old knife for $1.50

[alabama11]

Hello all,
Thank you for viewing this thread. Got this last Saturday. Hope someone might know something about this type of knife and maybe the age. There are not any maker marks, but possibly it said warranted on the blade and it was sharpened away. I see some pits. Blade - 5 3/16 inches long, 7/8 i nch at widest point, and handle = 3 13/16 inches long. Has brass pins holding the handle on which is bone or antler. Razor sharp. Best to all.

 

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[austin]

Think it's a butter knife from 1940's-1950's.

 

[diggummup]

I'd say it's a little older, late 1800's/early 1900's. Value is about what you paid for it. Though it's possible, by the 40's-50's most non metallic handles were bakelite, faux bone/ivory or celluloid.

 

[ARC]

IMO... This is Civil War Era... 1860's era ISH... knife.

 

[diggummup]

IMO... This is Civil War Era... 1860's era ISH... knife.

View attachment 1330465

It is very possible that it could date from the CW period. In my opinion though, most bone handled cutlery is advertised as "Civil War era" merely as a marketing ploy. In reality bone handled cutlery was produced for decades after the war and well into the 20th century. I'm judging it by the general shape of the blade, especially the end of it. Excessive sharpening could be the cause but the older knives are generally more rounded and blunt on the end as shown in the photo you produced.

 

[ARC]

I still say 1860's ... :P

Due to another reason

 

[diggummup]

I still say 1860's ... :P

Due to another reason

Like I said it's quite possible but hard to prove, that's all. Brass pins and the word "warranted" were also used well after the 1860's in terms of flatware. I currently have a handful of this type of flatware by various makers and have handled this type of flatware many times in the past as "CW era" is an interest of mine. None of them could be traced to actually being "CW era only". Unless you have a piece made by a maker that was out of business by the time the war ended, or pieces handed down through the family with provenance, I don't see how anyone could put such a precise date on bone handled flatware. I've stated my reasons, care to share yours?

 

[lookindown]

Im positive that knife is from the Civil War era....maybe.