Unknown tang stamp on a knife blade

[MaryT1982]

I am trying to find an unknown tang stamp on old knife.

[Mumbleypeg]

Welcome here MaryT. We’re gonna need some clear in-focus pictures of the knife and all markings or stamps on it. See here for how to post pictures viewforum.php?f=98. Scroll down to find instructions appropriate for your device.

Ken

[MaryT1982]

Attached see the unknown tang stamp

[Froe]

That is a really cool tang stamp!
Froe

[doglegg]

Cool stamp

[Mumbleypeg]

Rostrei is German, means the knife has stainless steel blades. I don’t recognize the stamp but my guess is the knife is of European origin, most likely Germany. If you can post a picture of the entire knife there are characteristics common to German-made knives that may be apparent. Some members here collect German knives so they may know more.

Ken

[kootenay joe]

The little elf carrying a large jack knife across his shoulders. I have seen it quite a few times but have forgotten the manufacturer's name. I will have a look around, should be able to find it thanks to chronic insomnia.
kj

[kootenay joe]

Well this is very odd. I have seen this logo before and have owned a knife with this logo but i cannot remember the manufacturer's name associated with it. So i went through every page of Anthony Carter's "German Knife And Sword Makers" "The definitive directory of makers and marks from 1850 to 1945" and looked at every logo he shows and i cannot find this elf carrying a jack knife on his shoulders.
I don't think i missed it but when time permits i will go through all 600 pages again. I am sure it is a German made knife.
kj

[danno50]

Roland, I also went through all 600 pages of Carter's book and did not find this logo. I am also sure I have seen it somewhere before.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Dimitri knows, as he has answered this query before. Unfortunately, he is no longer active on AAPK.

Charlie

[danno50]

I searched "help with tang stamp" and came up with 246 pages of results. I went through them all and only found this thread from Mar 25, 2014.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=40962&p=401961&hili ... mp#p401961

No conclusion was reached and Dimitri did not post in the thread. Below are the pictures from the thread.

edited to add: Just realized that I searched the Knife Related Q&A forum, not General Knife Discussion.

[kootenay joe]

Roland, I also went through all 600 pages of Carter's book and did not find this logo. I am also sure I have seen it somewhere before.

Thanks Dan. Now i don't need to go through every page in Carter's book again. Carter does say that he does not show every logo so this is one of the ones he doesn't show.
I remember coming across a description of this logo in a knife book and the 'man' was called an "elf", but this is all i can recall.
Eventually one of us will come across a reference showing this logo and a company name.
BladeForums has a few very knowledgeable members who live in Germany and are German. If someone here is also a BF member and posted a picture with this logo in the Bernard Levine forum i think you would get the answer.
kj

[danno50]

I am a member of BF and will post the OP pictures to Bernard's forum.
I also noticed that Mason was on here yesterday and gave some information about the razor knife that was in question. Maybe he will see this one, he is very knowledgable about German knives.

[kootenay joe]

If "Germania" is still active in the BRL forum in BF, he will know the company associated with this logo.
kj

[danno50]

According to germania, over on BF, the maker is Carl Jordan Sohn. The usual trademark is a "CJS" monogram. Germania says they were in business from 1898 to 1967. The listing is on page 297 of Carter's book: a specialist pocket knife maker founded in 1888 and owned in 1930 by Carl Jordan the younger. Carter does not mention the elf/gnome/dwarf (germania called it a midget?) with the pocket knife on his shoulder.

[kootenay joe]

Right on Dan !
Thank you for posting this enigma on BF. If Germania says Carl Jordan & Sohn, it is correct even if not shown in Carter's book. Germania is a historian of German cutlery by profession i believe.
I will make a note of this in my copy of Carter's book just in case i forget. Others with Carter's book might want to do the same so that this information does not get lost.
kj

[danno50]

Good idea, Roland. I just added the note to my Carter's as well.

[Timber417]

I would like to find out more about who makes the Elf carrying pocket knife blade stamp. Here are some pictures of a knife I have with the tang stamps. Hopefully, someone know more about this knife than I do. The Pictures show 3 different stamps, Elf Carrying Knife, Henzler & the letter R.

[kootenay joe]

Read the posts just above your post. They contain the name of the manufacturer of your knife.
"R" = rostfrei and "Henzler" is likely a merchant's name.
kj

[Mumbleypeg]

Also fyi your knife may be beginning to outgas. Those green handle pins are signs. If you want to save it, recommend you quickly find someone to replace the handle covers with a more stable material. Time is of the essence. Also in the interim don’t store it with or near any other knives or metal objects.

Ken

[Timber417]

Thanks Ken!

[1967redrider]

Appears to have been a popular German pattern. Here's a Robert Klaas that I've been carrying this week. to AAPK!

John

[kootenay joe]

Nice knife John !
kj

[Knivolf]

I realize this thread is not super current, but wanted to contribute to it in case anyone ever comes across it for future reference.
I am a bit sad that Roland is no longer with us to see it, as I know he was always interested in new information.
This "elf" tang stamp popped up in my collection. The "elf" is stamped on the pile side of the master blade. The mark side tang has what looks to be an older version of the stamp used by C. Bertram / Hen & Rooster. My pictures are not quite as "crystal" as I would like, but the lighting is giving me trouble today. I hope this added bit of information helps someone, or is at least interesting to others out there. Thanks as always. Michael

[wlf]

I realize this thread is not super current, but wanted to contribute to it in case anyone ever comes across it for future reference.
I am a bit sad that Roland is no longer with us to see it, as I know he was always interested in new information.
This "elf" tang stamp popped up in my collection. The "elf" is stamped on the pile side of the master blade. The mark side tang has what looks to be an older version of the stamp used by C. Bertram / Hen & Rooster. My pictures are not quite as "crystal" as I would like, but the lighting is giving me trouble today. I hope this added bit of information helps someone, or is at least interesting to others out there. Thanks as always. Michael

It's fuel to our fire Michael. Thanks, we do miss Roland.