Eye Brand Office Knife

[keithw]

I thought I would share my latest treasure.
I've been keeping an "eye" out for a nice office knife, and just received this one.
Other than a little blade rub, its in great shape.

[justold52]

WOW gr8 one to have.

In fact if you find one more I will take the one you do not want.

If it is as good as this one.

Ken

[Edgewise]

Am I mistaken or is that a sleeve board pattern?
This looks like everything I like in a pocket knife except the celluloid.
Were they also made in other handle materials? And when was the pattern in production?
Actually I can't seem to find much on German Eye traditional spear point type equal end penknives.

[Paladin]

It is a sleeveboard. There were a variety of handle colors and it ain't celluloid. I'm thinking that most dated from the 1960s or 1970s but it would just depend on the tang stamp.

Ray

[Edgewise]

Thanks Paladin. What about this one, celluloid or not? It looks like the same sleeveboard pattern too. ( )

[Paladin]

Same frame and not cel.

[Edgewise]

Same frame and not cel.

Thanks Pal. You just made my day.

[EyeBJoe]

Keith, I would like to Thank You for posting the picture of the Eye Brand Office knife and asking the questions about it. Paladin has answered the questions perfectly, right on target. As just a bit of additional info. the Office Knife was listed as a model 240Y in some of the older catalogs. Your post and Ray's replies stirred me to go out into my safe and retrieve a knife roll that had some of the other color variations of the model 240 that were in my collection. They are posted below, including Aqua, Red, Black and Dark Green.

Now for the Thank You. When I opened the knife roll, the first thing that jumped out at me was a nice old model EY 4 3/4" Stockman in yellow composition handles that had off-gassed in a terrible state. This was signigicant to me from serveral perspectives besides losing a great old knife.
Several of us have experienced the off-gassing effects of celluloid handled Eye Brands, particularly the cracked ice versions of various models. I have numerous Eye Brands in the yellow composition handles and have never before seen a completely off-gassed example. I have seen some minor shrinkage but not off-gassing. The only good news to this was that none of the other nearby knives were affected. I'm going to have to rethink how the yellow handled knives are now stored, probably out of the knife rolls and into large cigar boxes or humidors. Hope no one else has experienced this in the yellow handle Eye Brand and Carl Schlieper knives.

Thanks again,

Joe D.

Model 240 Assortment

Eye Brand EY Off-Gassing

[Edgewise]

EyeBJoe, does your stockman that outgassed have celluloid handles or do the non-celluloid composition (acrylic?) handles also outgas?
I also lost a candystripe big Boker stockman to celluloid outgassing. By the time I discovered it the knife was all seized up with rust.
I'm not aware that any other plastic than celluloid also outgasses.

[Paladin]

EyeBJoe, does your stockman that outgassed have celluloid handles or do the non-celluloid composition (acrylic?) handles also outgas?
I also lost a candystripe big Boker stockman to celluloid outgassing. By the time I discovered it the knife was all seized up with rust.
I'm not aware that any other plastic than celluloid also outgasses.

There are some really good articles here on AAPK and you may need to search them out in order to educate yourself.
Like Joe, I have never encountered one of the yellow handled Schlieper knives outgassing. I have owned quite a few of them over the years. Not sure about the age of Joe's knife but there might be a clue there.
Isn't it fun doing all this, learning all this!

Ray

[Edgewise]

You're right, it's fun . I spent almost the whole day on out-gassing and it seems that it's only celluloid that has the out-gassing problem. So it's best to identify a knife's handle composition before acquiring it, which is what I'm trying to do, and the best way is to ask someone like Paladin.
And good luck if there are differing views on your knife scales or no views at all, because celluloid is sneaky and deceitful like Delilah and Herodias.
Actually Orvet has a trick for identifying celluloid in doubtful cases by rubbing the handle with 4000 grit sandpaper. Celluloid will give off a chemical smell.

[keithw]

Joe,
I'm so glad you caught the damage before it became too extensive!

The only knives I've ever had gassing problems with have been Cracked Ice (Eye Brand, Buck Creek) and Christmas Tree (Buck Creek) celluloid.
I've pretty much given up on buying celluloid-handled knives.
Even though I haven't had but 3 gas on me, it's the constant worry.

I have a Robt. Klaas pen knife with something like cracked ice scales on it, that I'm currently worried about. It has a little darkening at the top of the blade. It's a cool knife, Queen Elizabeth's Coronation -1953 etch on the blade, and I would hate to lose it. I'm afraid that I am going to have to find someone to re-handle it soon.

Thanks,
Keith