George III pocket fruit knife 1805

Description

This 19th-century pocket fruit knife was made in the year of Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, 220 years ago. The knife is bolsterless, quite unusual for the period. It measures 3 1/4 inches closed and is made with brass liners, rounded iridescent mother-of-pearl scales, a navette shaped inlaid silver cartouche engraved with the original owner’s monogram “JJ”, and a gadrooned silver back bar sleeve. The solid silver spearpoint blade has two hallmarks, the George III duty mark and the lion passant guardant. An unusual  feature of this Georgian pocket fruit knife is the lack of nail nick. When the trend in fruit knives changed from pistol-grip hafts and scimitar blades in the late 18th century to more rectangular hafts and spearpoint blades by the late 1790s it was normal to have a nail nick to ease opening. It is most unusual for an 1805 knife to have a blade without a nail nick. There is a tiny crack to the mother-of-pearl at the hinge end of the haft which has received a contemporary repair via a tiny silver rivet. Otherwise this 220 year old knife is in excellent condition.