Vintage EDC folders (or pen knives as I knew them)

[Biker]

While having a rummage the other day looking for that other straight razor of mine I discovered a box I had which had these three folders in it.

All three used to belong to my grandfather, I remember handling the one with the horn scales on it when I was a kid in the 60's. The one with the measuring rule on it was given to me by him when I was about 13 (in 1975) and it was old then and has been kept close by me since then. It's so flat it lived in various wallets for about 25 years, but I'm a bit paranoid about forgetting it's in there if I ever go through an airport metal detector and have to bin it. So I've now retired it to a desk drawer and I've put the white scaled one in my wallet instead, at least till I see a nice cheapo one to replace that.

Anyway here's what I have that I thought you'd like to see. If anyone knows any history or factoids about these knives please post a reply below as I'm really interested in their heritage. Thanks in advance.







Details of the horn scaled knife. At the base of the larger blade it has the makers name which is too faded to make out but it looks like: "RO????? Cutlers To His Majesty". Quite prestigious I thought. Edit. Doing a bit of googling and found this: http://www.smpub.com/ubb/Forum21/HTML/000340.html So it could be "Rodgers" along withthat Maltese cross on the blades
The other blades have that asterisk type stamp that is shown on the bigger blade between Stockman's ** Friend.







Details of the ruler scaled knife. Little story about this knife: I actually forgot to take a ruler with me into one of my secondary school exams so I resorted to using this knife on the day. Saved my bacon that day too.





And lastly details of the white scaled knife. I'm sure these are plastic scales not ivory.

[Silverback 1]

Hi Biker,can't help you with this myself but if you get no joy on here Iron Hoarder on the other channel (don't know if you are a member) is so clued up about this type of gear you wouldn't believe it.....large anorack!
People are very helpful on there and if you registered you would find out about these beauties and i'm sure enjoy more.
Hope this helps.

[Biker]

Hi Biker,can't help you with this myself but if you get no joy on here Iron Hoarder on the other channel (don't know if you are a member) is so clued up about this type of gear you wouldn't believe it.....large anorack!
People are very helpful on there and if you registered you would find out about these beauties and i'm sure enjoy more.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info. I am a member of BB but haven't been on there in ages. I'll check it out tomorrow night and post a message there. Thanks again.

[vizsla]

Very nice mate. Iv a couple from my grandad always nice when thers history and a few old tales behind them

[udamiano]

this might be of interest

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/fo...803#entry10803

[bushwacker bob]

The stockman is a Joseph Rogers, they were at 6 Norfolk street.(Using the maltese cross from 1891-1901)
As suggested there is a thread on Sheffield makers on British Blades and a few very knowledgable souls.

[Biker]

this might be of interest

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/fo...803#entry10803

Thanks, but I need to be a member over there in order to see any images. Getting messages saying "you do not have permission to view attachments."

The stockman is a Joseph Rogers, they were at 6 Norfolk street.(Using the maltese cross from 1891-1901)
As suggested there is a thread on Sheffield makers on British Blades and a few very knowledgable souls.

Well if they used the Maltese cross between those dates then this knife is a LOT older than I thought. I shall indeed post these images tonight over at BB. Thanks for the info

Very nice mate. Iv a couple from my grandad always nice when thers history and a few old tales behind them

Indeed. I thought the world of my Grandfather so having these penkinves is pretty special to me, much better than a pair of his socks or something. He was a carpenter and retired the same year I started my apprenticeship as a carpenter so he gave me a lot of tools to help me start off. Not a ton of the stuff either, he was a firm believer in working for things and having an appreciation of them as a result. I think once I did pass the final exams he gave me a few more of his tools as a graduation bonus. Most get used on a regular basis too.

[launditch1]

Nice knives Biker.The stockman is a nice example.The star&cross motif is still used on Rodgers knives(minus the Norfolk st address) although the company has no doubt been taken over...(dont know who currently owns the trademark?)
The white scaled knife is known as a 'sleeveboard' type..after ironing boards??lots of wonderful names for things in the Sheffield cutlery trade!
The ruler knife is nice too, i often see these with company adverts on.

[demographic]

Not really much to add to this other than I really like that little ruler knife and that I also like the term Penknife far and away more than EDC.

EDC seems a bit too...Well...American for common usage over here. Bit like calling a petrol tap a "Petcock" or a car bonnet a "Hood".

Yeah, Penknife is good*.







*I do understand that the term EDC carries some legal clout but I'm just not keen on using a few letters to mean a few words.

[Biker]

As suggested I posted this thread over at BB and Iron Hoarder got back to me saying they were all quality Penknives, but he didn't supply too many details, just dated them from between 50's - 70's. The stockman could be older though.

Totally agree Demographic, I had to look up what EDC meant when I first saw it posted here when I first found the forum. Seemed very americanised. But I see the point of it ('scuse the pun)

To me they'll always be called penknives. My grandad explained it to me when I was knee high to him that when people wrote with quills the nib would wear out over time, so a small folding knife to sharpen it was soon invented. Hence the expression Pen knife. Sorry if this is old news but to me as a kid I sat there in round-eyed wonder as my grandad shared this wisdom with me.

[Laurentius]

EDC; translation = sommat as I 'appen to 'ave in me pocket most days cos I find it useful.

[demographic]

To me they'll always be called penknives. My grandad explained it to me when I was knee high to him that when people wrote with quills the nib would wear out over time, so a small folding knife to sharpen it was soon invented. Hence the expression Pen knife. Sorry if this is old news but to me as a kid I sat there in round-eyed wonder as my grandad shared this wisdom with me.

I'm forty years old now and was given my first pen knife when I learned to read, upto now I'd never heard that. It's obvious now you've mentioned it.

Thanks for mentioning it and its still a nicer word than EDC.

[Chiseller]

EDC; translation = sommat as I 'appen to 'ave in me pocket most days cos I find it useful.

Too true blue :thumbup:

Sent from my HTC Explorer using Tapatalk 2

[bushwacker bob]

What did they call them, before pockets and pens?

[Adze]

What did they call them, before pockets and pens?

Knives... at a guess.

[mountainm]

As suggested I posted this thread over at BB and Iron Hoarder got back to me saying they were all quality Penknives, but he didn't supply too many details, just dated them from between 50's - 70's. The stockman could be older though.

Totally agree Demographic, I had to look up what EDC meant when I first saw it posted here when I first found the forum. Seemed very americanised. But I see the point of it ('scuse the pun)

To me they'll always be called penknives. My grandad explained it to me when I was knee high to him that when people wrote with quills the nib would wear out over time, so a small folding knife to sharpen it was soon invented. Hence the expression Pen knife. Sorry if this is old news but to me as a kid I sat there in round-eyed wonder as my grandad shared this wisdom with me.

Grandads are brilliant. Wish mine were still around.

[Adze]

Grandads are brilliant. Wish mine were still around.

like</facebook>

[Biker]

Grandads are brilliant. Wish mine were still around.

Very true. He had a way about him that was relaxing while you were in his company. Knew him all my life and had to close his eyes on the trolley in the hospital after he died of a heart attack in 2003, very sad day for me and an end of an era. Top blokes grandads are, well at least I was lucky with my maternal grandfather.

[Biker]

I'm forty years old now and was given my first pen knife when I learned to read, upto now I'd never heard that. It's obvious now you've mentioned it.

Thanks for mentioning it and its still a nicer word than EDC.

Y'welcome. Yeah it is obvious but only after the connection has been made. Anyway glad to have helped expand your knowledge by an minute amount with that factoid.

We'll be disgussing particle physics and chaos theory next, so take notes!

[demographic]

Just spotted the Marbles Handyman Helper, never seen them before, looks quite nifty.



Edit, says its made in China. I kind of thought Marbles knives were made in Sheffield. Looks like I got that one wrong.