The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

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FRJ
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by FRJ »

Here is a nice little Russell boys knife.
A straight line stamp. Goin's gives a date of 1884 - 1933. 3" closed.
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Joe
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Waukonda
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by Waukonda »

Oh, ohh, ohhhhh, that is nice! Knife Lore has been a little quiet lately, thataway to rattle the cage, Joe.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by BWT »

Very nice Joe,you’re on a roll!!
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FRJ
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Ike. ::tu::

Thank you, Bill. ::tu::
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by stockman »

I think I have the same knife. Not as clean as yours.

Harold
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FRJ
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by FRJ »

Nice old knife, Harold. ::tu::
I think they're two peas in a pod. Same stamps. ::nod::
I'd say yours is 3 inches too.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by stockman »

Joe 3" they are fun little knives. I was surprised to see another one.
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FRJ
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by FRJ »

Thanks Harold.
I was surprised to see another one too.
They are pretty neat. I'm glad you have one.
I got mine just last Sunday at a knife show.

I plopped it in Steve Pfeiffer's hand. He looks at it briefly. Unopened, he says "is this a Russell?".
I laughed; Yes Steve it's a Russell. He sure knows his knives! :D
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by stockman »

He is Good. Seems to know all knives not just Case.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by danno50 »

Nice knives, Joe and Harold! ::tu:: ::tu:: I like the long pulls on the pen blade, don't often see that.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by FRJ »

Thanks Dan. I agree, the long pull is a nice touch. ::nod::
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by stumpstalker »

knife7knut begins this Thread noting the absence of a dedicated thread on J. Russell knives.

Maybe there is a paradox about the most esteemed knives being the least collected knives; that is, there can be a knife brand with such a transcendent mystique, and so assiduously held, that they are rarely traded. And if traded, it is done “below the RADAR”; probably to another inner-coterie collector.

Bruce Voyles several years ago wrote about some of the highest-ranked knives for collectors in the early years of organized collecting slipping down the list in later years. J. Russell was one of the brands. This he attributed to the progressive unavailability of what once were the most-collected. To use a term from the world of investing, those knives tended to be held in “strong hands”; that is, transitory market vicissitudes did not readily shake the confidence of the investor who held the asset.

I have long had an interest in acquiring J. Russell folders in the patterns I collect, but do not have a single one. They never seem to be offered to me. The last time I examined one, the dealer warned me that the knife “might not be right”. That could be another problem that puts a crimp on collecting some most highly-regarded knives: they are often counterfeited.

I do own a J. Russell chef’s knife, which has that especial pre-World W I feel, that “finesse”, an attribute not shared by the later Sabattier-style knives -- cook’s knives that couldn’t decide if they really wanted to be cleavers.

So, I postulate that J. Russell knives may been hovering too far up in the knife collecting firmament to have had it's own dedicated thread.
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FRJ
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by FRJ »

Held in "Strong Hands" indeed, until not held.
The vicissitudes of personal ownership have swung my way, much to my delight and for the mere pittance of $50. :mrgreen:

I agree with you, stumpstalker. Russell knives are not circulated often and I wonder how many still exist.

It would be nice to see your Russell chef knife in "In the Kitchen".
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by stumpstalker »

FRJ:

One of these days I will get some new-fangled electronic equipment, i.e., a ‘phone, and provide an illustration of that J. Russell chef’s knife. I confess I have been an egregious free-rider on this Forum, having illustrated only three knives, thus far; and those solely due to my having corralled a visiting family member to use his.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by Corso »

stockman wrote: Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:07 am I think I have the same knife. Not as clean as yours.

Harold
Cracking knife - Not a name I've seen over here but certainly one I'll be looking out for from now on
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by stockman »

Corso wrote: Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:00 pm
stockman wrote: Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:07 am I think I have the same knife. Not as clean as yours.

Harold
Cracking knife - Not a name I've seen over here but certainly one I'll be looking out for from now on
Good luck, hope you find a nice old Russell.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by just bob »

I bought this small Russell stag several years ago and have been looking for a blade since then. When I first got it I thought the blade from a Barlow would work but they are way too big. This is about the size of a Case 63 pattern. These early stags don't come up often and I thought others would enjoy.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by JohnR »

Added this Russell Barlow to the collection, still has full blade with factory grind marks present.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by Doc B »

That's a sweet one, John!!! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by danno50 »

Nice one, John! ::tu:: Don't often see blades so close to full on an old Russell.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by Corso »

That's a lovely example
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by JohnR »

Corso, Dan, Doc, thanks for the comments.

Picked up a Russell thistle top hunter, made roughly 1900 to 1930, nice diamond checkered ebony handle and a fitted sheath.
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FRJ
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by FRJ »

John, your Barlow is beautiful but that thistle top is extraordinary.
The checkering still looks sharp. Two fine knives. Congratulations ...... again.

And great photos, by the way.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by JohnR »

FRJ wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:26 pm John, your Barlow is beautiful but that thistle top is extraordinary.
The checkering still looks sharp. Two fine knives. Congratulations ...... again.

And great photos, by the way.

Joe, thank you for the kind comments. The thistle top is in pretty good shape for it's age but it does have a pin crack and chip on other side. The diamond checkering is still sharp.
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Re: The John Russell Co. Green River Works......

Post by TripleF »

Picked this up a couple weeks ago....
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