All About Pocket Knives

Aside from the write-up in Goins’ Encyclopedia which includes the patent drawings from 1884, I’ve never seen one of these. There’s one for sale on eBay now. The seller is really proud of it - beyond my pocketbook. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Rare-Nov ... SwnQtgHBPC

Per Goins’ the knife blade opens and retracts by gravity and locks/unlocks by manipulation of the thumb wheel. The blade can be removed and replaced. Patented by Isaac W. Heysinger in 1884, it is the first gravity-opener knife patented in the U.S. The seller says closed length is approximately 5 inches.

For posterity I’m posting several pictures from the seller’s listing.

Ken

Interesting knife and like you say, "beyond my pocketbook" too!

Those are pretty cool, but like you say, the seller has a crazy price on it. Most I find have a screwdriver rather than a knife blade. There is a larger version with a knife blade that is rarer than the one in the ebay link.

It's a nice, old, collectable novelty knife, but not anywhere near worth $1500. in this world or any other.

Interesting knives. I've seen a few over the years but never at a price I would entertain, much like the knife you posted Ken. Those I have seen were well worn and the mechanisms were sloppy. Not sure what the demand for them is. Auto eficianados might know what the value is.

Hey guys , so the one on ebay IS the larger model .... i have the smaller one with both knife and screwdriver blades, there are a couple more blades styles for them but I've never seen them. Been looking for a decent example of the large one for decades, there always pretty worn down of the maybe 4/5 ive come across. At the shows were stickered at around 5 to 7 hundred but that was back a few years so ..... id pay up to that for a cherry !

Super looking example wiseguy!

Here is one with the screwdriver blade.

Nice Dimitri, Good to see you again.

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:21 pm Here is one with the screwdriver blade.

I really like this one!.. now I GOTTA have one .. not again...(I really have to quit reading every thread )

Here's a couple (fair shape) that sold on another website...

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:21 pm Here is one with the screwdriver blade.

Dimitri! Good to "see" you again. You've been missed. Hope you are well, and thanks for the picture. Great example.

Ken

galvanic1882 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 12:02 pm Nice Dimitri, Good to see you again.

Thanks Mike

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 2:31 pm
Dimitri! Good to "see" you again. You've been missed. Hope you are well, and thanks for the picture. Great example.

Ken

Hi Ken!

Still suckin air as JerryD would say