Invention Of The Swivel Knife

[WillGhormley]

Hey Folks,

I was wonderin' if anyone knew who invented the Swivel Knife and when. I'm 51 and it's been around longer than me. It's all I ever heard Al Stohlman talk about, so I know it's older than dirt, or at least the 40's. If anyone has any information, I'd like to hear it.

Thanks,

Will

Edited January 28, 2010 by Johanna
removed email address to prevent spam

[bruce johnson]

Will,

In a class I took from Chuck Smith last month he talked about some of the history of tools. His mention was that the oldest he knew of was an FK Russell. I can't remember what year. The knife was given to Don King for his museum. I have an old Hinkley-Tandy catalog from the 40s, and they have one in there, but no identified maker.

[ClayB]

Good question Will. I've wondered the same thing.

[cgleather]

Me to! I sold some F K Russell stamps for a friend and the buyer stated they made tools in the 20s and 30s.

[WyomingSlick]

Examples of tooled leather that were done by cutting and beveling date back well over a thousand years ago. One early example, a celtic desgn demonstrates this readily. However it is a geometric design that would not have reguired a swivel knife. I think you have to look to the early Spanish carvers who started using floral designs on saddles. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't evolve from a simple knife that simply had a yoke, or Y on the top. Someone probably figured out soon that such a knife would work better if the top would swivel and walla! - the swivel knife was born! I would think then that we owe it to some early Spanish carver who got tired of moving his body, and/or the leather so much while carving a flower. And now we have ball bearings

[bruce johnson]

Will, to date things back a little further than my earlier post, I have part of an old Schoellkopf catalog, and they list swivel knives (called swivel top cutters then) in what I have. The source of the reprint has one from 1924 and one from 1935. Not sure which I have, but I would suspect it is the maybe the 1924. I am basing this on the Landis 3 being the latest sewing machine listed. I thought the 16 came in the early 30s, but someone who has more machine history will know more on that.

[steveh]

P B Mcmillen was established in 1898 in Kansas City MO. They manufactured leather stamps and tools. There was some very nice floral carving coming out of the saddle shops during the turn of the century. Such as Visala ,Main Winchester, DE Walker that looks like swivel knife work to me. The GS Garcia worlds fair saddle of 1904 is also a good example.

Steve

[TimKleffner]

Howdy Will

Glad to see you here. It's been a while since Sheridan show back in 03? 04? Where's Ann????

Happy tooling

Tim

[jana]

The Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools, c.1750-1950, has a section on tooling. The author says that incising knives were used mainly until the early 1900's and that "This knife, which largely displaced the incising knife, is of American origin of c.1900." pg.198. I have tried to find patented information but haven't had much luck... Hope this helps.

Edited February 2, 2010 by jana

[WyomingSlick]

I ran across this article on the net today, and since it applied directly to the subject of this thread, will post it here.

Definately worth the reading!

http://www.proleptic.net/ShopTalk_APRIL_web%20article.pdf

[dustin29]

I ran across this article on the net today, and since it applied directly to the subject of this thread, will post it here.

Definately worth the reading!

http://www.proleptic...b%20article.pdf

Thanks for posting this Slick! You're right this is definately well worth reading.

[ClayB]

I've got the swivel knife that my grandfather used when he was carving leather. I didn't see one like it in any of the pictures in the article. The blade and barrel are all one piece of metal and it's got a rubber grip. I've got the catalog he used when he ordered his leather tools that show a picture of this knife in it. The catalog is from Leather Products CO., Souix Falls, So. Dak. The knife is listed as "500. Junior Swivel Cutter. A smaller cutter with rubber gip. Excellent for ladies or youngsters." There is no date on the catalog but I'd guess it was probably from the early '50's.

[WyomingSlick]

Pretty neat old collector item there Clay. I remember seeing one like it many years ago. If I had realized then what an unusual item it was, then I might have tried to talk the ole boy out of it.

Someone mentioned the matter of patents in an earlier post; I think it is kind of interesting that as far as I know - no one has patented any swivel knife or specific stamping tool. Yes, lots of patents on other leather tools, but you never see a patent on a leather stamp. A good example of this would have been when tri-weaves first showed up. If there was ever a stamp that was new and fairly unique, that was it. Who made the first one? Anybody know for sure?

Is it a case where the patent office won't issue one on a stamp? Or is it not worth the trouble? Seems to that if it was possible to patent a stamp design, Craftool (Tandy) woud have done it years ago to try and slow down the incursion of the Taiwan (MIDAS) tools. Anyone know why this is?

[iwannabeacowboy]

I ran across this article on the net today, and since it applied directly to the subject of this thread, will post it here.

Definately worth the reading!

http://www.proleptic...b%20article.pdf

Wow the amount of information is almost overwhelming. Someone spent some time doing that.

charlie

[MADMAX22]

I've got the swivel knife that my grandfather used when he was carving leather. I didn't see one like it in any of the pictures in the article. The blade and barrel are all one piece of metal and it's got a rubber grip. I've got the catalog he used when he ordered his leather tools that show a picture of this knife in it. The catalog is from Leather Products CO., Souix Falls, So. Dak. The knife is listed as "500. Junior Swivel Cutter. A smaller cutter with rubber gip. Excellent for ladies or youngsters." There is no date on the catalog but I'd guess it was probably from the early '50's.

Hey Clay I was wondering would this possibly be from the same people, it looks similer but is a longer knife and has a removable blade. It has no identifying marks on it though. I got it at the online sale that was up a little while back.

[ClayB]

It has a lot of similarities, maybe an updated version of the knife I have?? Hard to say if it was made by the same company. I would guess that when people started using swivel knives, there were those that were always trying to improve upon what was available. They still are! Your's is an interesting knife, and I'd hang onto it if I was you. Thanks for posting the pictures of it. Maybe someone will come along that can tell us more about it.

[WyomingSlick]

I found this in an article called "Mervin Ringlero: The Homecoming" which you can find with Google. A quote from the article said

"William Salter was considered to be the father of the Arizona style of stamping. He is credited with inventing the modern swivel knife which McMillen Tool Co marketed under the W.S. Swivelknife label."

The article is well worth finding and reading.

[Slider]

Interesting read thanks for posting it.

I ran across this article on the net today, and since it applied directly to the subject of this thread, will post it here.

Definately worth the reading!

http://www.proleptic...b%20article.pdf