FINE RARE ANTIQUE SHEFFIELD FOLDING LOCKBACK DIRK KNIFE Start Price USD 1,149.50 Current Price USD 1,149.50 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, September 29, 2008 End Time Thursday, October 09, 2008 Location Fairfield, California See more about 'FINE RARE ANTIQUE SHEFFIELD FOLDING LOCKBACK DIRK KNIFE' Description FINE & RARE ANTIQUE SHEFFIELD FOLDING LOCKBACK DIRK KNIFE CIRCA 1850-1865 Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Click to Enlarge Description: FINE & RARE FANCY SHEFFIELD FOLDING LOCK BACK DIRK KNIFE by G. NIXON & SON, CIRCA 1850-65 Fine and RARE Sheffield mid-19th Century Folding Lock back Dirk knife by G. Nixon & Son. They are listed as G. Nixon & Son, CELEBRATED CUTLERY in Goins Directory as having manufactured "Bowie" type knives, among other cutlery, from 1850 to 1865. During most of the 19th century there was little law and order, and it was "every man for himself". Men were often at risk of being waylaid by thugs, ner' do goods, thieves, robbers, and bandits; and typically carried a cap and ball percussion pistol for self-protection. Cartridges were not readily available until the 1860's, and percussion pistols were prone to misfiring. Gentlemen would typically carry a folding knife in their pocket or vest; or sometimes a less expensive fixed blade dirk as a side knife on their belt as a back up weapon. Folding dirks were expensive at the time, and are many times rarer than their fixed blade counterparts. Sheffield Folding Dirk knives were also favored by Military Officers during the Mexican American War and the Civil War periods for self-defense. The blade ricasso is hot stamped "G. NIXON", "& SON" in two lines. The Dirk overall is almost 9" long open, with a single edged 3 15/16" long spear point dirk blade. The blade has been sharpened over time and properly cleaned at sometime in it's distant past. There are small spots of very light pitting on the back side of the blade, as well as sharpening marks and a few age spots, as to be expected. This is normal wear for a knife that is around 142-157 years old; and is in used, but not abused condition. When you run you finger over the sharpened edge, there are no nicks to the blade. The blade locks tightly in the open locked position, with no play forward and backward. The blade also has an excellent snap for a 2-piece locking back spring. The Master pin is German silver and original; and matches the German silver pinched, line engraved bolster. The scales are bone, with 4 small brass pins, and an un-inscribed, very unusual fancy escutcheon plate. The liners are brass. The fancy leaf motif with a beaded border pommel is a very unusual pattern. It is hollow stamped German silver filled with lead. There is one 1/4" long small sliver of the 3 dimensional pattern on the front pommel near the scales that is filled with lead residue. This is not uncommon for hand made knives, appears original and of the period, barely noticeable, and not distracting. This knife is hefty for its size, weighing 3.1 ounces. The bone scales are in excellent condition overall, with one thin naturally occurring hairline crack at one of the top scale pins on the back, non display side near the bolster due to shrinkage of the bone over time. The front scales have a coloration pattern to the bone scale near the bolster. Under a 10 power loupe, the pattern appears like a fingerprint; demonstrating that the coloration is naturally occurring; created from absorption of oils from handling into the variable texture of the porous bone material that only comes from a 100+ years of natural aging. This dirk is in excellent + condition overall, with no repairs or alterations. These folding dirk knives were made only as a self-defence weapon for personal protection, and were completely hand forged and hand made using only the simplest of hand tools. This RARE Sheffield folding dirk knife would make a handsome display piece in any knife, pocket knife, folder, dirk, folding dirk, Sheffield, Bowie, Civil War, gambling, Old West, Western Americana, or Military Officer's accoutrement collection.PLEASE CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS & SERVICES OFFERED BY WEST COAST TRADING POST BY CLICKING ON THE "ME" BUTTON IN MY EBAY LISTINGS; OR, COPYING AND PASTING THIS URL: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=1knifeguy1Shipping : YOU MUST BE OVER 18 TO PURCHASE THIS ITEM.Shipping & handling are free, and allows completion of the transaction with just a few clicks of the mouse via PayPal. Payment :PAYPAL PAYMENT ONLY! 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