All About Pocket Knives

This is a nice old pattern that you won't run across very often.

Nice.

Those are great.

thegreedygulo wrote:This is a nice old pattern that you won't run across very often.

Well, I guess. That's entirely new to me. The only knives I've seen called "Farmers Jack" are these long slim single blade knives. Thanks for posting those. I like 'em.

Ya know, when I was a kid, I hated school but this is an education I can be enthusiastic about.

Nice Bokers

This is a Thomas Turner Farmer's jack circa 1900.

Nice Bokers as usual, Greedy.

I think farmer's jacks are a great old pattern. I call them Rooster Combs. I guess they got that name from the profile of the master blade sitting atop the frame the way a rooster's comb sits atop his head.

I've never seen a Robeson rooster comb. That would be a fabulous find.

Charlie Noyes

Very nice examples Greedy, smiling-knife beautiful old stag!
One of my favorite patterns. Here's my Schrade Walden 730

Thanks guys.

smiling-knife: That Thomas Turner is a great looking knife! The stag handles sure don't hurt its looks either.


Charlie: I actually refer to them as Roosters too. I don't ever recall seeing a Robeson in that pattern either now that you mentioned it. I will keep my eyes open for one because now I am curious to know if Robeson ever produced a Rooster pattern. Have you ever seen a picture of one in any of the old books, ads., etc.?


Paul M: That Schrade's a beauty!

I've never seen or heard anything that would indicate Robeson ever made a rooster comb.

However, I used to think that about the swell-center, equal-end surveyor pattern moose, too. As of this writing, I've now seen two. The first one I ever saw was an essentially mint appearing salesman sample with brown bone handles and a dollar sign within a circle with wings on either side as a shield. Those of us that examined the knife were pretty sure it wasn't original. We thought one of the blades was a replacement. It probably was, but it was a beautiful knife, at least four inches in length. The second one was a well used example on Ebay.

So, maybe there's a farmer's jack/rooster comb out there somewhere. Robeson was certainly in the business at the right time to have made the pattern.

Charlie Noyes

Here is my rooster comb, farmers jack with Cattaraugus on both blades. Second blade is a spey blade. Ferguson book says it is a number 22569.

One more

How about this Honk Falls, beefy and has an unbelievable spring.

jerryd6818, Got 2 questions for you, the yellow handle single blade, is it an old Case?, and tell us about the holes, cuts and numbers on Bambi's head gear? Treefarmer

Phil, that's a Schatt & Morgan from the 1910s, maybe 1920s before they went out of business.

As for "Bambi's headgear", it's a cribbage board my son made for me the year he lived out in Montana.

galvanic1882 wrote:How about this Honk Falls, beefy and has an unbelievable spring.

Mike you brought home some terrific knives! If I had to pick a favorite, this would be it.

Nice "Honk" Mike! Great way to bring this thread back to life. Some great examples on here.
I especially like Steve's Saynor!
Here's a Schrade Cut Co to add to the list.

After looking at Mike's Honk Falls knife I'm glad to found this thread as I have a very unusual and very rare "Press Button Knife Co". of Walden NY 3 11/16" "Mechanic Jack" . Supposedly these knives were only known to be offered in seven blade combos . What makes this one so odd is the blade combination and this not being one the 7 offered.. This ones has a very odd primary blade and has the correct half-polished blades . So the blade finishes are correct to each side with one side only having a "crocus" finish. The grind lines are perfect and I can see no signs of the blade never being reground or changed . I think this one might be safe to also be called a "Farmers Jack" and perhaps the only known fully automatic opening one at that . Enjoy

P.S what grind would one call the Primary blade(left side) ? would it be a Sheepfoot or Tobacco blade or a wharncliffe blade as this one kinda looks like a cross between the two . I think part its Belly shape is due to it needing room to help clear the spring when closing

Let`s see a picture with the blades closed looking straight down

Like this ? I had a snap a quick picture so there is some Renaissance wax present

To me it looks like the master blade is short, now that I can see straight down.

The master blade is typically longer than the secondary blade on most knives, there are a few exceptions.

Measure the two blade lengths .

dragon,

The book I have says that your 3 11/16" model #115 Mechanic's Jack should be 7 7/8" with both blades open. This should tell you if one of the blades is short. Also it says that the blades are a clip and spey.

That is one Outstanding knife you have there

Keith

ozzie marie wrote:dragon,

The book I have says that your 3 11/16" model #115 Mechanic's Jack should be 7 7/8" with both blades open. This should tell you if one of the blades is short. Also it says that the blades are a clip and spey.

That is one Outstanding knife you have there

Keith

If you read it also says that there are 7 blade combinations (see pics below) So they are not all 7 7/8" open .I hope to perhaps have a example of each blade combo but that could take a lifetime of collecting and never bee completed .I do however think I have a example of each of the different style of "pick bone " scales used. Many people do not relize that PBKC used several style's of pick bone and finally onto "jigged bone towards the end. I'm very lucky to have found they 4 with each being different. The pictures are from a PBKC factory catalog that most have never seen .I put some pictures of another example that shows a correct spey blade on it. It also has a Spear blade as its primary blade. The Example with safeties has a punch blade and clip blade .Look at Richard Langston's book he also has a Clip -Punch example in it . If you notice that the Honks Falls blade is very short for its frame also. I figure this to be a specialty blade and does not need to be a long blade but perhaps thick.. I was told that the Press Button Knife Co. would make special order knives in very low numbers and that George Schrade was also known to make special order knives if someone ordered and that he would even make a small custom order of even one knife . Its very possible that they used a standard clip blade and modified from the factory . In fact the Pat punch blade that was offered on the M.Jacks is not standard it is actually modified to be able to work on the M Jacks .It was also made by "Empire".
I also own the only known example of M.Jack(so far) with safeties and you will not find that example in Mark's book. I talk to Mark often and have sold him several examples of knives that will be used in his next book.

If the blade has been made from a clip I give a big Kudos to who ever was able to keep perfect grind lines and keep both finishes exactly correct to each side of the blades as I had mentioned that these knives have "Half polished " finishes and only one side is a Crocus finish. (see picture that list "half-polished ) . I am open minded and have compared it to many examples so there's always a chance that it could even been a factory second. Regardless its a extremely rare knife to find in this condition and I feel very lucky to ad it to my others.

From my understanding these were a very favorite knife with farmers and from the advertisements I have seen and own they were marketed to people of that profession. I could see a demand for this model having a tobacco blade.

Some I have

Some more

Cool pattern and sweet knives.