All About Pocket Knives

I suspect this is ivory, but not sure. The seller said it was smooth bone.....but I bought it on fleabay. There are no tang stamps, but the main blade is stamped "Joseph Haywood & Compy" and under that "Makers Sheffield". I read where Haywood used a kettle for a tang stamp, but I don't see any tang stamps at all on this one.

Questions:
1. Is this ivory or bone?
2. Can someone tell me the years of operation for Joseph Haywood & Co.?

Thanks,
Unk

1850-1869 c.houston price 11th edition also says info you have.........
ivory i believe came be tested w/ a hot needle.....but not sure....someone will be along soon!

This is the test the above poster was referring to:

THE TEST:
The tried and true method to test ivory is the famous "hot pin test". This method is used by beginners and experts alike. Because true ivory is virtually impenetrable with heat, this is a good test and willnot damage the item if it is "real". Take a pin, large needle, or better yet a large straightened outsafety pin, and heat the tip RED-HOT. Poke the item somewhere that it will not show too bad (Iuse the netsuke hole). If it is real ivory, it will NOT penetrate and only leave a tiny tiny mark. If it is a resin, it will enter the item and produce a little crater around the hole. Now the big test… smell the "smoke" that comes of the test as you are poking it. If it is real ivory, it will have that unmistakablesmell of the dentist's office when you had that root canal (stomach turning). It smells like burningtooth (because it IS). If it smells like burning plastic, it IS. Now, bone is also resistant to heat, butnot as much as ivory. The smell is less (or hardly at all) and is different than that of burning tooth.

Most bone carvings are "capped" on the top and bottom as all bones are hollow. If an item iscarved thinly enough to be carved from the wall of the bone (usually not thicker than 3/4") it mayappear to be ivory. But, bone is absolutely free of grain and will ALWAYS have little "pock marks" (sometimes brown and sometimes not) in it where the marrow or blood was. You may have to use a loupe to see these pock marks. So in conclusion, if it resists heat, smells like crap, and has any grain (especially crosshatching), you have the real deal. Do a little experimenting with items you know are fake and real and see the difference.

I would say it is a difficult test to be sure with, normally with a loupe you should be able to see the capillary holes in the end grain if it is bone, also most good antique dealers should be able to help you out.

Unk, just my opinion but I think the seller had it right as bone. After enlarging it; sure looks to be bone to me. Nice old button-hook, I had a few with pearl handles in the past.


Paul

It looks like ivory to me. It has the colour and uneven grain. The loupe is a good idea. You should be able to see the pores if it is bone. Odd that Company is spelled that way. I think the name and trade mark were owned by different companies (e.g. Thomas Turner) at various times. s-k

Smiling-Knife, what do you think of that groove running the entire length of the worm? (Expand the second photo)
Is that to allow for the release of pressure inside the bottle?
A manufacturing quirk?
Decorative?
Charlie Noyes

Hi Charlie,

The worm is designed that way. Also known as 'flutted', it is thought to ease the insertion into the cork. s-k

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

S-K, I was hoping you would weigh in on this one.

Unk

In my opinion the handles are ivory, no doubt about it, bone grain is different. Given the hot needle test it will smell like the dentist drilling a tooth or burning hair, they are similar in odor. In regard to the groove in the corkscrew, it is what is called a "double helix" corkscrew and the purpose of that style of construction was for added strength. Hope this helps some.

A double helix is two worms intertwined. That worm appears to be a single piece of twisted wire with a groove. Can you show a photo with the corscrew opened please? s-k

Further research suggest that the groove increases the grip between the cork and worm.

For an example of a double helix

http://www.auction.icca-corkscrew.com/d ... sp?id=2419

are the handles chipped or do they hold tweezers and toothpick?
also, what is a buttonhook's purpose?

Definitely ivory. On a sidenote, it's generally wise to avoid the "hot needle" test on anything of value and especially on anything that may be celluloid.

Jody744 wrote:are the handles chipped or do they hold tweezers and toothpick?
also, what is a buttonhook's purpose?

Women's shoes where often closed with buttoms. the button hooks helped in wrestling the small buttons through small eyes, a feat made even more difficult by the corset they were likely wearing. Men who had lost a hand or arm found them useful for buttoning shirts and pants as well.

Been out of town for a few days and just started going through the posts.The knife in question definitely looks to be ivory.I would also state that a hot needle IS NOT a good way to test anything!
If you examine genuine ivory under a good loupe in good light you will see almost a wood grain effect in the scales.This is due I believe to the way ivory gradually expands in size as it grows.Virtually all ivory handles I have examined exhibit this quality.
As to the button hook:on a knife this small the hook was likely used on ladies' gloves which were popular around the beginning of the 20th century.Hooks for shoes were a bit larger.And I guess they could be used on gentlemen's shirts as well.You see a lot of these hooks in women's manicure sets as well.As an aside the corkscrew in a small knife like this was used to open ladies' perfume bottles which were used prior to screw caps.

GREAT INFO Absintheur! I didnt know that

When my wife gets home im going to tell her what a button hook is used for so I can look smart

Unless she already knows

Marty

Absintheur wrote:

Jody744 wrote:are the handles chipped or do they hold tweezers and toothpick?
also, what is a buttonhook's purpose?

Women's shoes where often closed with buttoms. the button hooks helped in wrestling the small buttons through small eyes, a feat made even more difficult by the corset they were likely wearing. Men who had lost a hand or arm found them useful for buttoning shirts and pants as well.

Thanks for all the great information, guys.

I didn't know women opened their perfume bottles with corkscrews back in the day. I will see if I can come up with a loupe from e-bay.

Unk

Unk wrote:Thanks for all the great information, guys.

I didn't know women opened their perfume bottles with corkscrews back in the day. I will see if I can come up with a loupe from e-bay.

Unk

Small corkscrews were also used for medicine bottles. s-k

Small corkscrews were also used for medicine bottles. s-k

S-K - I've opened up a few bottles of "medicine" with a corkscrew as well.

Unk