The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-18
THE POCKET KNIFE OF TO-DAY.
fHr HoRsHNAS's rRiRSp.

INN Ao,EhF'
may be inclined to say. and there is nothing
about 1t that we are not all familiar with.
Very wcll, then. that challenge is accepted ut
once. Hero is q piece OF cutlery. for q Begin
ming, that most people know nothing about.
It Il n combined knifo and fork for the use OF
ope-armcd men. The cutters discovered some
time ago that one.armed men found the uso OF
the ordinary knife and fork very unhnndy. as
they had to lay down tho knife before they
could begin operations with the fork. Not
only this, but tho regulation knife. without
tho assistance OF a fork to hold tho food in
nlaco while cutting. showed the food all about
tho plate. They therefore produced what
they call the knifo.fork. This instrument
has II handle like any ordinary table knife. but
the blads is broader and sharply curved. The
cutting edge is on the convex side. and with a
I'm rotary motion it will cut n piece OF tho
toughest meat without altering its position on
the plate. The end OF the blade opens out into
three prongs. like n broad fork. and with one
of these instruments a one-armed man can
hold his own Mt any boarding-houss table.
Occasionally an uniformed customer tries 10
buy one Of these knife.forlis for an ice pick.
but the cutler always explains its uses.
In the mere matter Of pocket knives. which
arc familiar enough to every malo human
creature. there is u great deal to be learned at
the cutters. Some sacred memories have to
be buried when we begin to imbibe Informs
ton. For instance. the boy OF tho present 10
debarrcd from the in estimable privilege Of car-
rying II Barlow knife. Every good man who
was once n country boy will smile with inward
satisfaction at the mere mention Of n Bur-
low knife. Its handle was iron two-thirds Of
tho way down. and the remainder rough bone.
1t had only ono blade. bat that always made OF
good steel. 1t sold for from six to twenty-five
cents. according to the pocket OF the boy and
the conscience of the retailer. 1t was so big
and strong and yet 80 we'll shaped that it was
equally useful for driving n nail. cutting down
Il saplinG. or extracting n silver. But the Bar
low knife is no moe. Fashions in pocket
knives change every two, years. the cutters
say. 20 it would he t"2 much to EXPECT to find
thirty years ago. y" 'ioubt Barlow himself is
dead, hut his name was once MS familiar to
The manv-hladel rocket knife also has
gone ont II fashion. 1t has not disappeared
ih e1rss " 1T ''n make al and is sell i"i i. but nHi Il is 'n more s"s for ora a
curiosity than for actual use. Ten Years ago
It was very fashionable: and a six-bladed knife
that had eight blades. So completely has the
fashion changed that six md eight biadcd
knives may now h" bought on the street stands
Tor twenty-nv cents. warranted az much steel
in the handle rs IN the blades. The centlo-
nmH y r % Hs1, fni Il. q Hn t2.a Ia cn nns tWo nlnsss.
e'li, ~. "'''S - 't.hAo VItSS
"lou must not. one OF our large cutters
says. speak or thirl; 81 u pocket Knife as a
luxury: it is n necessity. 30 gentleman can
do without one. Bat It Is used only. in the
city. los :harpcnin: pencils, "rnsing ink. and
p%erhap: for cutting, nails. Two small blades.
made Of good stool. are rs good as u dozen.
The demand il all for = knife Of than 'ort. with
handles to suit the ancynn the pocket. | cnn
sell YOU such n knife for25cents orfor 500. and
IN both cases tho steel OF. tho blades will be
the sans. The 25.csnt knife will have q com
handle OF gold, perhaps ornamerted with q
little diamond chipping or two: nut for use it
will lie no better than the. other"
The pocket knife most in favor Mt present Is
shown in tho illustration. IT has two blades,
ono At each onL,. aud the point OF one blade is
care 81 the nails. Thi, part Of the knife has
no sharp edges. SO that i is impossible to cut
either tho skin or tho nail with Il. The cutters
say. with some show Of reason. that the ordi-
away a little ridge on the inside Of the nail.
and 80 makes a receptacle. for tho deposit Of
more dirt. Iiis knife. which is u prominent
representative Of the style in vogue. is hroad.r
in the handle than COMMON. and the handle is
faced all over with bone or ivory. without nnv
metal in sight except on tho back. When