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Found my Dad's knife. I know nothing about it.
dukederek
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
While looking for tools in my folks' garage I found a knife in a leather pouch. Upon asking my mum for information she said it used to be my dad's fishing knife, she also said he stopped fishing pretty much when they got together in (I think) the late 70's. That's pretty much the extent my mum knows about the knife and my dad died 25 years ago so asking him isn't going to be much use.
I assume it's just a pretty average hunting knife but I'd like to get it cleaned up and sharpened and start using it for camping and the like but I'd also like to know a bit more about it (even if all that comes to is how old it is, who the manufacturer is or what it's made out of) but I have no idea where to start. Any recommendations of resources for identifying knifes and such would be greatly appreciated, just somewhere to start doing some research would be dramatically further than I am now
I assume it's just a pretty average hunting knife but I'd like to get it cleaned up and sharpened and start using it for camping and the like but I'd also like to know a bit more about it (even if all that comes to is how old it is, who the manufacturer is or what it's made out of) but I have no idea where to start. Any recommendations of resources for identifying knifes and such would be greatly appreciated, just somewhere to start doing some research would be dramatically further than I am now
dukederek on
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I'd imagine there's someone on the forums that knows about old knives.
<=====here[/////////
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
We talking rust rust or a little surface rust?
Fishing/filleting knives are usually long and narrow/skinny. Hunting/gutting knives are shorter and more stout normally.
Post pics.
There are tons of knife forums out there too.
I'm curious if it's a stainless or high carbon blade, but one step at a time.
0431-6094-6446-7088
I dont think Dad was particularly "fond" of it per se, but I don't have a lot of his stuff so anything is nice to have and continue to use. I might ask my Aunt (his sister) when I next see her but I'm not sure if that's going to be until Christmas now...
me too! I have a few knives I use for camping and stuff already so I'm starting to learn about what qualities lend themselves to certain tasks. I'd just love to put it into action really.
Also, pictures. Apologies for the poor quality, I've only got my camera phone at the moment.
As for identification, you'll need to clean off the lettering to really find out about it.
But yeah, that's gonna be tough to properly ID if you can't get that lettering to show, and even then you might lose the lettering in the restoration.
If it's only surface rust, it should come off with oil and a cloth and some elbow grease. If it's deeper than that, fine grain sandpaper or steel wool will do the job but BE CAREFUL because those can scratch up the blade and that's never good.
This is a pretty bad rule of thumb.
Collectors are weird people.
I'd ask over at bladeforums in the Bernard Levine's Knife Collecting & Identification and you should be able to get an answer: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/691-Bernard-Levine-s-Knife-Collecting-amp-Identification
I mean, an antique car is going to be recognized as an antique by people who know about cars. They'll look under the hood, check the chassis etc. to see that it's a real antique and not a kit car built on an old bug or something.
For knives though, it's a bit different. I mean, the knife hasn't changed much in the millions of years since it was invented. Without a patina of age, then it's hard to tell that it's actually an antique or straight off the presses.
Of course, this discussion is all assuming the OP wants to keep the knife as an antique. Personally, as a non knife expert, I think the blade looks like a mass produced piece that isn't going to be worth much as an antique, but would hold a great deal of sentimental value. I'd say get the blade sharpened and use it when you go camping.
Sure, but that's quite different from saying you shouldn't clean it at all so it looks older and will make it more valuable.
something ending PE or HE
HM SLATER
SHEFFIELD
So HM Slater is a knife maker in Sheffield, UK (about 50 miles north of where I grew up so that makes sense), it's not on their website I might email them and see if they can hook me up with some specs regarding material etc. It's looking like it's not too valuable which is good for being able to use it and such.
Thanks for all the advice and offers of help
Actually, it MAY be part of the steel grade stamp. Some knives are stamped with exactly what they're made of, and with my VERY armchair understanding of steel metallurgy, if that PE or HE is or was followed by numbers, then it's probably the steel grade.
Problem is that without the numbers, and without knowing if it's a P or an H, it's very hard to actually confirm that theory, and is just kind of a shot in the dark.
HOWEVER, congratulations because HM Slater also manufactured a number of Faibairn Sykes combat knives for soldiers during WWII, which if you ask me makes them a pretty reputable company.
Somehow I found "stag handle," GISd it, noticed it looked similar, and dropped venture in the search.