All About Pocket Knives

Hi knifers,

Found this on German eBay. Has pretty scales. Supposedly from England. (I think it said 8.5 cm closed)

I'm just curious about it. Anybody know anything about the blade form or the blade stamps. Anything I should get excited about? I need to save for "Black Friday" so I probably won't bid on it anyways unless it was something spectacular. But it's still interesting to look at & maybe learn something new.

Thanks for looking!

I do not know and i am only guessing, looks like mother of pearl scales, and the blade looks like an old butter knife shape. All my grandparents, aunties and my mum had those shaped blade knives in their kitchen drawers. They were only used when there was butter on the table. But that is only my guess. If it's legit, the markings are where it was made and the year. All sterling silver had to be hall marked, with the maker, place and year by law. If there were no hall marks it could not be sold as sterling silver.

cudgee wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 7:57 pm I do not know and i am only guessing, looks like mother of pearl scales, and the blade looks like an old butter knife shape. All my grandparents, aunties and my mum had those shaped blade knives in their kitchen drawers. They were only used when there was butter on the table. But that is only my guess. If it's legit, the markings are where is was made and the year. All sterling silver had to be hall marked, with the maker, place and year by law. If there were no hall marks it could not be sold as sterling silver.

I would agree - a sterling silver butter knife with MOP handle.
PRETTY!

Ok, thanks for the Info guys. I appreciate it!

TPK wrote: ↑Thu Nov 05, 2020 8:43 pm Ok, thanks for the Info guys. I appreciate it!

You have a good and safe weekend mate.

The crown indicates Sheffield. The lion signifies sterling silver. The third is the date mark (1905). The WN is the maker (William Nowill). There are a number of sites for deciphering English hallmarks so go online and double check me.

Dennis

deo-pa wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:15 am The crown indicates Sheffield. The lion signifies sterling silver. The third is the date mark (1905). The WN is the maker (William Nowill). There are a number of sites for deciphering English hallmarks so go online and double check me.

Dennis

Very informative post Dennis! Thank You Sir!

1905 could be something to get a little bit excited about. The butter blade kind of ruins it.

Now If it had a Wharcliffe blade..., that would be a whole different story!

I don't think it's a folding butter knife. I think it's a folding caviar knife. They both have a similar shaped blade made to grab a blob of something.

My guess is it's a rich-folk caviar knife because, you know, everywhere I go there are bowls of Beluga caviar. Isn't it like that for you? I'm always using my personal caviar knife. I have "the help" butter my toast. It's beneath me. So greasy. So common.

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=caviar ... &ia=images

Back in the day people gave expensive fruit baskets because fruit was terribly expensive after being sailed across the ocean. Only the ultra-rich ate fresh tropical fruit. It was a status symbol. These type of MOP handled "fruit knives" (with sterling silver blades) were sometimes included so that the lucky Princess could easily and daintily sample her fruit bonanza. I'm thinking a can of good Russian caviar might also have been included in the most deluxe of gift baskets necessitating a folding MOP caviar knife that could easily be tucked away among the fruit without damaging it.

Could be 1/3 of a matched set that was originally contained in a leather covered case along with a folding fork and folding spoon.

Sometimes referred to as "Officer's Sets", but certainly not restricted to such.

Charlie Noyes

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 3:01 am Could be 1/3 of a matched set that was originally contained in a leather covered case along with a folding fork and folding spoon.

Sometimes referred to as "Officer's Sets", but certainly not restricted to such.

Charlie Noyes

I'm going with Charlie on this one;I have several of those sets but none as ornate as that one. I've always known them as "picnic sets"

Very informative posts! I appreciate all the input!

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 3:01 am Could be 1/3 of a matched set that was originally contained in a leather covered case along with a folding fork and folding spoon.

Sometimes referred to as "Officer's Sets", but certainly not restricted to such.

Charlie Noyes

I agree that the knife could have been part of such a set. I went with the fruit knife concept instead because of the sterling silver blade.

Charlie, does your set have a sterling silver blade?

Does anyone have an Officer or Picnic set that includes a sterling bladed knife?

Not my set. I did a Google search and snipped a photo.

I suspect a high quality Sheffield set would have a fruit knife therein.

Charlie

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Sat Nov 07, 2020 11:11 pm Not my set. I did a Google search and snipped a photo.

I suspect a high quality Sheffield set would have a fruit knife therein.

Charlie

Thanks, Charlie.