Need help ID'ing a strange knife...

[mgregg85]

A coworker of mine brought in a weird little pocketknife that has a really strange method of locking and unlocking. In order to open the knife you must push in on the blade and knock the end of the knife on a table or other hard surface. Then you let off pressure on the blade and it will open and lock open. To close it you have to again knock the end on a hard surface and then it will allow you to close the knife.

I couldn't find any manufacturers markings, the only thing I saw as a very hard to read patent number stamped on the blade. My coworker said the knife is around 50 or so years old, maybe more.

Any ideas who made this knife or what kind of locking mechanism this is?

 

[hso]

You've just seen one of the few mystery lock knives. There is a pin that is held in place by a notch in the tang of the knife and a little "back pressure". When the blade is depressed slightly frees the pressure on the pin and gravity should allow the pin to fall free into a little channel, but tapping a "sticky" pin is sometimes needed.

I have never seen any mass market manufacturers that ever built these, but have handled several custom folders that incorporated these. The knife makers that had built the customs have told me there used to be a couple of manufacturers that made these, but I don't remember them telling which.

Cool knife.

Ask if he wants to sell it.

 

[451 Detonics]

They crop up on ebay quite often, many were sold a novelty knives. Imperial made a large number of them and held patents on the lock design.

 

[hso]

451 Detonics,

Thanks for the lead on Imperial making them. The only ones I was familiar with had the pin parallel to the length of the knife. I'd not seen this type before.

 

[Claymore1500]

I've got one of those, just like the one HSO posted, they are especially fun to hand to someone that asks to borrow your knife, then watch them try to open it.

 

[blindhari]

I have a couple of these that were sales promotions for Purina animal feeds and one that is called the Roy Rogers Trick Knife. All have celluloid handles.

blindhari

 

[mgregg85]

Yeah the knife my coworker had looked a lot like the one in those pictures. He shift traded so I won't see him for another 6 days but i'll talk to him more about it after that.

 

[BRad704]

I had one just like that also... maybe 2 decades ago...

 

[Brian Williams]

I have one, it is a nice small knife and has a nice edge. Fun to watch people try and open it. With a little mineral oil your friend would not have to bang it on a table, the pin floats easily in mine.

 

[Giterboosted]

I have one of those, a Roy Rogers trick knife, neat little thing