All About Pocket Knives

Picked up this gunstock whittler a while back, but can't find much about it. Blades are marked Rather & Co., master blade has crossed swords mark followed by ACIER SUPERFINE, over RATHER. I know acier is French word for "steel". Knife construction looks old, possibly English? Goins lists Rather & Co. marking but has no other information. What do you think? Would appreciate any info.

Ken

Ken, I think the "Acier Superfine" refers to the blades being Cast Steel. A pretty early celluloid by the looks of it.

Wayne

Wayne, thanks for looking, and for the feedback. Did quite a lot of research looking for info on Rather & Co. But all I could find is two other sales of their knives, one on Worthpoint of a good looking large two-blade English Jack with bone scales, and the other on eBay (picture no longer available). Both listings were from several years ago. Worthpoint photos weren't very clear but looked like a very old knife and the master blade appears it may have the same crossed swords and acier superfine marks as my whittler. So there are a few of this maker's knives out there, but I still don't really know anything about when or where they operated.

Ken

Still haven't found any more information about Rather & Co., but acquired another of their knives. This one is marked the same as the gunstock whittler, including the master blade stamped with crossed swords and "Acier Superfine", but it's a small two-blade pen with either bone or horn scales. I guess now that I have more than one, it's a collection! As before, if you know anything about this company please enlighten me.

Ken

Nice ones Ken,I liked that whittler you posted a lot,nice handles on it.

Thanks Lyle. Being a whittler is what attracted me to it at first. Then the unusual scales and a maker I never heard of before, and the blade etch (it's actually stamped, not etched). Still on the scout for info about the maker when I stumbled across the little pen. Has basically the same markings, half-stops on both blades, strong opening and closing snap. The other curious thing is I found both in Texas - not sure if there is any significance to that or not.

Thanks for looking.

Ken

After three years I still don't know anything about Rather & Co. but I acquired another one. This one is a small multi-tool about 3 inches long with MOP scales. I think it's old - probably 19th or early 20th century as it has a buttonhook, and what I think is a tortoiseshell toothpick, and a snuff spoon. Also a comb, scissors, corkscrew, nail file, and several blades. Blades don't appear to have ever been sharpened but it has patina, some light surface rust and the pearl on one side is mostly missing.

I probably overpaid to get it but I now have three of these old and mysterious "Acier Superfine" Rather & Co. knives. These are the seller's pictures.

Ken

A snuff spoon. My Great Grandmother would have loved it. Don't think I've ever seen one on a knife. You have the corner on Rather knives.

Both Voyles IBCA guide, second addition and the C. Houston Price guides list Rather & Co. as Germany.

Not much help, but maybe getcha a little closer.

Good looking knives!

WB

doglegg wrote:A snuff spoon. My Great Grandmother would have loved it. Don't think I've ever seen one on a knife. You have the corner on Rather knives.

It isn't a snuff spoon. Wrong orifice. It is an ear wax spoon;usually part of a manicure set or on those cheap little faux tortoise shell knives from eastern Europe.
I have a similar knife made in Germany.

Thanks WB! None are marked with a country of origin name, but I have thought maybe European because "acier" is French. This newest find has a corkscrew, which is not uncommon on European knives. So Germany would also fit the evidence.

Ear wax spoon makes sense too, given the other grooming tools it has. The corkscrew was likely for opening small jars. Basically it's a grooming kit in a knife. Everything functions as it should, except the buttonhook is slightly bent and therefore doesn't snap properly in its blade well unless guided into place. The knife blades and scissors have half-stops. Instead of having nail nicks, when closed the toothpick and the spoon have tangs that extend slightly beyond the bolsters. The extension acts as a lever or fulcrum for opening those tools, which then must be manually pushed back into their blade well.

Ken

Nice Ken, most people can't find one Rather, and you have three, good going!!!

knife7knut wrote:

doglegg wrote:A snuff spoon. My Great Grandmother would have loved it. Don't think I've ever seen one on a knife. You have the corner on Rather knives.

It isn't a snuff spoon. Wrong orifice. It is an ear wax spoon;usually part of a manicure set or on those cheap little faux tortoise shell knives from eastern Europe.
I have a similar knife made in Germany.

Well maybe my Great Grandmother would not have loved it. Ear wax spoon, I'm surprised they just didn't use their car key. But I guess if you didn't have a car. I dawdle.

doglegg wrote: I'm surprised they just didn't use their car key. But I guess if you didn't have a car. I dawdle.

I think you nailed it - when the knife was probably made, folks didn't have cars. And house keys in those days were a little big for sticking into an ear!

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote:

doglegg wrote: I'm surprised they just didn't use their car key. But I guess if you didn't have a car. I dawdle.

I think you nailed it - when the knife was probably made, folks didn't have cars. And house keys in those days were a little big for sticking into an ear!

Ken

Ken you are a funny man.

The corkscrew was used to open perfume & medicine bottles. Before the advent of screw top caps most glass bottles used corks to seal them. The mustache comb and the button hook(used for both gloves and shoes)would date this to around the 1890's when both were popular. The tabs on top of the small blades were common to a lot of English knives but were used in other countries as well.
Here are two of mine;sadly not in the greatest of shape.

I recently picked this Rather & Co knife up. Might be jigged 2nd cut stag or bone.

Nice find! Really unusual handle covers, I’m guessing jigged bone but not sure. Thanks for showing it.

Ken

I have owned C.F. Kayser knives (Germany) with the same shadow gunstock pattern as the O.P. knife, so i think it is of German origin. The multiblade with grooming tools is similar to knives i have seen marked "Nixdorf" which is now in Austria but was part of Germany over 100 years ago.
kj

I picked up this Rather & Co knife, bought at an estate auction box of junk for $5 and it was in there. I cleaned up some of the worst rust off the blades. Still snaps good both ways, and the handles are not in too bad shape either. Small blade has no markings. Large blade has "Rather & Co." on the front, and "Slovakia" on the rear. Something else above Slovakia but I can't make it out.

Rookie wrote: ↑Sat Apr 19, 2025 4:14 pm I.....

Here are two different tang stamps on two of my knives.
But, they are NOT Rather & Cᴏ̲
Yours "may" have been similar to one of them.

Posted this Rather & Co. pen in another thread already. Putting it here also since it looks identical to the one posted by Rookie. Maybe between his and mine someone can decipher the pile side stamp.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Sat Apr 19, 2025 9:05 pm Posted this Rather & Co. pen in another thread already. Putting it here also since it looks identical to the one posted by Rookie. Maybe between his and mine someone can decipher the pile side stamp.

Ken
IMG_20191225_1531109.jpeg

Looking at your knife stamp, does that say Wadsworth? The AW Wadsworth brand was Germany/Austria made around 1900-1920 range I think.

It might. I've considered that previously. There seems to an extra letter at the end though. Maybe? Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks that could be it.

If so then I would wonder if Wadsworth made it on contract for Rather & Co. or if Rather was a brand name owned by Wadsworth? The other Rathers I have and have seen do not have any COO marking on them, which makes me think they could be pre-1890. Lots of speculation.

Ken