Elephant Ivory Handles

[bighomer]

WOW fellers to the 10th power. That's all I've got.

[WillyCamaro]

Same here as Big H, very drool worthy knives being shown .

[kootenay joe]

I was going through my old ivory knives and found these 3 similar multi-blade knives. Like most vintage knives with ivory handles there are handle cracks and pieces missing. These knives were well used ! But i still find them interesting and they hark back to a time very different from now.
Tang markings are hard to make out, but from top down: "Thompson & Nassam" ?; "Rodgers Cutlers To Her Majesty"; "Drew & Sons/Circus"
kj

[kootenay joe]

And one final picture to show relative size, 3 3/8" Horseman's knife is included.
kj

[kootenay joe]

Here is a very nice ivory "Bottle Opener Knife", sleeveboard, 3 5/8" marked: "Venture/Slater/Brothers" on front tang and "Sheffield/England" on back tang.
Blades are not stainless and liners are not brass and not magnetic so therefore are nickle-silver ? Strong spring. Corkscrew has a groove as though 2 pieces of steel have been twisted together. Steel pick & tweezers.
I think this was made from about 1900- ~1935. British cutlery manufacturers switched to stainless steel for the more 'Gent's style pocket knives beginning about 1920. Hence i think this knife was made before WW II.
Please post if you can add any further info.
kj

[Doc B]

Very neat line-up of knives, KJ!!!

[1967redrider]

Great looking knives!

[kootenay joe]

Thanks. The Slater Brothers knife was a recent ebay 'win' for rather little money despite a 7 day listing. I think it is a fine knife so i was surprised that it got little attention. Are fewer people now collecting vintage ivory handled knives ?
kj

[Quick Steel]

A very interesting and impressive collection kj.

[Ivoryman]

[kootenay joe]

Ivoryman, i had what looks to be the same Wostenholm knife and i have seen 2 or 3 others on ebay some years ago. My impression is that it is not a very old Wostenholm, but likely from circa 1930's. Do you think this is about right ? It could even be more recent like 1950's.
kj

[doglegg]

thumbnail_20200703_101719.jpgthumbnail_20200703_101652.jpg

The sweet look of ivory to the eyes and even sweeter to the touch.

[woodwalker]

Here is my Waterville.

[Quick Steel]

Lovely ivory woodwalker and Iman.

[woodwalker]

Lovely ivory woodwalker and Iman.

Thank u QS!

[galvanic1882]

My latest ivory handled pick up. H & JW King Superior

[peanut740]

Mike,nice old ivory!

[LongBlade]

Sweet looking knives WW and Mike ...

[woodwalker]

My latest ivory handled pick up. H & JW King Superior

Very nice.

[woodwalker]

Sweet looking knives WW and Mike ...

Thank you Lee!

[galvanic1882]

Thanks Guys!!

[kootenay joe]

Mike is the "H & J W King" 'invoice' for this knife ?
Is the knife marked "Sheffield" ?
I know that H & J W King promoted themselves as importers of English Cutlery but they might have imported from Germany as well.
To me the knife has a 'Germany' look to it.
I have (or had ?) similar looking knives with handles that i could not tell if ivory or bone. There were no Haversian canal dots and no 'grain' as seen with ivory

[galvanic1882]

Mike is the "H & J W King" 'invoice' for this knife ?
Is the knife marked "Sheffield" ?
I know that H & J W King promoted themselves as importers of English Cutlery but they might have imported from Germany as well.
To me the knife has a 'Germany' look to it.
I have (or had ?) similar looking knives with handles that i could not tell if ivory or bone. There were no Haversian canal dots and no 'grain' as seen with ivory

'

Not sure what you mean if the invoice was for this knife? But if you mean, was this knife on the invoice I show, no it's not. I have 4 invoices plus the catalog and nowhere does it state that they import form Germany. Also the handles are definitely ivory.

Mike

[kootenay joe]

Thanks Mike. That is what i was asking, if this knife is on the 'invoice' (paperwork) you show. Sometimes the original hand written 'paper work' gets saved along with the knife and then becomes as significant as the knife after 100 or more years.
I will see if i can find the knife i have that is very similar, but it might have been sold in a bunch that sent off months ago.
kj

[kootenay joe]

Here is a well made old 3 3/4" sleeveboard whittler with ivory handles. All tangs marked "Hepworth/Pilley & Co." and there is a logo of a violin on back of master tang. Secondaries have half stops. There is no divider between the springs and they do not appear to taper. Snaps are crisp & no play, very good for such an old 'fellow'.
The only reference i can find to Hepworth Pilley & Co. is here: https://hawleysheffieldknives.com/n-ful ... =p&kel=954
This business was listed on Market street, Sheffield in 1879 and had a workforce of 11 men and 1 woman. They manufactured knives. Business dissolved in 1882.
It is a very nice knife, a pleasure to own.
kj