Need help has this pearl been replaced?

[Dgood187]

It’s a vintage Remington center swell but I just don’t see this being original

[Mumbleypeg]

It’s not possible to tell whether pearl has been replaced from a partial picture of the knife like that. Pearl is pearl for the most part so difficult to impossible to tell the age. Sometimes you can tell it’s old from its having chipping along the edges, flaking or other telltale signs from use but a knife that has been carefully preserved can be very old and not show those signs. Another possible “tell” is the workmanship of the pins if they are visible.

With clear in-focus pictures of the entire knife it MIGHT be possible to see some clues as to age. Then again it might not. Maybe someone smarter than me knows a way to tell.

Ken

[peanut740]

If it's an old Remington, it should have scale pins.Old pearl will de-laminate sometimes like that,if that is your question.

[Dgood187]

Here are a few more pictures I’m sorry

[Dgood187]

I think it’s an R7234

[peanut740]

Looks original.

[Dinadan]

If I interpret the question correctly, the question is whether part of the handle has been replaced. There are two distinctly different patterns in the same handle with what looks like a crack separating them. But I do not think there has been a replacement. Every piece of MOP is unique, and I think this one is just more unique than most.

[ea42]

I've seen that quite often in pearl, it's just an overlapping layer. Not all pearl is perfectly smooth as the shell is built up in layers over time. My question is why isn't there a center pin in the knife? Was the knife skeleton construction, with the pearl added after assembly? That would seem pretty odd for a tip bolstered knife.

Eric

[btrwtr]

Knife handles do appear to be original. I have heard this type of fracture referred to as delamination. I am not sure that term is correctly applied in this case but delamination is a layered fracture of a material. Rather than a crack that results from impact that goes through the material I believe these MOP fractures can occur with time and stress on a natural flaw or fault in the pearl and appear like this in a layered fashion.
.

[knife7knut]

Knife handles do appear to be original. I have heard this type of fracture referred to as delamination. I am not sure that term is correctly applied in this case but delamination is a layered fracture of a material. Rather than a crack that results from impact that goes through the material I believe these MOP fractures can occur with time and stress on a natural flaw or fault in the pearl and appear like this in a layered fashion.
.Definitely a de-lamination and not uncommon on larger pieces of pearl.Not usually a problem unless it gets dropped.Nice little knife!

[kootenay joe]

I have heard these imperfections in pearl called "inclusions".
I do not think the pearl is delaminating. I think this is how the oyster made this piece of pearl.
The no spring pivot pin is a separate issue and rather puzzling to me.
kj

[Mumbleypeg]

There is a Remington R7234 on eBay now. It doesn’t have any visible center pin either if that’s of any help. Apparently making the knife like that wasn’t a problem for the cutlers at Remington. https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-FOLDIN ... SwzjxeI3zS

Ken

[btrwtr]

There are a number of older knives from different manufacturers that were assembled with no exposed center pin. The center pin is a natural point of stress created from the tension of the spring. I am sure that part of the reasoning for this type of assembly is to eliminate stress cracks at the center pin.