This forum is dedicated to the discussion and display of old knives. The rich history of all the many companies that made them through the early years will be found here as well as many fine examples of the cutlers art. Share pictures of your old knives and your knowledge here!
I reckon in the later years they did special order Vanity Knives as this one seems to indicate. When I obtained from possibly the fourth owner he said his Pop found under foundation of a building in 40's.
moss
Hi Charlie:
Any particular reason. Close to 70 years ago, so political correctness was not the in thing. Not being Catholic I can think of no religious reason that he would not do such.
moss.
I recall that when I was a boy in school, we were taught that, "X-mas" was a bonafide contraction for, "Christmas".
I have no particular objection to that, though I wouldn't send out cards in December worded that way, but that's my particularity.
I just found it curious that a minister would have done so. Handing out the knives would have been an excellent opportunity to proclaim the name of Christ.
Makes one wonder if he actually ordered them that way, or if the salesman/factory made the contraction instead.
Charlie Noyes
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
[quote="RobesonsRme.com"]Does anyone know if there was a special technique used in putting the pictures under the celluloid? Was it a simple sandwiching or was it more involved?
Charlie, I looked at the razor carefully. All that was done was a paper picture of whatever subject, was adhered to the clear celluloid. On my razor the picture is pulling away on the edges. Nothing complicated or high tech about this process.
Could it be duplicated today using a clear, but more stable material, and vintage photos downloaded from the internet?
IMO, yes it could easily be reproduced today using a clear plastic material.
(I suspect those lovely lady type photos are out there somewhere, although that's not what I'd put on the knife if I were keeping it.
SUUUURE you wouldn`t put those pics on a knife you were keeping!!
I've searched several knife maker's supply sites for clear celluloid or today's version of it. No dice.
However, I've found it on a guitar site for the purpose of making pick guards. It comes in a 10 x 12 inch sheet with an adhesive backing. They don't say how thick it is, though. Cost is sixteen dollars.
Anybody (musicians?) have an idea as to whether that pick guard material might be thick enough to make knife handles for the handleless Novelty jack shown above?
Charlie Noyes
DE OPPRESSO LIBER
"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "
I don`t think you are going to find clear celluloid thick enough for your knife. I don`t play the guitar but I do know the pick is not the right thickness.
My advice, use clear plexi-glass, it can be found at any hardware store or big box home center in various thickness. If you have to sand it down to the proper thickness, it can then be polished back to a clear glass like surface. Nothing to it really.
If you have a photo of the original pictures that came with your knife you can restore it to "original like" condition.
Just a thought, why not build a mold a bit larger than the handle size needed and pour it full of Gel coat(used as final coat for applying fiberglass). Pretty tough stuff when cured.
moss
PS: MILLER BRO`S: While looking through an old knife book I came upon some photos of some circa 1910 Miller pocket cutlery. if interested drop me a PM.
moss
Here is a 3" Split Spring Swell Center Whittler by Novelty Cut Co. One scale I removed because it was well on it's way to being gassed out. Can't really tell who the picture is of but the object on the right seems to be a scale of some sort. Main Blade and one of the pen blades stamped NC Co Canton O and the other pen stamped Vignos Canton O. Recent purchase off Ebay.
http://acrylic-rods.net/
I would think one could use clear acrylic as it can be machined and polished, if you could figure out how to get the picture to stay under it. These rods are used to make high end duck/ goose calls, among other things.
Here is a 3 5/8 swell ctr whittler-master is stamped Nov Co USA Canton, OH--secondary blades are stamped N.C Co Canton, OH--All blades have long pulls--thx Mark
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I Buy/Sell/Trade All Vintage Antique Pocket knives from Junkers to Mint. I am Easy going, so Please shoot me a message ANYTIME!!! l Live & Breath KNIVES Everyday.
"A forum to discuss those companies that once produced so many of our favorite patterns. From Autos to Bullets to Novelty knives." I'm going to take this literally and start a thread for the Novelty Knife Company of Canton OH. I know there is an old thread in General Discussion for Novetly (sic) Knife but I'm convinced that there are a bunch of real Novelty Knife Company knives out there that should be brought out of hiding.
Here is some history from my copies of The Standard Knife Collector's Guide, Stewart & Ritchie, Official Price Guide to Collector Knives, Houston Price, and Levine's Guide to Knives and their Values, Bernard Levine: "This firm was started in 1879 by Augustus Vignos, a Civil War veteran and former postmaster of Canton, who had lost an arm during the war." Meanwhile, two local inventors, Henry and Rubin Landis, had come up with a technique to make transparent handled knives. Canton quickly became the worldwide center for such knives as these as the Landises licensed their invention to Novelty Knife and another firm, Canton Cutlery. Later, Aerial Cutlery of Duluth MN got into the business, and the three companies duked it out until the mid 1940s, when the market for this kind of knife faded away.
One interesting thing about Novelty was that sales were conducted by a huge network of local agents who took orders and funneled them back to Canton. Purchasers could actually provide their own pictures which would be custom reduced, printed and made into the knife handle. Evidently this was a great success, and considered very "high-tech" for the era. The founder Augustus Vignos ran the company until his death in 1925, when his son took over and continued until the company closed in 1944. I am guessing that my knife is from late in the day, probably from a series of "American President" knives. The photographs imbedded in the handle of Roosevelt and Fairbanks are highly detailed and clear, and the clear handle material has an interesting three dimensional appearance. The knife is relatively well built, tight and with good snap. My knife set me back a big $1.99 plus $2.50 shipping, and I think someone could develop a fine collection of these knives for not much money. All in all, the Novelty knives are a great field of Americana from the "good old days." Any more out there?
Thanks, M.B, that's a great old thread. Maybe some more original knives have turned up in AAPK hands, I'd like to see the old thread revived.
Re my knife - thanks for the info on it as well. I had heard about the repros but thought they were all made in Japan. Since mine is U.S. made I thought it might be an original. Oh well, I didn't have any Ideal knives either, so I still got a new manufacturer.
Here is another one of their/his straight razors, image shown on one of the previous pages. Same tang stamp shown same as on other razor also. I have a pocket knife on here someplace.......I will upload another if I donot find it.
And I may have another pocket knife also.......I am just not sure about it.
That be an early tang stamp Bonehead.
9ball
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My Oath as an American Army Soldier did not come with an expiration date.
Old Razor, and with the original box 
