How did these knives originate ??

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott King on May 10, 2009 at 10:03pm

Oh so I wish we were sitting over a cup of coffee to talk about this with you, Andy. The elephant toenail (sunfish) knife is rich in history and full of all the things in a made for TV movie, and involves many of the granddaddies of American cutlery history.

I like toenails so much I built an entire website soley deciated this one pattern, as well as its own blog. www.elephanttoenails.com

Bottomline: This wonderful pattern was made for heavy work- manual labor, hunting, trapping, etc. The earliest we have been able to definitely trace it back to is right about 1900. Have also been unable to determine the first firm to have produced it, or a patent.

It is a popular pattern and is increasing in demand among new collectors due to Great Eastern producing them like they were in the old days, more or less.

Permalink Reply by Andy Voelkle "AxeMan" on May 11, 2009 at 12:12am

That all seems very reasonable! I can't wait to get mine. Meanwhile, I'll start reading your great web site on the subject. I've collected a few knives for a long time-- what amazes me is how little I know. Your new creation here, iknifecollector.com is really an interesting way to meet some smart folks and start filling in a few of my knowledge gaps. Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Merle Hagen on May 11, 2009 at 11:36am

These knives were working knives used by carpenters and sailors in the late eighteen hundreds early nineteen hundreds. Thats the reason for the heavy blades, sailors would use belaying pins to hammer the blade through a line to cut it. Thats the reason only a few survived this long.

Permalink Reply by Scott King on May 19, 2009 at 8:32am

Thanks Andy.
What excites me about iKC is it is still in its infancy (it's only 35 days old)....just imagine 5 years from now the range of experience and content iKC will offer collectors on ALL types of knives.