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Antique large single-blade folding hunter pocket knife distributed by the historic White Hardware Company based out of St. Louis, Missouri. The master clip blade tang features a highly legible, deeply stamped three-line hardware distributor hallmark reading "WHITE / HDW. CO. / ST. LOUIS". This rare American sporting piece was manufactured via a premium cutlery contract during the peak era of St. Louis hardware expansion, dating approximately between 1910 and 1935.
The knife features beautifully textured, antique dark amber and molasses-brown jigged bone handle scales secured to the thick liners with original flush-fit brass pins. Built as a heavy-duty folding hunter pattern for outdoor field utility, it features a heavy single-end bolster design. The framework spans a substantial closed length of approximately 4 1/2 inches, housing a single massive high-carbon steel clip point blade with a long pull.
The item is in well-carried vintage condition. The authentic jigged bovine bone handle scales are remarkably intact, beautifully worn smooth along the high spots from decades of handling, and remain entirely free of chips, splits, structural cracks, or shrinkage gaps. The high-carbon cutlery steel clip blade exhibits an honest, uncleaned dark gray age patina, surface pocket scratches, and uniform oxidation pitting consistent with vintage field utility. Mechanically, the knife features an unusual external backspring lever mechanism; the spring mechanism on the lock functions and moves properly, and appears designed to keep the massive blade safely locked down while closed inside the handle. Please note that the blade does not lock in place while fully extended, functioning instead under traditional slipjoint spring tension when open. I am not entirely sure of the exact original factory operation, so it is being described to the best of my knowledge. There is a slight blade wobble when extended. Please look at the high resolution photos for condition details, if you have any questions, just ask
