Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

RobT · 29th September 2022, 01:09 AM

Rich,
Actually, if the multi-colored bands are indeed plastic, even early 20th century is unlikely but see my response to Bob A below. When I bought the knife, I had every belief that it was a mid to late 20th century piece. One look at that delicate bail was enough to tell me that it would have been long gone had the knife been from the 19th century. So, the when comes as no surprise. The where was my primary question. What you say is plausible. Mid to late 20th century India certainly had factories capable of turning out folding knife blades with modern industrial quality stamping and grind lines. What I find puzzling is that the hilt apparently isn't factory made. Could it be that the factories found it more profitable to sell just the blades and the traditional knife makers found it more cost effective to buy the blades from a modern factory while making the hilts themselves? The "No6" stamp notwithstanding, I don't think that my knife was made as a knock off though. First, it is far smaller than the Joseph Rogers folding bowies and, AFIAK, the Rogers pocket knives didn't have that type of blade. And second, save for the "No6", neither of the other two stamps (BEST STEEL, KING) really look like Rogers stamps. Consider this, a 59 Caddy had fins so did Fords. Neither was trying to look like the other or trying to make people believe they were anything other than what they were. Fins were simply a look that people expected and that motivated them to buy. In much the same way, I think the stamps on my blade were just meant to give a look of quality rather than to make a buyer think he was getting a Rogers knife.

Rick,
I haven't seen any "Pure Steel" stamps on tulwar but I have seen a good number of Indian daggers with "Pure Steel" acid etched on one side and "Victory" acid etched on the other. I have also seen a good number of these daggers being sold as Revolutionary and Civil War items.

Bob A,
Your info makes an early 20th century date possible because, from what I have read online, the original clown barf picks were celluloid (turtleoid and mother of toilet seat were other color variants). The modern made reproductions are plastic.

Sincerely,
RobT

29th September 2022, 01:09 AM	#5
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 454	Not At All Disappointed Rich, Actually, if the multi-colored bands are indeed plastic, even early 20th century is unlikely but see my response to Bob A below. When I bought the knife, I had every belief that it was a mid to late 20th century piece. One look at that delicate bail was enough to tell me that it would have been long gone had the knife been from the 19th century. So, the when comes as no surprise. The where was my primary question. What you say is plausible. Mid to late 20th century India certainly had factories capable of turning out folding knife blades with modern industrial quality stamping and grind lines. What I find puzzling is that the hilt apparently isn't factory made. Could it be that the factories found it more profitable to sell just the blades and the traditional knife makers found it more cost effective to buy the blades from a modern factory while making the hilts themselves? The "No6" stamp notwithstanding, I don't think that my knife was made as a knock off though. First, it is far smaller than the Joseph Rogers folding bowies and, AFIAK, the Rogers pocket knives didn't have that type of blade. And second, save for the "No6", neither of the other two stamps (BEST STEEL, KING) really look like Rogers stamps. Consider this, a 59 Caddy had fins so did Fords. Neither was trying to look like the other or trying to make people believe they were anything other than what they were. Fins were simply a look that people expected and that motivated them to buy. In much the same way, I think the stamps on my blade were just meant to give a look of quality rather than to make a buyer think he was getting a Rogers knife. Rick, I haven't seen any "Pure Steel" stamps on tulwar but I have seen a good number of Indian daggers with "Pure Steel" acid etched on one side and "Victory" acid etched on the other. I have also seen a good number of these daggers being sold as Revolutionary and Civil War items. Bob A, Your info makes an early 20th century date possible because, from what I have read online, the original clown barf picks were celluloid (turtleoid and mother of toilet seat were other color variants). The modern made reproductions are plastic. Sincerely, RobT