I HAVE AN OLD UNIQUE POCKET KNIFE WITH A MIX OF BLADES AND MARKINGS!!

Hi all!! I THINK this was my FIL's, that became my DH's......Length of knife with blades closed is 3-7/8"......I don't know if that's a button hook or meant for a pipe or what? Looks like a cork screw too....plus a lethal very pointed "blade"/not really blade.....all very cornfusing to me, but fascinating!!!! Image #1 shows where the tweezers come out of..........in image #2 I have a Question mark with the knife flipped......that same area is something that does NOT come out.....it slides so far but does not come out....is it a lock or release mechanism......have NOT been able to figure it out......put a wee bit of oil in it too to see if that did anything.....it did not!!! I did find a website with a MOP one similar but not identical, and have found nothing identical!!
https://www.loveantiques.com/antiqu...ife-fruit-sportsman-penknife-sheffield-104359
Maybe you "knife guys"/people might know more!!!! Hoping so!! Any info always GREATLY APPRECIATED!! Thank you SO MUCH!!!! (Sorry, I didn't open the blade far enough for you to see where it says "SHEFFIELD". And in #2 I didn't know if the "brad" or stud I red circled was a lock or not???? Didn't move either......

 

That's a sweeet knife!!

From Georgian times, up until the 1980s, Sheffield was a MAJOR cutlery manufacturing mecca in England. It was the English equivalent of Solingen in Germany. All kinds of knives, blades, cutlery, razors, pocketknives, surgical equipment, silverware etc, was manufactured there. Your knife would've been made by one of the dozens and dozens of little two-bit cutlers that existed in Sheffield during the Victorian era, or during the majority of the 20th century.

OK, let's break this down.

L-R, we have:

Awl, or holepunch. If it is a smoker's knife, then this is for poking holes your tobacco etc, to aerate it before smoking. Also used for cleaning out pipes and stuff.

Secondary blade (pen-bade).

Button-hook (for doing up boot-buttons or glove-buttons back in the day).

Corkscrew.

Primary blade.

Tweezers.

I suspect that your lock-release button thingy is to hold the tweezers in place, and to eject them when they need to be removed?

 

Brookes & Crookes was the maker; their dates are 1865-1957. Jessop and Sons would have been the retailer; but I think the Wm. Jessop logo dates it to after 1907.

 

could the ? lock the blade in position....or spring it open...???
can we see a side shot ?

 

I honestly wasn't sure what you meant by a 'side shot' @Komo? but am posting a couple of more......the tweezers aren't locked in....they slide right out.....the other side slot moves about half way and won't go any further.....all "blades" open OK......as well as cork screw.........more images coming shortly.......Here are 4 more......not sure if I got what you wanted or not......3rd image down is the one that has the thing that only comes partially out on the left end......just cannot figure out what it either does or is for!!? It will slide out to the edge and then no further but it will slide all the way in.....it doesn't lock any blade either open OR closed!! I'm thoroughly befuddled now!!!

 

The hook is for gutting small game

 

The Wm part of Wm Jessop & Sons is important. Also, the word steel. https://cdm.bostonathenaeum.org/digital/collection/p16057coll41/id/43/

 

WOW! Thanks, Kronos!!!

Thanks, Terry!!!! Who'da Thunk!!!!?

 

Great info, Shangas, but the tweezers just slide right out.....NOT locked in!

 

The circled pin holds the spring in place to the frame.

 

Do you mean what I'm calling the cork screw??? Otherwise, what spring?

 

No,the silver colored pin in the red circle holds the tension springs which "lock" the blades in position when the blades are open.

 

Well that would be cool, but none of the blades lock in place!!! However, all ideas are Welcome!!!!! From what I can see with a loop, those pins seem to be what are holding the knife together.......but it WAS a potential question I had, which is why I circled one of them!!

 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/pocket-pipe-knife-cleaner-mother-1787816549

Broken pipe tamper.

 

The knife is a "slip joint " folder,the blade has a "locking" flat area where the spring holds the blade in place when opened.

 

oh....yer good !!!!

 

Early morning here, which part is the broken pipe tamper?

 

Oh I see now!! Yes! Kronos is correct, broken pipe tamper.

The tamper is that circular metal thing in the photograph. You would've yanked it out and used it to tamp down (pack in) the tobacco into your pipe before lighting it.

 

Thanks Shangas, I hadn't even noticed that, in spite of bright red arrow and question mark. As I said, early morning.

 

The tamper is THIS THING:

The round knob at the end of the knife. You yank it out and stuff it down the pipe bowl to pack up the tobacco so it doesn't blow everywhere when you start smoking it...