The Appeal of Folding Knives

Our shop frequently stocks small antique British folding knives.
We do carry large antique knives as well, but because there are legal restrictions on importing blades over 15 cm long, we mainly deal in smaller ones.

You may not associate modern Britain much with cutlery, but the Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th century, saw the cutlery industry flourish, particularly in Sheffield, where excellent blades were manufactured.

After World War I, Britain's finest cutlery craftsmen immigrated to America, and the British cutlery industry declined.

Folding knives, known as Higo-gami in Japan, have a long history, and even today, small folding knives such as those made by Victorinox remain popular, especially among outdoor enthusiasts.
Many people, particularly men, are drawn to these small blades.

It seems that gentlemen in Britain once carried such folding knives as essentials, tucked into their waistcoat pockets, and many still remain today.

Penknives

A "penknife" is a small knife used to sharpen the nib of a quill pen, which was made from a bird's feather.
Quill pens were used as the main writing instrument until the mid-19th century.

Since it only needed to trim and shape the feather, the blade did not need to be particularly hard or sharp, and many were made of sterling silver.

The handles were often made of mother-of-pearl or other materials, and some featured beautiful decorations on the mother-of-pearl handles or sterling silver blades, making them very attractive knives.

Today, few people use quill pens, and because these small sterling silver knives have relatively soft blades, their use as knives is limited.
Larger ones can be used as fruit knives, as described later, or as letter openers for opening envelopes.

Fruit Knives

Slightly larger than penknives, these were used for peeling fruit.

Many of these blades were also made of sterling silver, as carbon steel blades would rust quickly when exposed to the acidity of fruit.
Since the widespread adoption of stainless steel, some now have stainless steel blades.

Fruit itself was rare and expensive in those days, so such knives were owned by the wealthy.
Many mother-of-pearl or sterling silver handles feature elaborate decorations.

Multi-tools and Cigar Knives

A multi-tool is a folding knife that includes several other tools, such as a pen, file, or corkscrew.
Multi-tools such as Victorinox are still available today, but they also exist as antiques and have a surprisingly long history.

A cigar knife is a small knife used to cut the end of a cigar when smoking.
Many are small and designed to be carried as an Albert chain fob.

Compared to the penknives and fruit knives described above, multi-tools and cigar knives are often designed simply, as practicality was their primary concern.

Many have carbon steel blades, so many have deteriorated due to rust, and not very many remain.

Summary

Antique folding knives are small and take up little space, and many feature beautiful decorations.

Penknives and similar items have survived in relatively large numbers, and some can be purchased affordably as antiques, making them an excellent introduction to collecting antiques.
They also have the appeal of being genuinely useful in everyday life, for example as letter openers.