What is this knife?

[Jamescmeade]

Hi guys. First post here.

Just wondered if anyone knew about this pocket knife. Age? History of the company?

It was my wife's granddads. I'd like to sharpen and clean it. Any tips?

[TripleF]

Sorry, can't read what the tang stamp is....

I'd oil it, but not really clean it. Looks pretty clean to me.

[gsmith7158]

An old pruner from Sheffield, England. I can't read the makers mark but if there is no England below the word Sheffield it could possibly date to pre 1890. Very nice stag handles! Use only some light machine oil like 3 in 1 or quick release on the blade to clEan it and oil the joit. No abrasive polish as that could damage the etch.clean the handles with a mild soap and water. Dry thoroughly. Very nice knife!

[btrwtr]

Your knife was made by Samuel Hibbert & Son and dates c.1863 according to Goin's book. I would think the date given by Goin's is a good but narrow estimate. I have seen and owned a number of Hibbert knives and all they appeared to be c. 1900 or earlier and very well made.

I wouldn't worry too much about cleaning and sharpening the knife. Given the amount of understandable wear on this very old pruning knife as long as you don't get to aggressive with cleaning I don't think you will hurt the value. Be gentle with it.

Here is a Hibbert & Son (at center) fixed blade I have.

[orvet]

to AAPK James!
That's an impressive knife for your first post!
Like Wayne said it's an old knife. At some point someone has read and your knife with the nail, that was often done on older knives because they were considered tools not collectible items. No doubt that knife has done a lot of work in its life, maybe it has been THE main knife for two or three men. A well-made knife is often passed from generation to generation.

Awesome first post! Welcome aboard!

[Mumbleypeg]

Welcome to AAPK! Wonderful old knife that has seen a lot of work and carry time. Priceless family heirloom, but it has a lot of life left if you should decide to carry it. Just treat it with the respect it has obviously seen over its long and useful life. It's a knife, not a hammer, not a screwdriver, and not a pry bar!

Ken

[terryl308]

All the above advise is good advise! If it were mine, I'd just lightly oil it up , wipe it down and admire it for years to come. Really nice old 100 year old + stag. Thanks for showing it to us, and welcome to AAPK Terry

[Quick Steel]

Welcome aboard sir.

[buddyie22]

That's a real beaut. Hang on to it. Looks great.

[Jamescmeade]

Wow guys. This is great. You've made my day. My wife's grandad was a great old character and used it daily. I'd like to think it could tell a few stories. I carry it in my pocket and whittle branches with my sons. It really is a good quality thing.

So, what's the best way to sharpen it?

[Jamescmeade]

Your knife was made by Samuel Hibbert & Son and dates c.1863 according to Goin's book. I would think the date given by Goin's is a good but narrow estimate. I have seen and owned a number of Hibbert knives and all they appeared to be c. 1900 or earlier and very well made.

I wouldn't worry too much about cleaning and sharpening the knife. Given the amount of understandable wear on this very old pruning knife as long as you don't get to aggressive with cleaning I don't think you will hurt the value. Be gentle with it.

Here is a Hibbert & Son (at center) fixed blade I have.

Would advise not to sharpen and use it? It's pretty blunt. What's the value of it, do you reckon?

[btrwtr]

Your knife was made by Samuel Hibbert & Son and dates c.1863 according to Goin's book. I would think the date given by Goin's is a good but narrow estimate. I have seen and owned a number of Hibbert knives and all they appeared to be c. 1900 or earlier and very well made.

I wouldn't worry too much about cleaning and sharpening the knife. Given the amount of understandable wear on this very old pruning knife as long as you don't get to aggressive with cleaning I don't think you will hurt the value. Be gentle with it.

Here is a Hibbert & Son (at center) fixed blade I have.

Would advise not to sharpen and use it? It's pretty blunt. What's the value of it, do you reckon?

Sharpen and use it as you see fit. I don't think that would hurt the value. It certainly would be okay to carry every now and then and a great knife for show and tell. If it were mine the value would be greatest as a family keepsake. In collectibles condition is everything and your knife being well used and as Dale said, re-pinned at the blade pivot diminishes the value. My 2 cent opinion would put it in the $50-$75 range to an interested collector.

[kootenay joe]

Your question: "what is the best way to sharpen it" is a good one. The blade edge is a "recurve" in knife lingo and i do not know how to sharpen this blade shape. Most people don't know which is why most of these old knives end up with the edge being nearly straight from improper sharpening.
Hopefully someone here who does have experience sharpening recurves will post some instructions.
kj

[cody6268]

I would recommend putting it away. I struggle with curved blades in terms of sharpening. If it's already sort of sharp, an edge of a square stone does OK>. I just tried to sharpen a totally blunt hawkbill on a three-bladed electrician. It took several minutes, and it's only slightly sharper than blunt. You can buy the Armstrong-branded version of the Kutmaster pruner/hawkbill on Ebay for less than $10. My grandfather's, a 1970s era Klein Tools version of the Kutmaster hawkbill resides proudly with his other old coal mining equipment in a display case.

[terryl308]

It takes a LOT of practice to sharpen a reverse edge knife, I use a "slack belt" sanding belt , but you have to really be careful and I donot recommend it for beginners. You could try a round stone to start with. The problem with power equipment is that the blade can get overheated really easy and you will ruin the temper. Again if it were mine, I'd just hang it up and admire it as is. Nice old stag! Terry

[treefarmer]

Concerning the reverse blade sharpening: I'm sure y'all know what this is. It will sharpen a pruner blade/hawk bill blade with no trouble. Using both course and fine rods and both angle settings it works well for me.

Treefarmer