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Vintage Pocket Knives | Solingen & German Knives

@messerhq

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American knife collector in Munich 🇺🇸🇩🇪
Traditional & vintage pocket knives
Solingen research • U.S. + European cutlery
↓ Research, finds & more

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A lineup of mostly vintage Sportmesser, with just a couple of modern examples mixed in. Mostly German-made, with a few American Remington examples in the group as well.

#Sportmesser #Solingen #VintageKnives #PocketKnives #KnifeCollection taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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20 days ago

Ace of Spades ♠️. Six old Herder rivet knives, three different spade-handle variations, and a lot of little differences between them.

I spent some time digging through the catalog history and putting the pieces together. Full write-up is now on MesserHQ.com — link in bio.

#FriedrichHerder #Solingen #VintageKnives #GermanKnives #MesserHQ taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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10 days ago

American section of the cabinet tonight 🇺🇸

A mix of old and new from some of the best makers. Lots of history, great patterns, and a few hard-to-find pieces in here.

Which one would you pick first?

#PocketKnife #KnifeCollection #Slipjoint #TraditionalKnives #EDC taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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6 months ago

Eight blades and a flat white. ☕️

Two four-blade Congress knives from Solingen. A Böker with beer barrel oak covers, picked up years ago at @webeknivessf in San Francisco, and a Jim Bowie–branded Carl Schlieper in yellow Delrin, a gift from @aci.stur .

Flat white from @boulangeriedompierre in Munich.

#MesserHQ #Böker #CarlSchlieper #CongressKnife #solingenknife taken in Boulangerie Dompierre by @messerhq

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17 hours ago

A look inside my knife cabinet. 🔪

I’ve been collecting pocket knives for years, and I still enjoy opening the cabinet and taking it all in. The history, the hunt, the research, and everything I’ve collected along the way. There’s something satisfying about looking around and appreciating what I’ve put together over the years.

#MesserHQ #PocketKnives #KnifeCollection #VintageKnives #KnifeCollector taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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2 days ago

When promotional knives were built for real work.

Two early-20th-century Bayer promotional knives manufactured by J.A. Schmidt & Söhne (Dreiturm) of Solingen, Germany.

Beyond pharmaceuticals, Bayer also produced pesticides and agricultural chemicals. These knives were likely distributed to customers in the agricultural industry, where their specialized tools served a practical purpose.

The two-blade example features a spear-point blade, spike, decorative Kullen bolsters, and a bail.

The three-blade example adds a hooked blade, likely intended for opening seed or grain sacks.

#MesserHQ #Solingen #Dreiturm #Bayer #VintagePocketKnives taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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3 days ago

The German rivet knife, nearly 150 years ago.

During my research at the Deutsches Klingenmuseum in Solingen, I came across these pages from a circa 1880 Peter Hendrichs & Grah Nachfolger pattern book.

I’ve found other rivet knives documented before this catalog, but these are the earliest examples I’ve encountered that closely resemble the German rivet knife pattern as we know it today.

The catalog features familiar spear-point examples, along with one sheepsfoot-bladed version, a variation I’ve never encountered in person.

After years of collecting German rivet knives, I’d love to find one of these early sheepsfoot examples. Hopefully someday!

Has anyone ever come across one?

#MesserHQ #Solingen #RivetKnives #PocketKnifeHistory #AntiqueKnives taken in Solingen, Germany by @messerhq

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4 days ago

A French knife pattern dating back to 1902.

The Venus by @couperiercoursolle, made in Saint-Rémy-sur-Durolle, near Thiers, France.

Léon Coursolle introduced these decorative brass-handled pocketknives in 1902, using bronze dies to stamp intricate designs into the handles. Remarkably, the company still produces them using the original dies more than 120 years later.

A beautiful example of traditional French cutlery.

#CouperierCoursolle #FrenchCutlery #TraditionalPocketKnives #MesserHQ taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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5 days ago

Le Capi by Coutellerie Savignac, made in Foix, France.

Wenge wood covers, Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel blade, and some incredible decorative filework along the spine.

A great example of modern French cutlery.

#CoutellerieSavignac #FrenchKnives #TraditionalKnives #Slipjoint #MesserHQ taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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6 days ago

Which one are you taking?

🇩🇪 Otter Small Ankermesser — Made in Solingen, Germany. African blackwood covers with a brass anchor inlay.

🇺🇸 Great Eastern Cutlery TC Barlow (2017) — American-made with Gabon ebony covers and steel TC bolsters.

Two traditional working knives from opposite sides of the Atlantic.

Which do you prefer?

#MesserHQ #OtterMesser #GreatEasternCutlery #TraditionalPocketKnives #Solingen taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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7 days ago

Good coffee, old boots, and an even older knife. ☕️

Flat white at @suuapinga in Munich.

Wearing my @redwingheritage boots that I bought back in 2014. They’re now on their third set of soles.

Carrying a vintage DREITURM work knife by J. A. Schmidt & Söhne, Solingen. It’s got a serious pull, great action, and I love the big spike. If you ever come across one of these, I’d highly recommend picking it up.

Handmade Messer HQ leather slip.

#MesserHQ #Dreiturm #Solingen #VintageKnives #RedWingHeritage by @messerhq

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8 days ago

A look inside an original Anton Wingen Jr. Solingen pattern book featuring a wide range of pocket knives, including stag-handled models.

The undated pattern book is accompanied by a price list effective from 15 December 1914, just months after the outbreak of WWI.

An accompanying notice explains that rising material costs, particularly for East Indian stag antler, meant previously quoted prices could no longer be honored.

The documents offer a glimpse into the rising costs facing Solingen knife manufacturers during the early months of the war.

#AntonWingen #Solingen #VintageKnives #KnifeHistory #MesserHQ taken in Munich, Germany by @messerhq

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9 days ago