Have a question? Ask Woody!
Articles Forums Gallery Marketplace Videos

WoodCentral Forums

Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

Fast and affordable laser cutting – so you can make the parts you can’t find anywhere else

What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

Posts

What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#1

What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

Skip in Falls Church

>I ran across something I got in a bunch of leather working tools yesterday. It seemed pretty odd, I'd never seen anything like it before although that might be because I'd never really looked at one or known what I was seeing if I did. It's a knife, which isn't that unusual - but this one is in an elongated barrel shaped wooden case. To open it you pull the knife assembly out, open the blade - then reinsert it with the open blade locked in position by the case. It is stamped AJW Jernbolaget Eskiltuna on the brass blade assembly that fits inside the case and Jernbolaget Eskiltuna Sweden on the blade. Who ever had this one ground the tip into a chisel shape and sharpened it. Since it came with some awls (sewing types, not scratch) and arch punches, I assume the person used it for leather working

I'd never seen one before, so I thought it a bit unusual. However, as I was looking through eBay this morning, I saw what appears to be a similar knife. (I also noticed the price on the few items in the auction seemed to be all out of proportion to what I thought it should be.) Does anyone have any information about this type of knife? I know the name Eskiltuna mostly from chisels - usually good quality ones at that.

I'm posting some pictures of it and a link to the (now ended) eBay auction. What appears to be a similar knife is the bottom item in all the pictures. BTW, my wife thinks that the item identified in the auction as a crochet hook may be a very small hand spindle.

Skip


img

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6153437891&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Re: What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#2

Re: What kind of knife is this? 2

Skip in Falls Church

>This is with the parts disassembled.


img

Re: What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#3

Re: What kind of knife is this?3

Skip in Falls Church

>Reassembled with the blade out.


img

Re: What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#4

Just a guess...

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>...maybe it's the world's slowest switch blade? ;-)

Tommy

Re: What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#5

Re: What kind of knife is this?

Todd Hughes

>This is what is called a swedish "Barrel" knife or folding Sloyd knife. Most were made from the mid 1800's to mid 1900's. Some were made by Erik Berg in Eskilstuna Sweden the same people that made the chisels that many get excited about.These are faily collectable knives and is to bad your blade is in bad shape. Book at $60-$80 a real nice one would go higher. Last year I picked up a very fancy one and sold it for about $250 if I remember right.Mine wasn't marked and had several people email me and said they thought it was made in the far east [maybe by Lars Ahabe?] Don't know Looked very well made and the buyer liked it.Was funny when i bought it the seller had no idea what it was or how it opened or even if it did. He asked me what it was but I just said I don't know... maybe a smoking pipe tool?[!] Finaly he tells me $50 which I told him I thought was pretty high for something he doesn't know what it was. He was scared that i was going to skin him on some unknown gem I figured so gave me a high price , fishing. I went ahead and bought it just to bug him more then anything which I am sure I did....Never did tell him what it was.....Todd

Re: What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#6

Re: What kind of knife is this?

Skip in Falls Church

>Thanks Todd! I can see why they would be collectable - it's really a neat kind of knife. It took me a minute or two to figure out how to open it myself. However, the little tab was obviously part of a catch of some sort - so from there out it was pretty easy. I need to seriously sharpen it - it's got a couple of very small notches in it I just put an edge on it to see how it would take an edge. It sharpened up really well.

I was planning on dumping it in with the other leatherworking tools - but didn't want to do that with something that could be overly valuable. Of course the major problem is keeping it away from my wife She thinks it is just *too* cute. I may have to keep it under lock and key just to make sure it stays where I put it. Of course I have to inventory my wood planes too - she thinks they'd make great decorator items.

Skip

Re: What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#7

Re: What kind of knife is this?

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Hey Skip...Put it in your pocket Saturday morning!JR

Re: What kind of knife is this? *LINK*

#8

Re: What kind of knife is this?

Skip in Falls Church

>Sure - I might end up finding it in my wife's pocket though. She is just in love with it and might pick my pocket on the way. :)

Skip

👍 This page answered my questions

Your vote helps other woodworkers quickly find the answers and techniques that actually work in the shop.