The Knife Thread.....

[soundmotor]

Heading to Europe for 2 weeks tomorrow. Picking up our daughter after her semester abroad. We'll spend the first week in Strasbourg then move up to Belgium, Netherlands, & finish up in Heidelberg. My daughter has mapped out the flea market equivalents so some blade hunting is definitely on the agenda. When in Europe, look for European knives! Needless to say I will be ecstatic if I can find any French switchblades (top middle to right & bottom row) drool -

(these are, sadly, not mine)

 

[Daunia 70]

^ Best of luck,hope you find some rarities.

Here's a pic of my John Newton & Co (Sheffield,England) penknife. It dates from around 1920/1930 and could do with alittle clean.

 

[Daunia 70]

^ Gave it a little clean using a tad of vinegar soaked on a cloth,have been doing some research and it must've been made before 1926 as John Newton & Co ceased trading in 1926. No idea of it's value... can't find any others whatsoever despite using various search engines.

 

[Daunia 70]

A British,Flockton Tompkin & Co,special steel cat brand penknife. It dates from around the 1920's/30's.

 

[Daunia 70]

A William Rogers (Sheffield,UK) folding knife from around 1920 and a 1880's Thomas Turner & Co (Sheffield,UK) folding sailors rope knife.

 

[Daunia 70]

A Spanish made Alce Inox hunting knife and a vintage UK made Leopard folding lock knife.

 

[Daunia 70]

Spent around an hour cleaning the Leopard folding lock knife up with some malted vinegar soaked on a cloth... the end results were very pleasing.

 

[Daunia 70]

Pre 1962 Norwegian made Geilo Knivfabrikk Rover knife.
1920's Taylors (Sheffield,England) Eye Witness penknife.
1940 stamped G.Butler (Sheffield,England) WW2 British army issue jack knife.

 

[Daunia 70]

1968 Finish made Marttiini Rapala fillet knife (6" blade model) and a vintage boot knife with no country of origin or makers name on (same applies to it's scabbard).

 

[Wasatch]

Checkout Busse, Swamp Rat, and Scrap Yard.

 

[Daunia 70]

WW2 German fireman's dress dagger and a German made penknife from around 1930/1940.

 

[Daunia 70]

A couple of WW2 German army dress bayonets/knives. Both are made by Solingen.

 

[Daunia 70]

A vintage French made Opinel No.9 knife,and a vintage German made TIna T-605 knife.

 

[soundmotor]

Back from Europe, our bags did not make our plane.



We'll see what actually is still in there after Customs goes through them. Just got confirmation that they are now in the hands of airline so at least they aren't lost. Managed to hit a flea market in Strasbourg. The old rule that you never find specifically what you are looking for at a flea market held true. Virtually no vintage knives. However I did get a superb Anton Wingen "Othello" straight razor in the original box and a cigar cutter with stag handle. Later I bought a pair of Opinel Slims at a shop, one for me and one as a gift. I'd not seen them in the US and the Slims have bubinga handles and mirror polished blades. They were ~$22 each. Online pic showing the Slim, the bubinga is the far left one. Here's hoping they arrive -

 

[soundmotor]

The new knife situation in France & Germany was similar. Each country had virtually identical brands in the shops. Opinel, Victorinox, Boker, and a few Scandinavian & French ones. Then tonnage of China/Pakistan crap. All the Bokers were Chinese origin as well. Any switchblades were also Chinese and the absolute cheapest ones, clones of the classic Italian stiletto. In France there were some beautiful handmade Le Thiers region offerings but staggering in price, $350 & up for a small folder. Price on Victorinox however was great, about 1/2 for the larger locking hiker folders which surprised me.

 

[Wasatch]

Back from Europe, our bags did not make our plane.



We'll see what actually is still in there after Customs goes through them. Just got confirmation that they are now in the hands of airline so at least they aren't lost. Managed to hit a flea market in Strasbourg. The old rule that you never find specifically what you are looking for at a flea market held true. Virtually no vintage knives. However I did get a superb Anton Wingen "Othello" straight razor in the original box and a cigar cutter with stag handle. Later I bought a pair of Opinel Slims at a shop, one for me and one as a gift. I'd not seen them in the US and the Slims have bubinga handles and mirror polished blades. They were ~$22 each. Online pic showing the Slim, the bubinga is the far left one. Here's hoping they arrive -

I like the look and color of the handles. What are they made of?

 

[soundmotor]

I like the look and color of the handles. What are they made of?

L->R, bubinga, olive, ebony, & beech woods.

 

[Wasatch]

L->R, bubinga, olive, ebony, & beech woods.

Thanks.

 

[soundmotor]

Spent around an hour cleaning the Leopard folding lock knife up with some malted vinegar soaked on a cloth... the end results were very pleasing.

I actually have one of these somewhere. Not sure if mine has a swing guard or not but the hand shape is the same. I think it is Japanese made.

 

[soundmotor]

Woo Hoo! Bags arrived and all is well. Pics later...