All About Pocket Knives

Thanks, Gino!

I like the knife whether or not it ends up being a Tidioute. It is different. I think I will refer to it as my "Stars & Bars" knife.

Sorry, it is not Tidioute, but it is England. Old knife. If it was Tidioute it would be stamped as such. But that's not the real teller, If you read this knife and know about Penn in Tidioute, it clearly isn't from that era. NICE knife by the way and hard to find. I only own one

Thanks! I had serious doubts about it being a Tidioute, but it was inexpensive & pretty enough, that I would have bought it in any case. The abalone inlays are just very cool.

David,

I am going to look up the pictures I have of a Baldwin stamped knife to post. I believe it to be a counterfeit, but hopefully you will give me an opinion.

David,

Do you have a picture of a Penn Cutlery Co, Tidioute that you can show me?

Just enterloping here. Great thread.

Anyone have any info on H. A. Dreere, Phil'a tang stamp.

Charlie Noyes

Price and Zalesky lists H.A. Dreer: Philidelphia, PA c.1900-1910 and gives it one star for collectibility

Goins: H.A. Dreere - Philidelphia - g. 1900-1910 A standing bear is stamped on the back of the tang. A trademark used by Hessenbruch

The Bear with a stick stands for "I BEAR INSPECTION" remember that one folks!



Here is a Tidioute PENN CUTLERY and then an English PENN CUTLERY.

It is easy to see the differences in manufacturing once you can compare. Notice the tang stamps, but always look at them last.

Click on the pics to enlarge for a detailed look ENJOY

Really like the PENN USA. What's the handle material?

very similar to the Remington "PYRMITE" material

Thank you for showing the differences.

Here are a couple of knives that I recently got.

My first Wolfertz





Pennsylvania Knife Co.
Master blade is kinda sad, but I like the shape of the knife.

Nice ones KG888. There's just something about ebony handles, or ebony anything for that matter.

Nice catch knifegirl. The second one looks like a handfull.

Does anyone have any info on Penn Knife Co.? I assume it's made in Pennsylvania?

Here I go with the books again.

Price and Zalesky lists Penn. Cutlery Co. Tidioute, Pa. c. 1914-1921 and Pennsylvania Knife Co., same info as Penn. Cutlery. Gives them both 2 out of 4 stars for collectibility.

Here's what Goins says: "Pennsylvania Knife Co. c. 1910-1920. A crown with an arrow through it is stamped on the back of the tangs. and is etched on master blade. A contract knife made by either Tidioute Cutlery Company or Hollingsworth Knife Company for the Supplee Hardware Company of Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. (The crown/arrow logo 1879-1928, was a trademark of Lloyd, Supplee & Walton - 1879-1905, and 1905-1928 the Supplee Hardware Company).

Thanks TJ. I don't think this one's that old. It looks like 40's or 50's maybe to me?

Does it have any of the tang stamps that Goins talks about? Iron/steel bolsters, pins and liners?

edgy46 wrote:Nice catch knifegirl. The second one looks like a handfull.

Thanks! It is!

TJ primary tang stamped USA, that's it. Brass liners and pins, maybe stainless bolsters. Some kind of cheap shrinking composite for the scales. This knife needs some jigged bone scales installed.

If you can provide me a pic of the tang stamp I am sure I can help you. At first look I beleive what you have is a knife from the Bill Atkins era of Tidioute made knives, but I need the pics of any and all tang stamps. Then a clearer pic of the overall knife would help too. If it was indeed the early Penn Knife Co. it woud have hammered pins as they were made late 1800's in Germany and some later made in Tidioute. but would be stamped Tidoute if made there.

I am sure that is clear as mud. NEED pics (clearer pic of the blade etching as well) I suspect it isn't a PENN knife at all.


TJ, here is GREAT example of where "The Book" is incorrect. I have factual docuementation that shows the Pennsylvania Knife Company from pre 1900's. I have actual catalog pages of that company.

David,

That's great information. I am still somewhat confused by the whole Penn Knife Co situation.

The second Old Penn Cutlery knife you had pictured in this thread, I noticed was in your book & I assumed it was a Tidioute knife. But it seems the little ivory one isn't from what I understood from your thread post?

I don't think the country of original is marked on that knife & it isn't on my little horn one either.

The stamping on the ivory & on my horn handled one seems to be very similar. It looks like the word "Penn" is arched just a tiny bit. The one I have though, doesn't have the word "Company" written out.

I apologize that I am so confused.... I am still trying to learn.

Thanks!

The ivory PENN knife is NOT Tidioute, it is English. Look at the lettering on the stamp. But first look at the entire knife. Long bolsters on an old knife are indicative of European knives. The nickle silver was cheaper than the handle material therefore made up more of the knife.


The County of origin on a knife means it was made after the Tariff laws of the late 1800's, but conversely the lack of DOESN'T mean it was made prior. Many companies for various reasons chose to ignore the laws. If does give means to investigate further the date of manufacturing but doesn't hold true as the presence of the county of origin does.

Now comes Penn Cutlery owned by Vern Atkins of Tidioute. He bought the remains of Baldwin in Tidioute. His son Bill used the name on remanufactured knives into the early 1970's. Some had Tidioute on them, some did not, But all similar stamps of the Penn Cutlery Name.

The later ones are easily to uncover once you learn the difference in construction of them since the earlier ones were of better quality and consistency.

This means one needs to as Bernard says "read the knife, not the tang" Hope this clears it up a little.

As for Pennsylvania Knife Co. this was a name used by a hardware house in Philly for a BRAND of pocket knife they sold. Made by various manufacturers. The early ones were German and we know that some were made by Tidioute Cutlery. The first company in 1898.


Read my article on Tariffs in Knife World and it is clearer.

PA Knives wrote:As for Pennsylvania Knife Co. this was a name used by a hardware house in Philly for a BRAND of pocket knife they sold. Made by various manufacturers. The early ones were German and we know that some were made by Tidioute Cutlery. The first company in 1898.


Read my article on Tariffs in Knife World and it is clearer.

So then, the information from P&Z and Goins is correct?

Here is one I just found.

It is marked "Tidioute" on all 3 blades, the 4th blade is an old replacement

It is 4 1/8" long closed, a pretty big knife, green celluloid handles.

David, what can you tell me about this one?