All About Pocket Knives

deo-pa wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 9:10 pm This mother of pearl fruit knife with a sterling silver blade is hardly worth a second look. It's small (2-7/8"), plus the blade doesn't fully seat and the blade also has some deep scratches. I would usually take a pass on buying a knife like this, despite its nice banded silver bolster, silver rivets, and tooled back spring sleeve. However, one tiny feature on one of the silver hallmarks marks this knife as both very old and very rare.

The knife blade has two silver hallmarks. The first hallmark is the King George III head duty mark, indicating it was made during his reign of 1760-1820 (he is the monarch that lost the American colonies). The second hallmark is the famous Lion Passant (meaning the lion passing/walking by) which indicates an object is sterling silver.

The 4th photo below shows the normal appearance of the lion hallmark and the 5th photo shows the hallmark on this knife. Though the hallmark is worn, you can see this lion is wearing a crown. (The 6th photo shows a less worn version of the crowned lion from a reference book.)

Research in England has shown the crowned lion hallmark only appeared in the Sheffield assay office for a part of the year in 1807, and was never seen again. It has only been found on a small number of objects, fruit knives being one of them.

The mystery is that even though the assay offices in English cities usually kept excellent records, there is no record of the crowned lion hallmark in Sheffield and no one knows how or why it came about. If you happen to own the book Pocket Fruit Knives by Simon Moore you can read about the mystery on page 121.

It is neat to own such a rare object that is almost 220 years old, though the knife would never win any beauty contests. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Dennis

What's really nice is that you were aware of the marks and didn't dismiss the knife out of not knowing.

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 7:23 pm Based on my extensive research, I can categorically state that knife belonged to General Cornwallis.

He was slicing fruit with it while Washington was advancing on Yorktown.

You should value that highly.

Never trust anything I say when I’m in this frame of mind.

Based on my extensive research, I can categorically state that knife belonged to General Cornwallis

Mel Gibson was there and he is not amused.

Thank you for posting it and the story. I personally think its beautiful. But then again I REALLY LIKE KNIVES