All About Pocket Knives

Excellent !

Roger thats a stunner, where do you find all these knives that still have their etch? Very nice knives.


Mike, very unusual bolsters on that Gardner, great find.

John that is an old family secret seriously mostly shows.

LOTS of great knives posted in this thread!

Roger: That Eagleton is certainly a beauty. What's the closed length of it?

Roger it is 3 3/4".

Thanks; It looks like a handful.

Here is another Gardner 1876 I just picked up, this one is pretty unusual in that it was never finished and never used, blade did not get final edge, still has grind marks, bolsters as cast, handles not final ground. Don't think I've ever come across another 130 year old knife like this.

That is a very interesting old not quite finished Barlow John! I like the bolster markings--turning the G ninety degrees and shrouding it with parentheses or waning crescent moons makes it unusual. These stylistic bolster markings is what keep me looking and hunting for unusual, oddball, interesting and unique old Barlows. This one checks all those boxes. Thanks for posting the photos. Lloyd

JohnR: That's a real find. I don't recall seeing an unfinished knife around here before. And certainly not one of such age.

JohnR wrote:Here is another Gardner 1876 I just picked up, this one is pretty unusual in that it was never finished and never used, blade did not get final edge, still has grind marks, bolsters as cast, handles not final ground. Don't think I've ever come across another 130 year old knife like this.

Great example and very interesting to see it in that nearly finished state.

JohnR, I just saw your Miller Bros Barlow. That is lovely. It is quite uncommon. It is really nice that the bolster design is so clear. Also, the Gardner Barlow is surely a rare one, not simply that it is unfinished, but also the pattern itself. I do have a Southington pen knife with tortoise handles that is unfinished and similarly unused; possibly made at the very end of the factory's operation, or simply brought home by a employee and never finished?

Mike, that Gardner is a unique one. Fantastic bolsters, I have never seen another quite like it.

Roger, great early Bannister. Also, the etch on the Eagleton is fantastic as is the pattern. Any idea what Old Berks is? Berks County, PA?

Beechtree wrote:JohnR, I just saw your Miller Bros Barlow. That is lovely. It is quite uncommon. It is really nice that the bolster design is so clear. Also, the Gardner Barlow is surely a rare one, not simply that it is unfinished, but also the pattern itself. I do have a Southington pen knife with tortoise handles that is unfinished and similarly unused; possibly made at the very end of the factory's operation, or simply brought home by a employee and never finished?

Mike, that Gardner is a unique one. Fantastic bolsters, I have never seen another quite like it.

Roger, great early Bannister. Also, the etch on the Eagleton is fantastic as is the pattern. Any idea what Old Berks is? Berks County, PA?

According to Google Old Berks is a hunt club in England dating back to 1830.It is still in existence.Goings says 1875-1900.Levine's says 1890.

WOW super knives on page 47! Rare brands and rare conditions.

Here is a knife that recently found it's way to me. I have had quite a few old hobo knives but I think this Thomaston Knife Co. Conn. hobo qualifies as the rarest of the lot. Goins dates Thomaston c.1887 - 1930. I think that this knife would date from the earlier part of that time frame. 3 3/4" closed.

It has a rather cumbersome slot mechanism that requires the master blade to be lifted to 90 degrees so the tension of the master spring is taken off of the fork and spoon stud. Then the bolstered end can be separated at the liners (physically pried apart) which then allows the slotted tail end stud to be slid forward allowing the two sections to be separated. Notice in the picture showing the liners that only one stud hole is slotted. I would guess that is what the "Patent Pending" stamp refers to.

Never seen another slot knife constructed like this and probably with good reason.

Wow! Now that's a cool little hobo I have never seen that method of slotting before I do have a Paul Henckles knife and fork hobo that locks the two halves together using a special slot in the fork to lock the stud from the knife half in place. When I first got the knife it took some time figure out to get that open!

btrwtr wrote:WOW super knives on page 47! Rare brands and rare conditions.

Here is a knife that recently found it's way to me. I have had quite a few old hobo knives but I think this Thomaston Knife Co. Conn. hobo qualifies as the rarest of the lot. Goins dates Thomaston c.1887 - 1930. I think that this knife would date from the earlier part of that time frame. 3 3/4" closed.

It has a rather cumbersome slot mechanism that requires the master blade to be lifted to 90 degrees so the tension of the master spring is taken off of the fork and spoon stud. Then the bolstered end can be separated at the liners (physically pried apart) which then allows the slotted tail end stud to be slid forward allowing the two sections to be separated. Notice in the picture showing the liners that only one stud hole is slotted. I would guess that is what the "Patent Pending" stamp refers to.

Never seen another slot knife constructed like this and probably with good reason.

Great old hobo model with a neat mechanism.

That is one sweet knife!!

Wayne, That sure is an unusual knife. Probably wouldn't work out to well for a one armed hobo. Thanks for showing, Barry

1fartsmella wrote:Wayne, That sure is an unusual knife. Probably wouldn't work out to well for a one armed hobo. Thanks for showing, Barry

Thanks for the feedback gentleman.

Barry I'm afraid the knife could starve a one arm man. I have a hard time opening it and having the master open at 90 degrees is not all that safe. Could be that helped it survive the years.

peanut740 wrote:

Beechtree wrote: According to Google Old Berks is a hunt club in England dating back to 1830.It is still in existence.Goings says 1875-1900.Levine's says 1890.

Thanks Roger!

Wayne, that is a really neat old one. Great score! I have one like it but handled in ebony. I must say, it took forever for me to figure out how to get the two halves apart. I will take a look to see if mine has patent pending or with an actually patent date, I can not remember.

I think this is old enough, might not be rare. Grandpas knife before he passed away in '86. Know it was old then, just wondered if anyone knows what they are? Tiny multi-tool, just says "stainless steel" on main tang. Nothing else. 2 1/8 closed up. Thanks if anyone knows anything.

That looks Japanese to me.

Ditto.

Here's a Clark Bros. Kansas City. 4 9/16"

Thanks guys, any stab at the age? Thanks again.

1960's