Pocketknife Feedback

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Dan

I would like to see a wide selection of period knives being made. As of now, there is one well made knife out there, and everybody has that same knife.

[Amtmann]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Mr. Houde,
Eight pages of period Pocket Knives being sent your way, from a period Publication.

[D F Smith Historic]

Wonderful work!

Mr. Houde,

After looking at the pics of the knives. I can only say that they look excellent! You realy know your cutlery.

Before I started making items, I worked in an old time cutlery shop as a salesman, and had to know about each of the knives we sold (only top grade knives). I think you have a GREAT item that is truly a work of art.

I would love to purchase one of your fine pocket knives from you.

All the best,

Don Smith

Brian,


Good question. Honestly I never set out to copy a particular knife, but rather as I stated in my initial post, I felt I could do a better job creating a period correct knife that represented a typical pocketknife of the 19th century than what is currently available on the commercial market
I'm satisfied that that is what I've done, I'll certainly enjoy carrying it. Could it be better? Definitely. Right now I'm just enjoying tinkering around, and honing my skill, so I'm not really that focused on a particular individual knife that I wanted to reproduce, I just wanted something representative of the period.
Anyways, I did dig up some drawings that show some of the traits that I mentioned.

Here is a group of Holley's, you can see some clip points, jigged bone, and a swell end serpentine; http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/holley.jpg

Here is a Shapleigh, swell end serpentine with a clip point; http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/shapleigh.gif

Both are of CW era vintage, in fact Shapleigh was only in business from 1863-1869.

I'll try to get some actual pics of originals up soon.

I think for my next one I'll use natural smoothbone, and I'm going to round the top of the swelled end a little more, I may even put a cutout near the nail pull as well, and make it an easy opener. I also think I'm going to use a small spear point blade as the secondary rather than a spey, that'll get me closer to what I am wanting.

Perhaps as I get better I'll focus more on a particular knife, but I don't know if I ever really want to try to imitate or copy an actual original "totally", tough call... almost be like taking something that doesn't belong to me. I'd kinda like to maintain my own individualism and develop a personal style, one that is still representative of the period, but is still my own. A good made knife that will be around for years to come, and unique to me. Copying a cartridge box or scabbard or shirt is one thing, but to me pocketknives are very personal.
Thanks for your thoughts. Take care.

Regards;

Dan Houde

[dahoude]

Re: Wonderful work!

Mr. Houde,

After looking at the pics of the knives. I can only say that they look excellent! You realy know your cutlery.

Before I started making items, I worked in an old time cutlery shop as a salesman, and had to know about each of the knives we sold (only top grade knives). I think you have a GREAT item that is truly a work of art.

I would love to purchase one of your fine pocket knives from you.

All the best,

Don Smith

Don,

Very much appreciated, especially coming from a man of your talent and expertise.

As promised I've uploaded a few pics of originals;

This first one, http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/CWknife.gif, is a German import and sports handles of natural smoothbone, has a spear point blade, and is of the single blade swell end jack pattern, with German silver bolster and liners. It is also an easy opener, having the cutout near the blade nail pull.

Next, is a very rough knife in dug condition. I purchased this at the Horse Soldier in Gettysburg. http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/CWknife3.jpg, as I said it is very rough, however take note of the shape and you can make out the pattern. This is the same pattern as my repro pictured earlier.

Next, here is another dug example, http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/CWknife4.jpg, this knife was dug near Savannah, GA, it has handles of smoothbone and is of the equal end pattern, the other side not shown here shows where a long narrow rectangular shield inlay used to be present.

Next, here is one of much better condition, http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/CWknife5.jpg, this knife was made by Hibbard, Spencer and Bartlett of Chicago, and dates around 1855-1865, it is a very rare pattern known as a serpentine sleeveboard lobster, and sports three blades, one of which is a nail grooming blade that opens out from the bottom, and handles of amber jigged bone.

Lastly, I'll share some pages from an 1865 catalog of the Northfield Knife Co., http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/knifepage7.jpg, http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/knifepage8.jpg, these were shared by Rick Bailey, another member of this forum who graciously emailed 8 pages to me, these are just 2 of them. These show some blade types and knife patterns available in 1865.

I've begun work on the construction of two new examples, one will be a small one bladed swell end easy opener jack with German silver bolsters, spear point blade, brass liners, and natural smoothbone handles, the second will be a three bladed equal end with brown jigged bone handles, German silver bolsters, and brass liners.

Thanks all for your interest. Take care.

Best Regards;

Dan Houde

[dahoude]

Re: New Knife just off the bench

Friends,

I just finished a new rendition, this one I feel exhibits even more of the 19th century look, feel and traits that I am trying to capture. This knife is just a bit smaller than the first, and is of the swell end jack pattern as well. This knife also sports two blades, (these two are cyrogenically treated as well), but if you look at the pics, I built this knife with a clip point and spear point, not a spey blade as in the first knife. This knife has German silver blosters, nails and pins, and brass liners like the first, but the handles are of natural smooth bone, not a dyed jigged bone. It totes nicely in the pocket as well in the hand. This natural bone will turn yellow in about 100 years and look like the original smooth bone I posted prior. Built extremely solid and should be around a long time to come. Here are some pics;

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife2.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife3.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife4.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife5.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife6.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife7.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife8.jpg

http://members.tripod.com/dahoude/images/newknife9.jpg

Just needs a little more polishing. I'm not ready to offer anything for sale just yet, but I am getting closer.

Thanks again for your interest. Take care all.

Regards;

Dan Houde

[2RIVB]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Count me in on the waiting list to get one of these knives.

[robwall1861]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Mr. Houde,

As an Eagle Scout and a person who carries a pocket knife on a daily basis, I can honestly say if you had them for sale, I'd certainly buy one. Let me know if you do start selling them and your price range.

Robert Wallace

[robwall1861]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Mr. Houde,

As an Eagle Scout and someone who uses a pocket knife on a daily basis, I can certainly say that I'd buy one. Please let me know via email if and when you start to sell them as well as your price range.

Thanks,
Robert F. Wallace

[dahoude]

Finished results...



Just wanted to share the final end result, and show you all the finished projects. Here is the end result after final polishing and buffing. The German silver buffs up very nicely, I must admit I was quite impressed. I'm working on some more documentation, I'm preparing a schematic drawing showing the actual parts that make up a 19th century period folding pocketknife so you can see what goes into one and how they are assembled, as well as a more comprehensive listing of period makers. Thanks again for your interest, it's been great fun sharing my other passion with you all, and great to be able to link the two hobbies of mine together in this way by preparing a few 19th century patterned knives. I really enjoy talking knives as you can see, thanks for letting me contribute in this way. For those who have expressed interest, I will keep you posted on future projects. Take care, and thanks again.

Best Regards;

Dan

[natchezborn]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Looks like a fine knife.

I would be interested as well.

[zathras33]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Dan,
That's interesting about Sharpless but the term celluloid wasn't introduced until the early 1870s

http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8009.htm

so it is surprising to see it in an ad for a company that went out of business in 1869.

That being said, I like the knives.

Peter

[dahoude]

Re: Pocketknife Feedback

Dan,
That's interesting about Sharpless but the term celluloid wasn't introduced until the early 1870s

http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8009.htm

so it is surprising to see it in an ad for a company that went out of business in 1869.

That being said, I like the knives.

Peter

Peter,

I've been doing some digging, different guides turn up different info, but from what I am reading Shapleigh Hardware was in business from 1863 - 1869. The firm of E.C. Simmons Hardware was started in 1840 and was taken over by Shapleigh in 1869. The original Shapleigh firm ended in 1869 and the firm was re-structured with the Simmons take over and the new Shapleigh Hardware actually continued on and made knives under the Shapleigh name until 1960. The photo I posted earlier of a Shapleigh "Dogleg Jack" I posted more for the pattern example. It is dated in the guide as circa 1863-1869, but I concur that celluloid handles would not have been in use during that time, but the pattern itself would most definitely have been. This explains why a celluliod handled knife by a firm that ended in 1869, they actually continued to be in business well into the era of celluliod and beyond.

I just finished an "Easy Opener Jack", another practice piece.

Regards;

Dan Houde