RARE 1825-50 MINTY UNSHARPENED UNCARRIED ETCHED PATRIOTIC DAGGER WITH PROVENANCE

Description

RARE 1825-50 MINTY UNSHARPENED UNCARRIED ETCHED PATRIOTIC DAGGER WITH PROVENANCE
RARE 1825-50 MINTY UNSHARPENED UNCARRIED ETCHED PATRIOTIC DAGGER WITH PROVENANCE
ANTIQUE CONNOISSEUR QUALITY MINT CONDITION UNSHARPENED
UNCARRIED FANCY CROSS GUARD & POMMEL PATRIOTIC AMERICAN EAGLE
ETCHED DRESS DAGGER WITH ORIGINAL MINT GOLD EMBOSSED SHEATH
CIRCA 1825 - 1850 FROM FAMOUS COLLECTIONS
There is scant information published on this Maker Crookes Brothers, Sheffield. He is listed in Goin's Encyclopedia of Cutlery markings as being in business from 1825 - 1850, manufacturing Bowie type knives and other types of cutlery. There are several other 18th and 19th Century cutlers with the name Crookes. There were dozens and dozens of collaborations within the hundreds of Sheffield makers; and families typically were in the cutlery business for decades or even centuries. It is possible that Crookes Brothers have a family affiliation with the well-known Sheffield Cutler Jonathan Crookes (est. 1780), although J. Crookes was not noted in the Sheffield trade directory until 1827. It is also possible that Crookes brothers have a family affiliation with the later period noted maker G. Crookes & Co., the well-known and high-quality Sheffield Maker of Bowie type knives, circa 1836-1856, who operated an import agency in New York City between 1851-1855 and also ran a wholesale cutlery outlet from 1852-1854. Their factory was located at 95 Norfolk Street, Sheffield; the same street as Joseph Rodgers (#6 Norfolk). This later company was renamed Crookes & Co. between 1856-1867, after which it appears they went out of business. This fine Dagger was made between the mid-1830's period when Sheffield began creating Patriotic themes in their cutlery, to the 1840's. Crookes Brothers went out of business in 1850.
During most of the early to mid-19th century there was little law and order, and it was "every man for himself". Men were constantly at risk of being waylaid by thugs, ner' do goods, thieves, robbers and bandits. Men typically carried a single shot cap and ball percussion pistol, or brace (pair) of pistols for self-protection. The Colt Patterson revolver was not invented until 1836, and only a very affluent gentleman could have afforded one. It wasn't until the Colt 1849 Pocket model percussion (loose powder, cap & ball) revolver was introduced that most men could afford to purchase and carry a multi-shot pistol for self-protection. These loose powder, cap & ball pistols were unreliable; and until cartridges became in general use after the U.S. Civil war, Men continued to carry edged weapons for self-protection. Almost all men of this period would carry a fixed blade Dagger, Dirk or Bowie knife as a side arm on their belt that could perhaps avert a skirmish or confrontation just by being displayed; and some would also carry a folding dirk in their pocket or vest that would be hidden for concealment and used as a weapon when needed. Early Sheffield Daggers fall into the category of edged weapons made for personal self-defense purposes. Double-edged Daggers were intended for stabbing & slashing self-protection, should the occasion arise; and thus have the accompanying Mano-a-Mano romance and history associated with this early period of American history. They were the Gentleman's primary (or back up) side arm and necessary accouterment. Fancy Sheffield Daggers, Dirks and Bowies were favored by affluent Gentlemen, Gamblers, Dandys and Sporting Gents, as well as Military Officers during the Mexican American and Civil War periods for self-defense. These weapons were carried as a necessary accouterment for self-protection through the late 1800's as well as beyond the turn of the century when carrying firearms were outlawed.
This is the creme`-de-la-creme` of Fine Sheffield Dagger self-defense weapons, i.e., a well-known, high quality early maker, fancy cross guard & pommel, select scales, inlaid shield escutcheon, Patriotic American Eagle etched blade with a mint gold embossed sheath. In my opinion, this is one of the finest examples known of this early, pre-1850 type of fancy pattern Dagger that made for, and intended to be carried and used, typically for decades. Overall length in the sheath is 10 1/16". The Dagger is 9 11/16" overall. This is a hefty, deadly weapon for its size; weight is 5.6 ounces including the sheath. This dagger shaped blade has a median ridge down the middle, is made from about 1/8" thick stock, and is 5 5/8" long with a double edge found on Self Defense knives that were intended for both stabbing and slashing when making a return stroke during a knife fight, i.e., 2 sharpened edges vs. the typical 1 sharpened edge found on dirk style knives. The blade has a handsome etched panel the full length of the blade depicting a spread winged American Eagle clutching olive leaves with the American Eagle Patriotic etched panel with "The Land of the Brave" "& The Home of the Free" with a field of stars above and below and fancy scroll work on both sides. The blade is sharp, with the original edge, and has never been sharpened. The dagger blade has a full tip, and no nicks to the blade edge when running your finger down the edge of the blade. The blade has all of its original signature Sheffield crocus of Iron polish; a time-consuming final polish found on high quality Sheffield knives that makes the blade look as if it is chrome plated. As expected, there are spots of natural aged spidering; mostly around the front and back ricasso, along with light scattered aging. The blade front has some light spidering at tip and on the shiny crocus of Iron polished border edges. The back of the blade has light spidering at the tip with light scattered spotting, mostly along one blade flat near the tip. Spidering is considered desirable, as it takes a century + to form naturally; and thus, proves genuine age. This dagger is unsharpened, and by looking at its mint original sheath, also appears to never have been carried. The hilt scales are secured with 2 German silver pins. The ends of the scales are angled at about a 45-degree angle in the side view and have natural light-yellow aging; undarkened by the oils transferred by handling over time. The hilt widens at the pommel to a bulbous form with identical stamped 3-dimensional lead filled hollow stamped German silver mounts on both sides in a shell motif at the end and grape clusters and leaf panels. The German silver cross guard with integral ferrule has identical stamped 3-dimensional lead filled hollow stamped German silver mounts on both sides in a Fleur-de-Lis' pattern with downward curled Quillons. Both the cross guard and pommels are secured with German silver pins, and the knife is tight. The fancy U. S. shield style escutcheon plate intended for initials and /or a date is unengraved and was inlaid flush using a parser (bow fiddle). The liners are brass and extends to the end of the pommel, visible in the side view. There are no dings or damage to the mounts and no cracks to the scales; testament that the knife has been put up and stored properly without exposure to sunlight, heat, and moisture; and rarely handled and never dropped. The original sheath is typical Sheffield style; cardboard covered with a thin leather veneer in a very unusual maroon color. Both sides have the original fancy double gold gilded border with a stylized pattern on the center front panel. The sheath tip is German silver with the early cut tip pattern, and the throat with the original frog button is also German silver. The mounts are in fine condition, and the throat has a very light minor scuff on the back side. These fancy cardboard sheaths were very delicate; not practical over time or extended use and were made primarily to get the knife out of the showroom; thus, few survived intact. A matching sheath in original, mint condition, en suite with the same mint condition of the knife, adds very significantly to the value of this piece. The gold gilding is very delicate and can be worn off by simple rubbing with the fingers. This sheath has all of the original gold embossed gilding and one small indentation and a small scuff mark on the back non-display side that is certainly not distracting, and overall, in untouched condition.
Finding any pre-1850 weapon in excellent + condition is rare. This extraordinary example has never been sharpened, buffed, cleaned or even carried; and was obviously unused and "put up". Think about how many generations of kids this piece avoided, and how it was kept in mint condition for 171-196 years. This is a handsome, high quality piece; and it would be almost impossible to improve on the condition of this dagger. This Dagger is Mint with overall eye appeal, in unsharpened & uncarried condition that is unheard of in a pre-1850 weapon intended for use; plus, it has great provenance. You will see hundreds of daggers before you will see one in this superb condition. This pre-1850 Sheffield Dagger would be the centerpiece of most dagger / dirk collections. This would make a handsome display piece in any knife, dirk, dagger, Bowie, edged weapon, gambling, Mexican War, Civil War, Military, Old West or Western Americana collection; as well as being an excellent Investment for a discerning Connoisseur collector.
The late Bill Williamson wrote that 95% of all early 19th Century Sheffield knives were imported into America. Given this American heritage and legacy, pre-1850 mint self-defense weapons are extremely rare and desirable. This handsome, eye appealing, early, double-edged Dagger with fancy cross guard & pommel, select scales, American Eagle Patriotic etched blade in mint, unsharpened, uncarried condition with a mint gold embossed sheath is extraordinarily rare. This was then, and is still, a top of the line, connoisseur investment piece for a discerning Gentleman. 19th Century Sheffield knives were completely hand forged, hand ground, hand fitted, hand polished, hand etched, i.e., completely handmade, using only simple hand tools. Ask a modern custom knife maker what he would charge to duplicate this hand forging, grinding, polishing & etching using only simple hand tools such as hammers & drills; and you would still end up with a knife with no age, no history and no romance. Most collectors have never seen, much less had an opportunity to own a handsome, eye appealing, early self-defense weapon such as this without traveling to an auction house, and bidding until you end up owning the piece (plus buyer's premium, taxes, shipping /handling and / or travel expenses).
Provenance: Formerly in two ex. Antique Bowie Knife Association Iconic members who have passed over the great divide: Don Littman / Salem Oregon 60-year collection, George Taylor / Los Gatos, California 50-year collection / 2 private California collections. This exact piece is illustrated in "The Largest Knife Sale Ever" catalog part I, February 25. 2008 in San Francisco by Greg Martin Auctions, page 28, lot #42, with an estimate of ,000 - ,000, plus buyer's premium, plus sales taxes, plus shipping / handling and / or travel expenses).
PAYMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAYPAL & ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER, e-CHECKS & ALL MAJOR CREDIT & DEBIT CARDS, APPLE PAY, GOOGLE PAY AND ALL OTHER PAYMENT METHODS APROVED BUY EBAY.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SHIPPING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING FOR DOMESTIC BUYERS & TO THE EBAY U.S.A. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CENTER.
FOR USA PURCHASES, SHIPPING, HANDLING & DELIVERY IS FREE VIA U.S.P.S. FIRST CLASS MAIL (UP TO 16 OZ.) OR U.S.P.S. PRIORITY MAIL USING ONLINE SHIPPING LABELS WITH DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WILL HAVE THEIR ITEM SHIPPED TO EBAY'S U.S. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CENTER; AND EBAY WILL INFORM THE BUYER OF THE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING / CUSTOMS / TARIFFS, VALUE ADDED OR ANY OTHER FEES, LEVIES OR TAXES. All items are shipped within 1 to 2 business days with email confirmation. Exceptions include holidays, power outages, and evacuations. Items shipped to a California address require CA State sales tax of 8.625% or a valid CA seller's permit # or the item cannot be shipped. All items are shipped using PayPal or eBay's online shipping service and are covered for non-delivery by their shipping service with free tracking and delivery confirmation. BUYER AGREES TO EBAYS RULE THAT SIGNATURE CONFIRMATIN IS REQUIRED FOR ALL ITEMS OVER 0, AND OTHER SHIPPING CHARGES SUCH AS U.S.P.S. EXPRESS MAIL MUST BE REQUESTED AND PAID FOR ANY OPTIONS WITH PURCHASE, AND WILL MAKE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS FOR ITEMS REQUIRING A SIGNATURE AS PROOF OF RECEIPT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TERMS & CONDITIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALL BUYERS MUST CONFIRM HIGH BIDDER STATUS AND MUST MAKE PAYMENT WITHIN 3 BUSINESS DAYS OR 5 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER LISTING ENDS; otherwise, Seller reserves the right to cancel the sale and report you to eBay as a non-paying bidder. Seller reserves the right to relist an item if eBay's system goes down within 24 hours of the end of the auction. Bids will not be accepted from anyone that is not a registered eBay user. Seller reserves the right to cancel bids from any eBay buyer who Seller determines has an unsatisfactory eBay transaction history, has changed their eBay user Identity in the previous 30 days, whose eBay rating is listed as private.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SELLER'S RETURN POLICY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eBay customers are protected when they are an eligible buyer, complete a purchase of an eligible item on a eBay's website, and purchase the item on eBay by using the "Pay Now" option, third-party checkout or an eBay invoice in one lump payment with a PayPal approved financial business. Buyers must keep their PayPal account in good standing. Buyers must show good faith conduct with the seller. Improper good faith conduct can include, but is not limited to, any means by which a buyer can attempt to unjustly benefit from the Seller's Terms & conditions or eBay's Buyer Protection plan. Moreover, good faith conduct does not include buyer's remorse, regardless of the reason. Returns will not be accepted such as changed my mind, found a better price, just didn't like it, Ordered by mistake, Arrived too late, etc. Returns will not be accepted and buyers will be reported to eBay when buyer makes
false
claims such as doesn't match description or photos, doesn't seem authentic, Doesn't fit, Wrong item sent, Missing parts or pieces, Doesn't work or defective, Arrived damaged. If you wish to take advantage of any of the issue resolution options available from the seller, you must have the business courtesy to discuss any potential issue within 3 days of receipt, and gain agreement with the seller prior to requesting a return through eBay, leaving feedback or initiating any online dispute process. By doing so, buyers commit to negotiate in good faith, and that they have not initiated any other form of resolution processing; including eBay / PayPal dispute process or credit card charge backs, or purchases where you have been or may be compensated by a third party. Possible buyer / seller resolution examples are: if seller and buyer agree that an item is significantly different than described and photographed, exchanging an item for a different item from the seller (whether listed or unlisted), credit from the seller against any current or future item, adjustment, trade, return, or any other arrangement that is mutually agreed upon between the seller and the buyer, and confirmed in writing via eBay's email system. These options are designed to expedite resolution of any potential issue quickly, easily and amicably, in lieu of eBay / PayPal on-line dispute resolution process which is lengthy, laborious, and allows decisions to be made by a 3rd party instead of the principals; i.e., the buyer & seller. Due to a myriad of International and U.S. Federal, State, Territory, County, City or Local law(s), ordinance(s), restrictions(s) or regulation(s), some articles shipped via U.S.P.S. may have restrictions and / or regulations that may apply to your article(s) shipped to a U.S. address. Buyers are responsible for knowing if any International, Federal, State, Territory, County, City or Local law(s), ordinance(s), restrictions(s) or regulation(s) may apply to your article(s) shipped to your ship to your address; and buyers are responsible for any loss if any prohibited or restricted item(s) shipped to your ship to address is confiscated for any reason. Any item returned must be pre-approved by the seller and received by seller within 7 days from receipt. If a buyer claims the item is damaged in shipping, it must send photographic proof on eBays email system, gain agreement with the seller, and item must be returned before buyer enters a feedback comment and before any exchange, credit or refund is issued. Buyer must use appropriate shipping, delivery confirmation and / or signature confirmation (items 0 ) and/or insurance at the buyers expense. Restocking fee, partial refunds and refunds are negotiable when buyers are dealing in good faith.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ALL BUYERS AGREE TO SELLERS RETURN POLICY THAT SUPERSEDES EBAYS RETURN POLICY FOR ALL ITEMS.
v.9.19.2020
Listing and template services provided by inkFrog