Now we have a Colonial thread,Show'em

[singin46]

Hey same to you and yours Bobby!

[Joe Dirt]

Alright here's a new one...
Who all thinks Bobby was just goofin off at the workbench when this was made???

A 4" Ranger jack/scissors knife!

"Lucy - you got some splainin to do!"

... Joe

[Cutty]

Looks like a handy idea, especially as a fishing knife. Braided line and all.

I like it Joe

[Joe Dirt]

Thanks cutty! It would be a good one for fishing!
Looks like the scissors are stainless too.

... Joe

[PigSticker]

That's a nice one don't think I've seen one of those---------

[mickeyevans]

here is another one of Bobbie's great uncles off shoot Co

[Bonfire bob]

Yup!
Providence Cutlery, Fred's brothers formed this co. in 1917!! By 1920, they moved on but
Prov. Cutlery was a great start for making skeleton's, very similar to the one's I give free with my book!
Nice job Mickey!!
Bob P. CFE....

[mickeyevans]

thanks Bob, could you explain and describe a 'skeleton's' for me?
how old so you think my knife is?

[Bonfire bob]

Sure thing my friend....
I date your knife between 1917 and 1920.

The term "skeleton" was a knife that was assembled with blades, springs and liners...
For the most part, fully assembled BUT without handles or bolster's....
These were also called "shell knives" because the final stage of assembly could be applied in a multitude of ways...a shell meant it was attached with a handle or cover after the full assembly. This shell so to speak sometimes meant a handle and hollow bolster that was incorporated with the skeleton by crimping the handle and bolster combination at the very tip of the bolster......I'll have my buddy at Royal Pines Cutlery, Joe K. show us some of the examples of a "shell" knife..(thanks Joe)...

Your knife is NOT a shell knife and this fact alone says it is very old; 1917 at least.
Your knife has solid NS bolster's and assemble pins, the way pocket knives were made for hundreds of years before the concept of shell knives was designed!!
Even though your knife has plastic handles, it is a classic because of the slant cut NS bolster's and solid NS pin assembly....I have seen very few of these in my life and I doubt that these were ever mass produced, which also adds value in my opinion..

To the serious collector, I think it's probably worth anywhere from $ 40. to $ 60.00....
In mint condition, (extremely rare), it could fetch up to $ 100.00.!!
Once again, and I don't do this often, I would make you an offer for this old beauty if the funds were available....

Mickey you must understand, since almost no records were kept and can't be found anywhere, I seem to be the only guy with at least the rock solid dates of companies, dates, and pocket knife knowledge when it comes to ANYTHING made by the Paolantonio's once they reached America and started work in the cutlery business. My book is a Bible so to speak of this info....and my years at knife shows, talking to some of the top experts in the business from here to California and back. 40 + years of experience here for all of my friends at AAPK ...
That's why companies like Case are so popular and valuable! They kept records and they numbered EVERYTHING!! We didn't......

I am here at your disposal to answer anything within my means to help the collector's of the pocket knife industry! Put that in stone too!!
Robert A.Paolantonio, to be official because my grandfather Fred actually named me!!
Colonial Knife Company Incorporated..OFFICIALLY...

[mickeyevans]

thanks Bob
i don't mind learning like most folks here did, but you and Charlie, Dale, Jerry ,Steve, Ray and all the other experienced guys are so helpful, you can see my friends list, even if I know some as kniveknut and knive 7 , Millers Bro, I don't want to forget anyone but you get the point
I have the books and I joined a club and I will be at the shows, remember, I started less than a year ago
I want to earn the respect and knowledge my 'mentors' have, so I can enjoy this hobby and recruit new members and be helpful also
I am not ready to trade or sell yet (they are my babies)

[Bonfire bob]

Absolutely!! Hold on to those baby's, if you don't need the money, don't EVER sell them!!!
Rob...

[Joe Dirt]

Colonial knife skeletons/jewlers knives...

The money clip knives make great book markers for Bobby's book also!

... Joe

[Bonfire bob]

Thanks Joe; Mr. Joe Keating, Royal Pines Cutlery...(give that unknown cutler a bit of exposure) ... If you look close, you can see small indentations on the tips of the bolster ends in the liners....this is where shell knives were attached to the main body of some pocket knives, considered the "skeleton" of a knife..

Some, like Joe shows, have handles that clip on the entire knife skeleton, and our later swiss knives were assembled in this fashion. Solid pin construction was always the strongest way to go but not exactly the most economical...

Thanks from my Southeast buddy, Mr, Joe K....
Rob. P CKCo...

[mickeyevans]

need help with my terminology
I called knives that a handle that is one piece metal, bolster and handle, connected to the skeleton with taps a shell knife
this one does seem to have separate handle and bolsters but still has tabs so I do not call it a solid bolster

[Bonfire bob]

Ahhh....see how the right angle picture says it all!!
I was wrong and enitially thought it was all solid!
Some of these knives, and this is a perfect example, are shell knives but what they did is made a shell consisting of bolster's and a thin narrow steel piece in between the bolster's so that when the handle is pinned onto the bolster shell, that thin piece of attaching steel is hidden!! This is definately a shell constructed knife Mickey...
This fact tells us that these shell knives actually go way back, apparently even in 1917!!
Prov. Cutlery was only in business for a few years but it has Paolantonio and pre-Colonial written all over it!
I'll cut back on my estimated value but only a bit...maybe a solid $ 40.00 for sure....

Make sure you guys and gals keep a file of info from me for your knives...after all, proof and authenticity is what gives value to your knives....
So now, we know for sure who, what, when and how this knife was made and all of it's history. My curiosity is who carried this knife for the last 95 years or so!!
Robert P..CKCo....

[mickeyevans]

thanks Bob, this is how I am learning
allot of the knives i call shell knives appear to have a hollow metal handle that includeded the bolster, tabbed to a notch in the side scale
a solid bolster is pinned to the side scale, and the handle/side cover is a separate piece of material, also pinned to the side scale
this is my understanding from diagrams I am looking at and studying knives in hand, I am not ready to start taking them apart yet, but soon I will, to see the action of the tang back and square with the back spring to better understand walk and talk and see how the metal wears and effects the action
I don't want a 'failure to communicate' or poor photos to slow my learning or confuse the helpful experts , so please tell me when I am not understanding or using the correct terminology here.

[Bonfire bob]

For only a year or so in this hobby, your doing just fine pal!
There are some real pro's here at AAPK and even if I'm wrong about Colonial's product, I got pals here that pleasantly remind me!!

Let me ask you Mick, are you good with your hands, like model making or tinkering?? do you have a little work bench and some basic tools in your home somewhere???

If the answer's above are yes, maybe you would like to tinker around with a BIY knife kit!
My good friend Mr. Scott Rauber in FLA has a great little blog and he sell's all kinds of pocket knife items and BIY (build it yourself) Colonial Knife Barlow, two blade pocket knife kits with all the parts (with the exception of handle material's) needed to completely make your own Barlow pocket knife!! The kits come with fully illustrated directions and all the parts, liners, blades springs rivets and even bolster's to make your own knife!!

Check out Scott's excellent prices at : scott@pocketknivesblog.com..
If you think you might want to start with something smaller and less complicated, we also have a 3" Lockback kit with less parts and no bolster's, so you are able to buy a couple of 3 1/2" bone slabs for 4 or 5 bucks and make your own knife.

Even if all you have is a grinding wheel/ polishing wheel combo that most men have in thier garage or cellar and some small hand tools, anyone can make these knives!
It might be a nice winter hobby for you and lots of guys out there! Scott's sold several kits and folks are having fun with them; and we're only talking like 15-30 bucks your cost for everything!
Check out Scott's blog and see what your interested in..

I go as far as putting my home phone # in the kits if you should need some help with any kit you buy!!
Rob P..CKCo...

[mickeyevans]

actually, no but I did just get a small vice grip and a small vice for a bench where I am going to start
I have a Dremmel tool and some cleaning stuff, that is all
I read about using a vice to get the wobble out of some knives but I need some slotted feeler guages
I might try to shave the kick and re point some blades also,I have been going to the repair threads and started a thread on shaving the kick where I got great advice
but I am going real slow Bob, I saw Joe Dirts work and others here so I am going to keep learning, repair, adjust, maybe combined two parts knives is my goal for now

[Bonfire bob]

Fantastic Mick! Your on the right track....

[Joe Dirt]

Another old Barlow...

The arched Colonial is 3 1/8" with iron bolsters and a spear main.

[Bonfire bob]

WOW!! Another old Colonial Barlow, compliments of Mr. Joe K....RPC.....
Iron bolster's and crudely peened iron assembly pin!!
Curved tang stamp and it looks like bone scales but the shrinkage tells me plastic..
Very worn blades tells me this baby has seen more years than must of us alive!!
I'm thinking early 30's for this old timer Joe...
Excellent find buddy..
Rob. P. CKCo.....

[Joe Dirt]

Yup, she's an old one!

First spear blade I've found other than a scout knife.

The handles are celluloid - but a different color than the
normal "cracked ice" color on most of the older ones.
These are more of an ivory tint. Probably closer to a white
when it was new.

[Bonfire bob]

Nice Joe...old white Celluloid that has yellowed through the years....
I see what you mean about the spear blade, normally a pen blade but this blade has a sharp downward curve at the end ...VERY RARE BUDDY!!!
It's still probably worth 40-50 bucks with all the facts in place...
Robert P., CKCo...

[Bonfire bob]

Christmas presents going out tomorrow....
Have you been good all year???
Santa knows; that's for sure......there are only a couple of very good boys
on his radar this year....
It is absolutely true that giving is better than recieving, and once again this
year I feel the giving mood.....

From the heart, onto others....
Robert P..CKCo....

[TripleF]

Thanks for the info and insights Bobby.....we are forever indebted, or at least as long as this page continues to receive comments from fellow knifers!!!