Various folders

[Gun Butcher]

These are all Sheffield made for the American market.

The center 2 large ones are believed to be for display and the bottom "D" guard was made for J. Curley & Brothers of New York.

Makers include;  Westonholm, Davey, W & S Butcher and others.

I am sure some of you will have this book , "The Steel Canvas". It has pride of place in my reference library. I have spent months just study ing a few pages

[Messerist]

Jumpin' Jehosaphat!     Those are some pretty big folders.  I wonder what the history is behind the horse-head pommel.  I have an old pukko with a similar pommel.  Was it purely for decoration?

[Gun Butcher]

Messerist, I have not been able to find any definitive info on that so far but I am still looking. I believe this type of decoration came about after Jim Bowies  fame was wide spread and had to do with his favorite boost of being 'half horse half alligator'.
I will keep searching.

The two big ones are 22 1/2 inches when open.

[Advertising]

[ChuckBurrows]

Horsehead pommels go back much farther than the early 1800's - to at least the Romans here's just one such Roman Pommel:
http://www.time-lines.co.uk/roman-horsehead-dagger-pommel-015226-26501-0.html
They appear world wide, especially popular in India and the Middle East and other horse "cultures"

As for the half horse half alligator line, Jim Bowie would have been a Johnny come lately to the term. The first published usage that I know of was Samuel Woodworth's "The Hunter's of Kentucky" written in 1812 - http://www.contemplator.com/america/hunter.html.
It became the campaign song for Andy Jackson's presidential run.
Mike Fink, was one of the most famous to apply the term to himself and it was a term often applied to the rough and ready river boatmen and other frontier types of the early 1800s, including:
"I'm half-horse, half-alligator and a little attached with snapping turtle." - Davy Crockett
The halfhorse/half gator pommels on the other hand, most often seen on Sheffield bowies, are definitely post Mr. Bowie and the infamous Sandbar fight. Sheffield knives ran the gamut from excellent to bad with many knockoffs - in terms of today, think quality factory made knives such as Gerber/Buck, etc. and then the el cheapo knockoffs from China and Pakistan........

BTW - there's a much larger picture of that oversize folder with the tortoise shell grips in Flayderman's "The Bowie Knife" - folders like these are always interesting but I often wonder just how usable some/many were - but then again the "coolness" factor has always been part of the human race.......

[KidTerico]

GB another great pict, Wouldnt mind haveing a few of them. Thanks for showing. KT

[Shotgun Steve]

Neat picture. Some very nice folders in that lot. A fella would need some mighty big pockets to carry some of them beautys!!

Shotgun

[St. George]

They're generally something carried in the vest/saddlebag/warbag - and many of them had chamois leather cases, too - with clasp closures like those seen on coin purses.

Look at Levine's Guide and the old trade catalogs for the hardware suppliers, and you'll see excellent examples.

'Some' are sturdy as hell - with strong backsprings and great lock-up - even though they weren't lockbacks.

I have a beauty - made by 'American Shear and Knife Co.' in the 1870's - with a clip-point blade, Rosewood scales and nickle-silver bolsters - the blade's etched with 'TICKLER'...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[GunClick Rick]

Boestin and not showin??? Tsk tsk tsk..Sorta like gettin a hound dog with with a nose cold..he can howl he just can't tree.. 

[St. George]

Not boasting - just stating a fact.

The thing is - I'm far, far away from my collection at the moment.

When I return home - I'll see what I can post.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Delmonico]

Ran across this a couple days ago, date not exact but it's listed as from the 1880's in The Duke University collection of advertising:

[Gun Butcher]

St. George, I would appreciate seeing that one. I know there have been many knives made with the word "tickler" in some form or other on them but I never get tired of seeing another one.

Del, thanks for the post of the advertising that is really interesting . Wouldn't it be great to be able to buy those at that price.

[St. George]

That broadside is an excellent example of what one will see if they can find one of the old trade catalogs - the illustrations will fairly jump off the page.

My  'American Shear and Knife Co.' is a swell-center jack, with a blade measuring 4" - OAL 9 1/4".

I'll probably post it here, but only after I've done the article for NCOWS' magazine -  'The Shootist'.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!