"Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Ohio Jerry

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"Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

In June I found a piece of a pocketknife at a one room schoolhouse site showing a figure with the words "Our Lamented" on it.
There were several suggestions on the "what is it" forum that it may be Abe Lincoln and I have to give a lot of credit to Bigcypresshunter because he actually suggested that the other piece to this pocketknife may say "president".

Bigcypresshunter, you were right on!!! I revisited the area tonight and the first piece i dug was the bottom half of the side plate that said "president" and knew exactly what it was as soon as i saw it...I swung over the hole again,got another strong signal and got the other side plate intact that says "Our Union Is Preserved" !!
Thought you might like to see the last pieces of the puzzle come together... Thanks for havin a look!
Jerry

UPDATE: I think Abe is a little more presentable now. I simply used some hobby wood to take up the space that the blade or blades would have occupied. I was able to salvage the entire top pin and the head of the pin below Abe's left shoulder. The bottom pin is a cut off nail. Turns out this pocketknife was made of all brass except for the blade. Would the sideplates have been cast or stamped i wonder?
Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th,1865 just five days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. I'm sure our country was still in a terrible state of mourning when this knife was being produced. I wonder if it was therapeutic for the craftsman who designed it? My research has turned up nothing about this knife. Anyone have any suggestions for how I could find out more details about it? Thanks for all your interest!! HH, Jerry
 

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time4me

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Aug 30, 2005
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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Jerry,

That is an amazing find - truly a piece of history there.

You need to contact Bernard Levine to ask about the knife. If anyone can help you with information on it, he can.

http://www.knife-expert.com/

He has helped me in the past to research knives that I have had in my collection.

Good luck, and let me know if Mr. Levine can help you out.

Jim
 

Derek752

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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Jerry that is SOOO COOOOL !!!

Amazing you found all the knife puzzle pieces and in the end have a priceless relic.

My first immediate though was Abe looked a bit worn , maybe how he would have looked after that fatefull night at Fords theater ! I'm IMPRESSED at the kick butt find !

And a hearty Congradulations on a BANNER FIND :notworthy: :wav: :notworthy:

Derek :icon_pirat:
 

dakotama95

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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Congratulations on the banner!! It is amazing that you found both sections and was able to peice it back together. Nice job.
 

time4me

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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Found some info that may be helpful in a couple of my knife collector reference books...

The pattern is called a "Boy's Knife" pattern. "A Boy's Knife is a small (3 1/2 inch and under) regular jack or curved regular jack, ordinarily with a single spear blade. Some have a pen blade as well."

"Metal Handles. Integral metal handles make a cheap but sturdy boy's knife. The earliest mass-produced type was the flat "coined" brass handles made in New England and New York in the 1850's and 1860's. These have an elaborate design that usually includes the manufacturer's name. In 1862, Samual Mason of Northfield Knife Company patented the use of cheap "malleable cast iron with a rough or corrugated exterior, in imitation of buckhorn," for jack knife handles. Many iron-handled boy's knives have trademarks (such as Northfield's "UN-X-LD" or Russell's "Boy of America") incorporated into the casting. Frary Cutlery Company introduced cast tin alloy ("pewter") handled boys knives around 1880."

The above info comes from Levine's Guide to Knives and Their Values - 5th Ed by Bernard Levine. Included is a photo of two knives that look very similar in shape and style to Jerry's knife, but where Jerry's reads "Our Union is Preserved", these read either "AMERICAN KNIFE CO." or "NEW YORK KNIFE CO."

Further info from Antique Knives by J. Bruce Voyles: "Northfield Knife Company (1858 - 1919) A Connecticut based knife company that had control of the American Knife Company by 1865, made quality knives that won awards for exhibits at the 1876 Centennial Exposition, 1878 Paris Worlds Fair, and 1892 Columbian Exposition in Chicago."

What ever it's origin, that is by far one of the coolest finds I've ever seen. Way to go Jerry!!!

Jim
 

Nana40

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Feb 3, 2005
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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

WoW! That's a great find, Jerry!!! Congrats on the banner!! :thumbsup:

Nana :)
 

Ed-NH

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Feb 4, 2006
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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

That is a beautiful find and most unique. I bet we don't see another one of those on the forum for a long long time if ever. Big congrats!
 

Mermaid

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May 29, 2007
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Re: "Our Union is Preserved" Pocketknife..Restoration Finished

Very cool!

Civil War collectors might pay big bucks for it.
 

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