Posted 8 years ago
n.c.digger
(4 items)
Farm homesite metal detector find. It is 2 3/4 inches long and weighs 19 grams. Stamped Simmons Sterling on the fob in modern type block letters. Simmons made quite a variety of knives thru the years. I have found only one on the net that looks identical to mine here but yet mine is heavier. In the front side images to the right of P.M. there is a spot of brassy color exposed from pocket wear I suppose. Mine is not stamped to have any gold content but the heavier weight seems to point in that direction. Maybe there is someone here that will recognize the metal the case sides are made of. One day soon I will have it tested for gold content and will update this post with the results. Thanks
If the bail is marked sterling then the handle covers are silver as well. Depending on the oxidant, silver turns many different shades of copper/bronze when it tarnishes. Try polishing it. You will note that there are no pins showing on the sides except for the bail pin. The side pieces are thin shells with a tiny hook opposite the bail end and are clamped on by the bail & pin. The liners, spring, internal pins, and blade are steel. Those parts are called a "skeleton knife" which jewelers buy fully assembled, in bulk, and put their own handles onto. The name on the blade is the name of the manufacturer. At that size there is about 3 to 4 grams of silver in the shells & bail. There is no gold. The heavier knife may have been made by the same jeweler on a skeleton from a different supplier. A "Simmons" (E. C. Simmons) made knives but that name being on the bail, it is probably the jeweler who finished the knife.
Thank You UncleRon for taking the time to share your knowledge of the Simmons knife. With these knives being custom finished by a jeweler there could be many possible variations of it. I have one of these variations. Thanks