Megan I saw your comment in the chatroom.  Might I suggest you post a pic of the knife and the markings in the Knife Q & A forum?  That will give us an opportunity to see what we are looking for as Colonial is not as easy to date as it would appear and sometimes even just the style makes a difference Knife Q & A Forum

Welcome, Megan!  I envy your sharpening skills.  It took me a long time -- & the eventual purchase of a WorkSharp -- to get competent with sharpening.  Now I can use numerous media to sharpen knives -- my favorites are coffee cups & my most often used is a square of corrugated cardboard.  Still experience plenty of aggravation on diamond plates & whetstones, but I'll just cry myself a river somewhere else.  Again, welcome!