NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

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kwackster
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NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

Recently i bought this old Hammer Brand 2 bladed jackknife, made by the New York Knife Company in Walden, New York.
The company was operational from 1856 until 1931, when it closed it's doors.
The main blade seems to have an early version of the arm holding a forging hammer, and this is how the knife looked when i got it.

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The blades on these knives were forged from crucible steel:

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Old image of the New York Knife Company situated on the Walkill River.

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kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

On most period Hammer Brand knives the tang stamp shows a shorter upper arm section with a bulging bicep, while on mine the upper arm is more elongated and without that pronound bicep.
Speculating i would think that the bulging bicep could be seen as an improvement from a marketing point of view, making the tang stamp on my knife an older version.

Picture from the tang stamp with the more commonly seen muscular arm:

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The stamp on my knife:

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kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

As i intend to carry & use this well made old knife for a while i'm treating it to some TLC.
Already cleaned everything thoroughly using toothpicks, a old toothbrush, an ultrasonic cleaner, and also electrolytically.
Then removed the bladeplay in the pivot and gave the old wood panels a few coats of IKEA mineral oil and a topcoat of Granger's wax.

Currently in the process of reshaping & regrinding both blades, the points of which now don't stick out of the handle in the closed position anymore.
This is the smaller blade after hand regrinding it ever so slightly convex on 400 grit wet & dry SiC paper clamped on a piece of hardened glass using WD40 as a lubricant.
There's a visible burr all along the edge, so it's now ready for one or more refining steps.
The single sided swedge was redone with a small diamond file.

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And the larger blade.
It's double sided swedge was also redone with the small diamond file.

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kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

How the main blade currently looks.
It's surfaces have for now been finished on 1000 grit wet & dry on a semi-hard rubber backing using WD40 oil as a lubricant.
A microbevel has been applied on the white sticks of a Spyderco Sharpmaker at the ~30 degrees inclusive setting, again using some WD40.

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And the smaller blade:

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kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

The finished knife.
Both blades can now shave armhair above the skin, the joints have had a few drops of 5-weight Nano-Oil, and the knife is fully usable again.

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john
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by john »

Nice restoration looks great :!: it looks 20 years younger.
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TRYKER
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by TRYKER »

THE LONGER ARM IS FROM THE EARLIER KNIVES. AS TIME WENT ON AND THE MODEL WORKED OUT MORE WITH WIEGHTS CAUSING THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE BICEP. THEY THUS CHANGED THE TANG STAMP TO SHOW THOSE RESULTS.

(JOKE)
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Billyfish
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by Billyfish »

Very nice folder Kwackster. I have a Hammer brand desk knife that belonged to my Grandfather (I'm 73); the letter opener end is static (does not close), the penknife blade is folding, and the scales are real MOP with nickel bolsters. It's a shame that the logo etched on the blade gets polished off during restoration as has happened with yours and mine. The blade takes a very keen edge.
Import- export tariffs killed a lot of small knife companies in the US during the era of Hammer brand knives.
How do you know they are made from crucible steel?
kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

@ Billyfish: Do you have a few pics of your knife ?
The logo on the main blade of my knife was already long gone before i started the regrind, the blade surfaces were all scratched up from use & sharpening attempts.
That the New York Knife Company used crucible steel in their Hammer Brand line was specifically stated on their knife packaging (see my first post for an example)
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Billyfish
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by Billyfish »

Hi Kwackster,
I'll see if I can get a couple of pictures in the thread .
Good light for outdoor photography today. :)
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kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

Beautiful old school model, never seen one like that before.
Also with that mother-of-pearl handle definitely a more expensive knife/letter opener, especially back in the day.
Does your knife also have the tang stamp with the arm and hammer ?
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Billyfish
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by Billyfish »

kwackster wrote: Sun Aug 30, 2020 7:10 am @ Billyfish: Do you have a few pics of your knife ?
The logo on the main blade of my knife was already long gone before i started the regrind, the blade surfaces were all scratched up from use & sharpening attempts.
That the New York Knife Company used crucible steel in their Hammer Brand line was specifically stated on their knife packaging (see my first post for an example)
No arm and hammer stamp; Hammer Brand was etched on the blade surface .
Crucible steel or wootz, bulat etc normally has a pattern like that shown below. The steel must be forged at a cherry red color; any hotter and the pattern disappears. Maybe New York Knife was doing this, but I'm fairly sure the secret of making wootz was lost to history back before our knives were made and didn't get rediscovered until the late Thirties iirc. :)

Who knows though; possibly there are other definitions of crucible steel. :)
{edit} Aha, I think I've figured out the crucible steel thing. Our knives were most likely made from Hard Cast steel which is also made in a crucible but has no pattern when worked into knives etc.
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kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

From what i've read on another forum NYKC Hammer Brand knives with only the blade etching and no arm & hammer tang stamp yet predate the knives that have both, which would make your knife a real early one, probably from around 1880 - 1885.
Sheffield crucible cast steel was indeed an entirely different thing than wootz, and also noticeably easier to grind and sharpen i can say from experience.
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Billyfish
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by Billyfish »

Thank you for that dating Kwackster, I appreciate that little desk knife even more now. 8)
Grandfather was a Wildcatter.
kwackster
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Re: NYKC Hammer Brand 2-blade Jack knife

Post by kwackster »

Also found this interesting background information about the American pocketknife industry, by Walden village historian Mary Ellen Matise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loY2aom ... reload=101
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