All About Pocket Knives

Found this at a gun show this weekend. Called Mr. Basham at Red Hill and he told me it was a Red Hill Exclusive. 1 of 25. Did not know until I read the shield. Only one I have seen. If anyone has one please post. Thanks.

SSG USA Ret.

Welcome to AAPK and to the Canal Street forum here.

That knife is known as the "Swell Centered Jack". It has been produced in a variety of handle materials. Both Red Hill and A.G. Russell have had stag models produced as SFOs. That is my favorite Canal Street pattern. I have a small collection of them in a variety of handle materials. The only Red Hill Cutlery SFO I have in my collection is one in Elk Antler.

Here's a poor quality cell phone picture of my collection of Swell Centered Jacks.

To AAPK black 1970

Philco. Nice collection
(philco, if that's a small collection I would to see one of your large collections )

Grant

Phil,

Great looking display...especially that they are Canal Street Knives. I wish now that I had collected that pattern as well, however, I'll just have to stick with my Pinch Lock Backs and English Barlos.

Thanks for sharing!

Tom

I have this version of the Founders day knife SFO by Redhill Cutlery. This is burnt stag, but your looks like natural stag.

Both are great looking
knives!Love that pattern too.


Donald

In my opinion there are 3 Canal Street Cutlery "pocketknife" models that will continue to increase in value - they are all slip joints:

The Swell Center Jack
The Cannitler
The Sleeve Board Ring Opener

They have the following traits in common:
- all three have different extreme complexities and show elite design and execution
- all three are out of production and not likely to go back into production
- all three are magnificent examples of classic historical patterns
- all three had extremely limited production, even of the open stock versions
- all three were significantly undervalued by the factory (i.e. were sold for less than the factory's actual cost of production)

Phil's collection is the pre-eminent collection of the Swell Center Jack - no one collected them the way he did - there was one other collector who started to and he wasn't as persistent as Phil and sold off his collection a year ago. there are two or three others that are good collections but not as complete as Phil's

There were really only a three opportunities to have a complete collection like Phil's because he has a model that only three were made of - and the other two went to collectors that weren't really Swell Center Jack Collectors.

Chase probably has the pre-eminent Ring Opener Collection

and DRS may have the pre-eminent Cannitler Collection

Very nice display, Phil.

Thanks guys.

Great knives everyone. Awesome collection Phill. I have these two. One is a true prototype. It is a bit shorter and had a differant master blade. Sorry for the bad pic.

Awesome collection philco.

Thanks David.

James, is that one marked Prototype ?

Yes it is Phill. Hard to get a pic of it. I'd like to take some better pics. Maybe get some time this weekend. It is a neat knife.

If you're interested, I'd like to talk to you about that one.

If I decide to sell it Phill, you will be the only one I would consider.
Jay

JAMESC41001 wrote:If I decide to sell it Phill, you will be the only one I would consider.
Jay

Thank you for that. Best regards.

Phil,

In all of those Swell Center Jacks....you don't have a prototype? How did that happen?

Tom

Tom without dragging them out to verify, I think there's one prototype and one other that was one of three produced.

It would be nice if you listed the photo again with the handle material listed below the photo. Also Which ones are Prototypes and which ones are unique.

Just saying....LOL

Of course, I would like this info purely for personal reasons!

Tom

I have one these Swell Center Jacks. Very substantial knife.
kj

My goodness Joe, that thing is crazy awesome!

I just bought two Canal Street Swell Center Jacks to add to my gathering. One just like kootenanyjoe just posted and another one.

I will post pictures when they land in my Schrade Room

Tom

"My goodness Joe, that thing is crazy awesome"
It is that for sure. The 'craziness' is that it has 2 distinct 'personalities'. The Paua shell handles give it a fancy dress appearance like you might see in a Gent's knife. But have it in hand, feel it's weight and how it sits in the 'ready to work' position, and you know that in reality it is a serious heavy duty work knife.
It's human counterpart would be a young body builder guy dressed in a full formal tuxedo.
It is a keeper. Does anyone know how many were made with this handle material ?
kj