🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Iron and bone Knife

[Wild Colonial Boy]

Found this knife today, at a colonial farm site,
looks like a craft style knife
appears to have bone or antler handle and maybe one brass lozenge stud, any insight to its age and use
much appreciated

 

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[hollARDog]

Is the tip broke or a sheepsfoot style?

 

[Blackfoot58]

Is the tip broke or a sheepsfoot style?

That doesn’t appear to be a Sheep’s foot style. Attached is a sheep’s foot photo. Yours looks broken or rust away at the tip. Still a very nice find. Congrats!

 

[hollARDog]

That doesn’t appear to be a Sheep’s foot style. Attached is a sheep’s foot photo. Yours looks broken or rust away at the tip. Still a very nice find. Congrats!

To early for my eyes 😔
I'll go feed animals now🤘

 

[callmez]

Table knife with forged bolster, more or less "factory made". Could be very old, but they were made this way for quite some time (let's say 1800-1900 on this one). If it is marked, the marking would be roughly an inch in front of the bolster on the obverse side (left side if you were holding it as if you were about to cut something.)

 

[ToddsPoint]

I don’t think it’s a table knife. It looks like a Spanish dagger. The top edge of the blade would be thin on table knife. A Spanish dagger would have a thick top edge. The Spanish dagger was the model Bowie used for his knives. This is a Spanish dagger I finished. It was a rough forging from France when I got it. Mammoth ivory scales backed with ebony.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Here’s a pic of some of the knives made by Bowie along with my Spanish dagger.

 

[DancerQuest]

Hello, I read

Table knife with forged bolster, more or less "factory made". Could be very old, but they were made this way for quite some time (let's say 1800-1900 on this one). If it is marked, the marking would be roughly an inch in front of the bolster on the obverse side (left side if you were holding it as if you were about to cut something.)

I read an old post of yours pertaining to the Barr Brothers in Camas Valley where my family is from and I am related to Neal Brown that you mentioned in your article. I am going to contact Neal's step son, who is my cousin, I am sure he will be interested doing so looking into this. If so. I will have him contact you. Thank you for posting. Camas Valley is such a small place and my roots run deep there. Really happy to find your article.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I don’t think it’s a table knife. It looks like a Spanish dagger.

I’ve seen broken butter spreader blades re-profiled to a profile similar to what you shared. I’ve done it myself to a nice silver bolstered one I found at a yard sale. That’s my guess without more pictures.

Need a photo of the top side of the blade/handle. Kitchen cutlery typically had small diameter handles, thin blades, and narrow partial tangs.

 

[ColorfulCreator]

I think late 70's early 80's given the reasonably still in tact wooden handle.

 

[pepperj]

I think late 70's early 80's given the reasonably still in tact wooden handle.

The OP stated bone or antler.
If you had said 1870's early 1880's then it wouldn't be far off.

 

[ColorfulCreator]

The OP stated bone or antler.
If you had said 1870's early 1880's then it wouldn't be far off.

Are we both talking about the original image at the top? When would antler or bone be the color of a tree? As a matter of fact it looks like a typical apple paring knife.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Looks like a wooden handle to me. Don't think antler handled utensils are attached with rivets. They usually bore it out to insert the tang end of the uternsil into it. Could be from the 1800's, but I think it's probably from the 20th century.

You also have to remember that just because it's a colonial era site doesn't mean everything you find there is that old.

 

[pepperj]

Are we both talking about the original image at the top? When would antler or bone be the color of a tree? As a matter of fact it looks like a typical apple paring knife.

Have you dug old bone handled cutlery up?
Bone can be many different colors/tones.
The environment plays a big factor as we as the time it has spent in the ground.
The one on the right has a nice dark honey color.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Bridgeport Knife Company
Table cutlery re-profiled by a very young me.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Bridgeport Knife Company
Table cutlery re-profiled by a very young me.
View attachment 2181695

You converted that into a nice Spanish dagger.👌 About the only difference is the thickness of the top edge of the blade. Real daggers are much thicker.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

You converted that into a nice Spanish dagger.👌 About the only difference is the thickness of the top edge of the blade. Real daggers are much thicker.View attachment 2181726

Agreed. I wish it held an edge so I could use it as a steak knife. They fitted that wood scale pretty nicely given the irregular bolsters

 

[Tnmountains]

We need an "old knife" section for identification and sharing. Be a good learning tool maybe?

 

[releventchair]

Are we both talking about the original image at the top? When would antler or bone be the color of a tree? As a matter of fact it looks like a typical apple paring knife.

Bone can hold a variety of colors.
"Antiques while you wait" can use tea or coffee even.

Antler is porous. Natural ones have variations depending on if their users favored shade or sunlight,
Type of trees they rubbed. Even dirt they rubbed.
Yes they rub a variety of trees when hard antletred and individual bucks can favor individual species. Pine can darken antlers.
One buck favored sumac. He had orangish antlers.

That said , the O.P.'s knife hints of wood scales.

 

[ColorfulCreator]

Table knife with forged bolster, more or less "factory made". Could be very old, but they were made this way for quite some time (let's say 1800-1900 on this one). If it is marked, the marking would be roughly an inch in front of the bolster on the obverse side (left side if you were holding it as if you were about to cut something.)

I have an ebay test. Look up the item and see if it shows up or anything like it. And basically the simplest solution is usually correct. There are many knives like this for sale dating apx 1975 and they are Japanese manufactured.