Help identifying a knife

[rv6boxer]

Greetings knife enthusiasts. I inherited a pocket knife from my grandfather, who would have been born around the turn of the 20th century.
The knife appears old and "very well used". The identification plate imbedded in the scale has been worn completely smooth. I'm hoping the shape of the plate will provide a clue. The only identification on the blades is "U.S.A" on the long blade and "3" on the short blade. No other marks can be found.

I'd like to have the knife cleaned up by a professional or highly skilled amateur. (Scales are loose) Any recommendations would be appreciated. (I live in TX but I'm open to shipping anywhere within the lower 48)

Thanks for any help or recommendations, it'll be nice knowing more about my grandfather's EDC.

[1967redrider]

Looks like a USA made Colonial in pretty decent shape. to AAPK!

[Mumbleypeg]

Agree, looks like Colonial. It’s great to have a knife that belonged to your grandfather.

The knife appears to be what is called shell handle construction, which is an inexpensive way to make a pocket knife and typically found on lower end knives. You’ll need to find someone who knows how to repair it as it’s not a conventional construction with pins/rivets used to attach the covers.

Welcome to AAPK.

Ken

[OLDE CUTLER]

The pictures are really poor, so hard to tell exactly. Pictures need to be well lit, no shadows, with the camera directly above the knife and NOT at an angle. Some cell phones will take good knife pics, most will not. Also providing a close up of the tang stamp will help enormously. If it is a shell handle knife, then as mentioned those are at the low end of the price range and generally not considered worth spending money on repairs or restoration. Most people myself included would clean it somewhat, and call it good. That would be the condition that your grandfather would have used it in for the majority of its life. Information on cleaning it up yourself can be found on AAPK under the repair and restoration thread.

[rv6boxer]

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it, and the warm welcome!

[Reverand]

Welcome to AAPK!
Those old Colonials are good knives. The handles were cheaply made, but the company put most of their efforts into making good blade steels. I had one similar to your Grandfather's knife, and it felt really good in the pocket, and kept a wickedly sharp edge.
My daughter claimed it, and I now miss that old knife!

[rv6boxer]

Thanks Reverend!

To my surprise, the edge felt quite sharp. I appreciate your input. I don't really care about the value. It was grandpa's. NOT for sale.