Imperial 856DE handle material and worth database # 755

[rknarr3]

"This is an imperial diamond edge 856DE fishing knife that features a 3 3/8"" knife and a 3 1/4"" fish scale
blade with a hook disgorger at the tip and a can opener on the bottom. Along the middle of the knife blade
is etched Diamond Edge 856DE and engraved at the tang on one side is Imperial Prov. R.I. and USA. and on the
other side on separate lines 2284833, P2689400 and 2479855. The chromed diamond area on the knife handle
has the initials DE with an arrow going thru it. Some of the chrome on the knife blade and on the fish scale blade
is also rusty and coming off. Made in Providence, U.S.A."
I have a few questions regarding this knife as follows:
Is the knife handle made of wood?
Does the knife handle have a plastic covering to protect a vinyl or leather which are flaking and peeling off?
What is this knife worth in this condition?
Thank you for assisting me with these questions
Regards,
Robert Knarr

[gsmith7158]

Imperial is famous for she'll handled knives where they use a thin plastic covering glued to a hollow metal she'll for handles.

[orvet]

Greg is correct. The shell handled Imperial knives were born out of the Depression when people still needed a good knife but couldn't pay a lot for them. Imperial used good steel in the blades and everything was held together by rivets inside and a shell handle was attached to the outside by a tab at either end of each handle. If you look at the end of the knife you can see where the tab is bent down around the frame.

Often when you find these all vestiges of the handle cover has disappeared and all you find is a steel handle, as you can see with yours or the handle material has been torn away. Not bad for a knife that sold for a couple dollars even in the 1950s and 1960s.
In the 1930s it probably sold for less than $.50.