1860's German Kris switchblade

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big_slim
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1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by big_slim »

From the Hubertus website, "dagger switchblade", this was in a German cutlery catalog from 1868.
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djones
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by djones »

I like that blade profile. A straight point rather than a continuation of the wave. Probably fragile, though.
Fishtail Picklock
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

That's intriguing. This confirms my belief that the best days of automatic knives aren't in the past. These styles could be revisited with modern alloys and retain their abilities.
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john
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by john »

Why do you think the knife was fragile?
How is the blade released?
How is the blade closed?
I do like the blade profile.

Thank you for posting this.
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djones
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by djones »

I just meant that I thought the blade tip might be fragile because it looks wickedly pointy. That's all. I don't see how it works either.
frank2104
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by frank2104 »

Yes thanks for posting. Nice knife.maybe A is the trigger?
niceguy2
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by niceguy2 »

john wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:18 pm
How is the blade released?
Hi John, hope alls well with you ,,, it appears to me that its a "tab" release , sort of like the old Voss and Klass knives, the tab lifts the backspring to fire. I say this looking at the notch in the blade tang area and some detail noted at the lock area. Cool picture !
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big_slim
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by big_slim »

niceguy2 wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 11:51 pm
john wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:18 pm
How is the blade released?
Hi John, hope alls well with you ,,, it appears to me that its a "tab" release , sort of like the old Voss and Klass knives, the tab lifts the backspring to fire. I say this looking at the notch in the blade tang area and some detail noted at the lock area. Cool picture !
what he said, it looks like there's a notch at the base of the front of the blade and a notch at the back of the blade. When the knife is closed the backspring locks into the front of the blade and when it's open it locks into the back of the blade.
Fishtail Picklock
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

big_slim wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 11:54 pm
niceguy2 wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 11:51 pm
john wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:18 pm
How is the blade released?
Hi John, hope alls well with you ,,, it appears to me that its a "tab" release , sort of like the old Voss and Klass knives, the tab lifts the backspring to fire. I say this looking at the notch in the blade tang area and some detail noted at the lock area. Cool picture !
what he said, it looks like there's a notch at the base of the front of the blade and a notch at the back of the blade. When the knife is closed the backspring locks into the front of the blade and when it's open it locks into the back of the blade.
I think that it is a picklock
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by Bill DeShivs »

It is a picklock, and it's also a tab release.
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Fishtail Picklock
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by Fishtail Picklock »

Bill DeShivs wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 4:40 am It is a picklock, and it's also a tab release.
Suspicions confirmed. I'd like to see this replicated with an S45V steel blade that has been hand-honed to a needle-point and razor-edge. 8)
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button_man
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by button_man »

.

The Industrial Revolution had not yet begun by 1868 and the manufacture of this knife would have been fairly costly.
This was not intended for a worker or merchant; it was a concealed weapon for wealthy gentlemen, professional gamblers, etc.
It's interesting to speculate on the handle material; and it would not surprise me at all if solid silver was used.

(I started to say "sterling silver" but silver in continental Europe has traditionally been slightly less pure;
in Germany, perhaps around .800 to .850 as opposed to British sterling at .925 purity.)

.
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big_slim
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by big_slim »

Well actually the industrial revolution began well before 1868 but I'm sure you're right that this was not a cheap knife. The article on the Hubertus site says that the handles were made out of ivory.
button_man
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by button_man »

.

Okay, technically the Industrial Revolution began around the mid-18th century.... but still, if you transported back to 1820 you would not regard
their manufacturing to be very advanced. The big innovations in machine technology really took off in the last quarter of the 19th century; and
it was those that I had in mind when I was typing that post. Still, your statement is academically correct and I concede the point.

.
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thom
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Re: 1860's German Kris switchblade

Post by thom »

I bet Jeremy could make one like it.
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