All About Pocket Knives

Thanks Lloyd, Ike and Dan for the kind comments ...

Don't be disappointed Ike - maybe Joe will do some back flips anyway - there had to have only been 63 at some time in history ...

Here's a group photo of some of my Thomaston knives -

Beautiful knives, every one, beautiful knives.
Great write up Lee.
Ya' know I was going to do a back flip but I do have a heart problem ........... I don't have the heart to do a back flip.

Here's a dressed up Waterville.

"Dressed up" is an understatement, that thing looks mint, Joe.

Thank you, Ike.
There is some blade loss on the main spear but it was sharpened reasonably well.

ObsidianEdge wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:15 pm Dan, it doesn't have anything in there for that. Looks like it's hitting on the very back of the blade. Still very snappy in its old age.

I just read through the Knife World article that Lee had referenced. There is a photo of a Connecticut Cutlery knife identical to yours, with the exception of a nail nick rather than a long pull. The caption say that there is a stop-pin, through the bolster, to keep the blade edge from hitting the back spring. The extra pin is very visible in the photo. Perhaps yours was an earlier version, before they added the stop-pin?

Great group of Thomaston knives, Lee! Appear to be fairly full blades on all of them. Is that a celluloid shield on the one on the far left?

Beautiful dressed up Waterville, Joe!

Great knives guy's. Here's an early one 2 7/8" closed. Stamped Waterville Manufg Co Waterbury. Ivory handles with pinched bolsters.

A very handsome and smart little knife, Barry.

Is it stamped "Waterbury" in the last line on the coping blade?

Joe, Yes Waterbury on the last line on both blades.

danno50 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:44 pm Beautiful stabber jack, Mike! With no kick, is there a stopper, or block, on the back spring to contact the tang and keep the edge from hitting the back spring when closing?

It's very interesting to see this. I have a American Shear & Knife with this design. I don't think my blade is hitting the spring.
I assume the tang, at the closed position, is pressured by the spring to keep it above the spring. But that's kind of sketchy.
I thought there would be a block or a stop of some kind, but I see nothing.
I have seen others, like my hunter, on Ebay with this design.

Nice Waterville and Am Shear Joe - and lovely Waterville Barry ....

Thanks Joe, Dan and Barry ...

danno50 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:34 am

ObsidianEdge wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:15 pm Dan, it doesn't have anything in there for that. Looks like it's hitting on the very back of the blade. Still very snappy in its old age.

I just read through the Knife World article that Lee had referenced. There is a photo of a Connecticut Cutlery knife identical to yours, with the exception of a nail nick rather than a long pull. The caption say that there is a stop-pin, through the bolster, to keep the blade edge from hitting the back spring. The extra pin is very visible in the photo. Perhaps yours was an earlier version, before they added the stop-pin?

Great group of Thomaston knives, Lee! Appear to be fairly full blades on all of them. Is that a celluloid shield on the one on the far left?

Beautiful dressed up Waterville, Joe!

Dan - Yes very full blades on all... and yes that is a Waterfall Celluloid shield - quite unusual and actually pile side stamp has "Patent Applied For" - The patent was filed in 1922 and the inventor was Charles W Platts (son of Charles) who returned to the area after going off with his father and brothers to start a few other cutleries in NY, PA and eventually CO... The patent was granted in 1924... anyway the main claims in the patent were a celluloid shield that is easier to engrave and doesn't tarnish (see below for patent) ... if he only knew the fate of celluloid he may have not written the patent (though this one is stable at the moment) ... A few other pics of this knife with patent... another lucky find 5 years ago...

Here is a Northfield.

And a Thomaston.

And a Empire.

Great knives Lee and Joe! I really enjoy this thread. Thanks for the show. Keep them coming.
Jay

Here's another Waterville with "Waterbury" on the last line as in Barry's knife. Waterville is a section of Waterbury, Ct.
Notice the long pull on each side of the main sheepsfoot.

Thanks for looking.

Here is another one I found in my accumulation.

That's a really nice erasure, Ray.
Good show!

Superb little Waterville congress, Barry!
Nice ebony hunter, Joe! I don't recall previously seeing a hunter without a kick. It is visually appealing, however, without a stop pin or block of some kind, it seems to me it would be quite difficult to make it so the edge did not contact the back spring, especially on a knife with hard snap. I will now quit and let this one go as a mystery.
Lee, thanks for the additional information on the celluloid shield.
More beauties, Joe! I really like the tip bolstered Empire! The Waterville congress whittler is an elegant knife, love the long pulls through the tang!
Great eraser, Ray!

FRJ wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:10 am Here's another Waterville with "Waterbury" on the last line as in Barry's knife. Waterville is a section of Waterbury, Ct.
Notice the long pull on each side of the main sheepsfoot.

Thanks for looking.

I'm usually not a fan of the "congress" pattern shape, but this is a neat little knife.

Thank you, Dan. It is a mystery.

Thank you, David.

Now I see why its much tougher to find the nicer samples of Connecticut knives... they'll all being posted here!

Lee... Thank you for the historical overview. Have you visited the museum. Much of their exhibit is dedicated to the edge tools made by Collins including a handful of larger fixed blade knives & civil war era swords... in fact one staff member opined that mine might have been modified from one of their swords. It is definitely worth a visit when in the area including the antique shop next door once they're open again. Gratitude for the reading references, altho I don't have readily accessibility to any of them at the moment.

Going back to the Northfield hawkbill in the OP. After doing some more research on integrated bolster/liners, I learned it is mostly a pre-civil war knife construction technique mostly used on English knives, but not so much by American manufactures. I double checked & the hawkbill's bolster are definitely integrated. Since Northfield started up in 1858, how long would they have made knives in this manner?

This Waterville is typical of the caliber of the condition I have been able to obtain...

That's a beautiful little pattern, Ken.
Sure, you would like to have more steel left on it but it's a nice little knife.
About the same condition of many of mine. They sure are fun to pack.

Like Joe said, great pattern! I don't recall seeing that pattern frame as a jack before?

Here are a few more Connecticut knives.The first one is an Aaron Burkinshaw knife.Technically he was located in Pepperell Mass. but started in Connecticut so I decided to throw that one in.
#2 Challenge Cutlery Co.
#3 Excelsior Knife Co.
#4&5 Geo. Schrade knives.
#6&7 Humason & Beckley knives.
#8 Holley cigar jack
#9 & 10 Jewelry Cutlery & Novelty Co. knives;one is a pull ball made by Schrade.

A few more.
#1 An L.F.&C. boy's knife.
#2 An L.F.&C.Official Boy Scout knife.
#3 An L.F.&C. "rotary" knife.
#4 A Miller Bros.fob knife with alternating pieces of gold & silver handle and an M.I.T. logo.
#5 & 6 Southington Cutlery quill knives.
#7 A Winchester sleeveboard jack.