More Pocketknife Patterns Available

[dahoude]

Greetings,

I would like to call to your attention to a few more examples of some period patterns that I have been working on, with the latest being my first three blade pattern, a three blade whittler. This knife pattern dates back to before the CW era, a similar example can be seen by the Holley Manufacturing Company, (shown in red thumbnail pic). This "whittler" features genuine brown bone jigged handles, "rounded" German silver bolsters, brass liners, carbon steel blades. It also features a nostalgic long "match strike" nail pull on the main blade, you do not see many of these anymore! Blades are a large clip point, small clip point, and a small sheep foot. I've also notched it out just a little near the small clip blade's nail pull for ease of opening. The most difficult part of constructing a knife with opposing blades is that they need to be able to fold in together into the handles without striking one another. I learned how to do this from a 75 year old retired Case master cutler. The operation is called "cutlering" the blades and is done with a hammer and anvil.

Another old period correct pattern I've resurrected is the "easy opener jack", another long time favorite pattern of me personally. These feature one spear point blade, and the same quality traditional materials and hand workmanship as the others.

I've now started to do shield inlays as well. You can check out some of my recent work on my website, http://www.orchardhillsutlery.com, just follow the links.

Thanks for looking. Take care all.

Best Regards;

Dan Houde - Proprietor
Orchard Hill Sutlery

[SCTiger]

Daniel:

I thought your work on the "red smooth bone handled two bladed swell end jack with a German silver inlayed shield" was excellent. How do I can I order a custom knife like that? That's one handsome pocket knife. Are you recreating any known museum pieces?

[dahoude]

Greetings Greg, your comments are much appreciated. You can contact me via my email dahoude@earthlink.net or send me a private message through the forum and I can give you details on ordering a custom. As far as recreating pieces, I've been using examples in my own collection, along with period literature and catalogs as guides for the knives that I am producing. Here are a few pics of the latest one off the workbench, this is also for one of our own forum members. It is a single blade swell end jack with jigged amber bone handles.

Thanks again for the feedback, hope to hear from you. Take care.

Regards;

Dan Houde - Proprietor
Orchard Hill Sutlery
http://www.orchardhillsutlery.com

[Michael McComas]

Dan,

I received the red bone knife in yesterday's mail. Thank you for entertaining my special requests. It looks even better in person than it did over email. I don't doubt that it will be a piece I pass on as a family heirloom. Truly an example of the finest knifemaking traditions.

Thanks again,

Michael

[dahoude]

Friends and Comrades;

With only one more knife to make before I have all orders completed, I've decided to make a few knives handled with bone stag. I've been wanting to do some work with the material for a while now. Bone stag was used very liberally in the 19th century as an inexpensive alternative to genuine stag. Genuine stag is deer antler, (which BTW now has a current world wide embargo and is very expensive to obtain), bone stag is cow bone that has been carved and dyed to look like genuine stag. Apparently, genuine stag was expensive back then too, as they used this alternative quite a bit. It allowed the average working man to have a knife that looked like the expensive German imports. I'm going to make a few of what is called a "Curved Regular Jack", these are a curved variation of the swell end jack, and were very common in the 19th century. While here in the states the pattern was called the "Curved Regular Jack", at the same time over in Sheffield the pattern was referred to as the "Church Window" pattern. These will be made in both one and two blade versions, all with tempered high carbon steel blades, German silver bolsters and hardware, and brass liners. I may or may not even inlay a German silver shield. If anyone thinks they may be interested in one, please email me so I have an idea of supplies needed. Cost will be $135.00 on the single blade and $145.00 on the two blade, shields will add another $20.00.
As always, I appreciate your interest and support. Thanks for looking.

Regards;

Dan Houde - Proprietor
Orchard Hill Sutlery
http://www.orchardhillsutlery.com
email: sales@orchardhillsutlery.com

[DougCooper]

Field tested one of Dan knives this weekend and suffice to say, have never seen or felt the like. Cut everything like butter, perfectly balanced, beautiful. I was impressed with the natural bone body and the exacting workmanship of which I can hardly fathom considering the small nature of a true period pocket knife.

Guess I won't be needing Mr Pakistan any more :wink_smil

Well done Dan.

[mightyreb]

those look great & a good pocket knife is highly under rated, do ya have a price list?...just looking for a 3 to 4 inch single blade with bone slabs & small shield
thank you in advance, steve hutton

[dahoude]

Steve,

Greetings, thanks for the comments. I can definitely make what you are describing. Currently I'm not building anything, as I'm moving my shop to a brand new building. I hope to be building knives again soon, I'll keep you posted. Thanks again, take care.

Regards;

Dan