is you can attach a name,place and time with the knife and get stories about it.

Several years ago items from the estate of Brigadier General Robin Olds were being sold by his daughter. I had no idea who this man was until after I purchased the only three pocket knives to come out of his estate. This guy served in two wars and is a true American hero! See his bio here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Olds

The Case Tested stag whittler probably was carried by Robin in World War II! The Kutmaster is Vietnam era and the Vernco is late 60`s-1970`s. All have been used and carried, I left them just as I received them, did not even wipe off the fingerprints!

Watch this interesting video from the history channel, I think it is ironic they named the mission after a knife, Operation Bolo:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgLLBsmFrkI[/youtube]



After looking at these knives I still ask myself, what stories could these knives tell if only they could talk!

Great video and accompanying knives MB.
General Olds seemed to have had both bravery and luck on his side.

[Mason]

Here are two that might nold a few stories:

First one is a serpentine whittler with pearl scales;a bar shield engraved,"L.E.Stocker";a Wharmcliffe pattern master blade;a very unusually shaped manicure blade and one broken blade.Tang stamped,"Robert Klass Prussia" with the kissing cranes on the back side.
The first question that comes to mind is:Who was L.E.Stocker?Was he someone who appreciated a fine pearl handled knife?Was it a gift to him from his wife or another? How did the blade get broken? A clue may lie in the small chipping next to where the broken blade's nail mark had been:possibly it was difficult to open and he used a metal object to pull it open and possibly put undue side pressure on the blade in doing so.
The manicure blade has one of the most unusual shapes I've seen.Looks almost like a duck's bill in profile.Have yet to see another like it.
I don't remember exactly where and when I acquired it but it was at least 30 years ago.When did L.E.Stocker acquire it?The Prussia mark would seem to indicate pre-WWI but how early is open to question.Did he discard it when the blade broke or did he continue to use it for the remainder of his life? What kind of a life did it have prior to me acquiring it? Too many questions.
The next one is even more perplexing.It is a four blade gentlemen's jack(it is over 3" in length so I don't consider it a pen)shadow pattern(no bolsters)with sunken joints(the mark of an expensive knife)and extensive file work on the back springs and liners.What is a mystery is that it bears no stamps whatsoever and even close examination so no evidence that there ever was. After examining it I feel I may know why there were no stamps.
Although there are no cracks in the pearl anywhere there is a small piece missing near one end.It appears that the pearl shell may have de-laminated after it was assembled and fell out.A piece could be re-fitted but it would be very obvious and it couldn't be sold as a high end knife.
Another thing is the shape of two of the smaller blades.Every pen blade I have ever seen is symmetrically shaped in a spear point.These blades seem to be fuller on the bottom side and look a bit mis-shapen.As none of the blades appear to ever have been sharpened this could be another reason.
I have a couple of knives of this pattern that were made by George Wostenholm and this could very well be one of their rejected knives.Another strange thing is if the tang stamps were ground away they were done BEFORE the knife was assembled.Why would they go to the trouble to assemble an already documented defective knife? Maybe a worker who wanted a nice knife but couldn't afford it.We'll never know.
Anyway maybe these will you pause to come up with various scenarios.

It's always interesting to see someones name on a knife and wonder who he was and what adventures he and the knife had. Thanks for the pictures.

[knife7knut]

Got this knife today at an antique shop I frequent.The minute I picked it up out of the display case it was in I knew it was a keeper.The $15 price tag was reduced 25% due to the seller trying to move product.
Before opening it I knew it was of German manufacture due to the steel pivot pin in the nickel silver bolsters.The ebony scales told me it was pretty early;likely pre WWI.
Opening it up I noticed the Keen Kutter logo and that pretty much cinched it.I don't believe Simmons bought too much stuff from Germany after the war.
The master blade had been sharpened and had a nice gray patina that comes from sitting for many years.There was a very minimal amount of rust which told me that it had likely been well taken care of and stored in a dry place.
The pen blade had been extensively sharpened and had a straight edge terminating in a very sharp point.Upon reflection I believe this had been done diliberately rather than being worn away over the years.Possibly the owner may have been a cabinet maker or the like and had need for this shape of blade.
The ebony scales were next.The mark side was a nice straight grain and in excellent shape.The pile side however was cut on a bias across the grain and had resulted in the wood coming apart in two places and a large crack forming across the center.Appparently the manufacturer had done something similar to the use of stag on scales;i.e.: having one great looking side and the opposite a so-so appearance.
After giving it a good cleaning inside and out something caught my eye.On the pen blade back spring there was a piece missing out of it that looked like it had been so since the knife had been assembled.It doesn't affect th operation of the knife;it just doesn't look good.Probably a flaw in the steel.
So here we have another knife nearly 100 years old that has survived relatively intact and has found a good home.I wonder what tales it could tell............

[knife7knut]

This is a knife I've had for a few years now and it still never fails to get my imagination going whenever I remove it from it's case.What was as remarkable as the way it came into my possession.
One Sunday I headed out to a car show driving my 1955 Pontiac Safari wagon.The weather looked a little threatening but I figured it would clear up by the time I got there which was about 75 miles west of here.
Well it got worse and by the time I arrived it was raining pretty heavily and the fairgrounds were pretty much deserted.I went downtown to grab a cup of coffee for the drive home and noticed an antique shop next to the restaurant.After grabbing a coffee I headed into the shop.
First appearances weren't too good.Mostly crafts and cheap imported stuff made to look old.The clerk was in the rear and as I came up to him I noticed a small box of knives on the counter.Asked if I could look through them and as I was doing so he asked if I collected,"Bowie" knives.I replied that I collected all kinds of knives;figuring he probably had one of the fantasy knives that were so popular at the time.
He dug into the display case and came up with the knife pictured.That got the blood flowing and I began to examine it.The Star and Cross of the Joseph Rodgers Co.jumped out as well as the size(9 inches)and shape(spear point)of the blade and the condition of the sheath.The price tag dangling from the guard said $225.
After a bit of negotiation I wound up paying that without the tax and I started home with my prize.
On the way I called a friend who is big into bowie style knives and he asked me to stop by with it.After drooling over it a bit he suggested it was probably worth about $1,000 to $1,200 dollars.Not a bad day.
So I sit and look at this knife and many questions come to mind.In it's day(circa 1880-1890)it was essentially a working knife that obviously saw very little work.Why? The sheath is a bit fragile in construction but the leather is still supple and looks like it has never seen a belt.The tip usually has a metal reinforcing piece but it doesn't appear to have ever had one.The blade has been sharpened but looks to have been well taken care of when doing so.The stag scales are unblemished and pretty well matched.The oval escutcheon is devoid of a name or initials.The nickel silver ball end guard is a bit loose(typical of early knives)but in great shape.
So who was your owner Mr. Bowie? Why didn't he treat you as a working knife and use you up like most of your kind have suffered? Were you possibly a side arm carried for defense only?If so why is your sheath intact? Where were you when you first came to these shores?Did you start out in New York or perhaps a bit farther south? Too many unanswered questions.

[knife7knut]

Here is another that might tell a few tales..........
Acquired from a good friend who used to buy large collections of military items and sell off whatever he didn't need or want. I bought several items from this collection and this one to me was the most interesting.
A double edged dagger stamped,"Cogswell & Harrison Ltd. Gun Makers London W1" in two lines;a simple steel S guard;a gnarly chunk of antler;and a silver butt cap.Evidence of heat treating still remains on the tang.
In researching the name I found that the firm began in 1770 as a maker of long guns and still exists to this day.It became Cogswell & Harrison in 1863 and became a limited company in 1882 so I know the knife was made after that date.
I tried contacting the firm about their involvement in making knives but have never received a response.I may try it again.I would assume that they made more than one knife seeing as how they used a tang stamp.None of the informaion on their web site supports that however.
Could it have been made as an adjunct to a firearm for a wealthy customer? If so was it someone of note? How did it wind up in the USA in a collection of military arms?
As to the construction of the knife I'm not sure it was professionally made.Although the grind line is pretty straight the overall finish looks a bit crude.I'm not sure if this was original or had been mucked up by the owner.The guard has been rather sloppily soldered on which may have caused the steel discoloration I thought was evidence of heat treating although the stag seems to have been undisturbed by it.The butt cap;although not hall marked is definitely silver(tarnishes black)at least in my estimation.
So there you have it;another knife that is just waiting to have it's tongue untied.Hope you enjoy these little tales.

[Miller Bro's]

Interesting knives Ray, thanks for sharing!

[orvet]

I LOVE that stag Ray!

[knife7knut]

This is one that has had me wondering since I got it from e-Bay several years ago.When I first received it I thought it might possibly be a tool for machinists rather than a weapon but now I'm not so sure.
It resembles a three cornered scraper used by tool makers to de-burr parts that have been drilled or machined.A lot of them were fabricated from used up triangular files;the point being ground to de-burr drilled holes.Usually the file teeth would be left intact but not always.Most retained the round file handle.
This particular piece shows no evidence of ever been a file;the three sides are very smooth.Another thing is the handle;I have never seen a file with a handle that has a guard on either end.This handle appears to be made of linen Micarta and cast onto the blade.The only purpose I can see that it would serve is that of an assassin's weapon.It appears to be relatively old;possibly WWII vintage.Could it have been used to dispatch the enemy silently and quickly?If so did the owner actually use it to do this? What do you think?

[knife7knut]

Seeing as how we're into my dagger box let's bring this one out to show.
Bought this on e-Bay several years ago where it was listed as a letter opener for $15. It is amazing how many really good knives are listed like that.The Case V42 dagger I bought recently was listed as such.HINT: When searching e-Bay type in "letter opener knife" and check it thoroughly.You may get lucky too.
Anyway back to this little dagger.Made by Alfred Williams in Sheffield probably around 1900 or maybe a bit before it sports an ivory table knife style handle and original sheath.Commonly referred to as a,"ladies' garter knife" or "prostitutes' dagger" it was probably neither.....or was it? It doesn't appear to have been carried much as the sheath is still in excellent condition and the blade shows a nice grayish patina.More than likely it was used as it was advertised:a letter opener.
I'm not sure what these little knives were originally intended for;although they COULD be used as a defensive weapon I think a large heavy object would be better suited for that. They don't seem to be too practical as a using knife unless you would use them as a table knife and double edged blades for that purpose are rare.
Anyway it is a nice little knife and we can ponder all we like about who might have been the original owner and what they used it for.

[knife7knut]

Last one for today.This is another dagger but a rather unique one.It is obviously custom made but I have no idea who made it.I got it from my good friend Bob who lives in New Hampshire many years ago.He picked it up at a local flea market from a knife dealer friend who was also in the dark as to who made it.There are markings on the blade but my efforts to trace them down have so far been futile.If any of you who read this recognize the mark or the knife please let me know.
The frame is machined from two pieces of stainless steel and held together with 4 pins that also attach 4 ivory Micarta scales.The blade is double edged and highly polished and stamped into the tang on one side is the letters,"EL" inside an oval while the other side is stamped," Z3" the 3 being small and looking like the mathmatical symbol for "cube".
The operation is a little clumsy and involves depressing the two spring loaded buttons(one on each side)located in the tang and sliding the blade forward until it locks into position.Depressing the buttons and pulling back retracts the blade until it locks closed.
The fit and finish are nothing short of superb.You have to really look closely to see that the body is two pieces.
Bob still calls me occasionally and the first thing he asks is when I'm going to sell him "his" knife back to him.
Anyway that is mystery knife number three;hope you enjoyed the presentation.