Replies to This Discussion

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on June 5, 2014 at 15:35

The company that made the Snake Brand was S & J Kitchin LTD in Sheffield starting around 1865- They moved to another location in Sheffield in the 1920's- They were acquired by Ralph Martindale & Co. LTD of Birmingham, England in 1957 who also have been in business for 125 years and still are. You will find references to these knives as being  Kitchin knives or Snake Brand knives- S & J Kitchin were big importers of "trade knives" in the Old West- If authentic to that period worth maybe $200-$300, although I doubt the sheath is original-There are new reproductions being sold with the same tang stamps and snake logo being sold for $25-$30 dollars- Some say the new repros are made in India or Pakistan although I doubt it, as Ralph Martindale still holds the Snake Brand name, and says all their knives are made in Britain-

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on June 5, 2014 at 19:39

Thank you John I believe thats it. I find nothing to disagree with!

Permalink Reply by Jacob White on June 5, 2014 at 20:20

I truly appreciate the great insight.  I love finding out the history of old items.  So I guess the big question is how do I tell if what I have is authentic to the Old West trade knife days?  I know the version I have has two brass pins, dark wood handles and a steel full tang blade with a black patina.  The blade resembles a clip point blade with a straight, not curved, spine near the point.  Also, unlike the knife on Amazon or Jedediah Starr's website, the snake logo and the Snake Brand *Sheffield* is on the left side of the blade when holding it out from you rather than the right side as shown in their pictures.  Thoughts?

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on June 6, 2014 at 1:03

Jacob,  if you take a closer look at the Amazon photo you can see that its inverted.  I thought it was wrong also, until I took a closer look.

Permalink Reply by Jacob White on June 6, 2014 at 8:59

Hmmmm....tricky tricky.

Permalink Reply by Jacob White on June 6, 2014 at 9:05

I guess the question still remains...how can I tell if the one I have is the new version or the old?

Permalink Reply by Jacob White on June 6, 2014 at 9:36

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Kitchin-Family-Snake-Brand-Sheffield-Da...

http://www.icollector.com/OLD-WEST-SNAKE-BRAND-SHEFFIELD-COWBOY-ERA...

Interesting....the patina looks very similar.

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on June 6, 2014 at 9:40

Thats what I thought, although it does look pretty "crisp and clear" for something from 1800.

Jacob White said:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Kitchin-Family-Snake-Brand-Sheffield-Da...

http://www.icollector.com/OLD-WEST-SNAKE-BRAND-SHEFFIELD-COWBOY-ERA...

Interesting....the patina looks very similar.

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on June 6, 2014 at 10:15

Jacob, although not an expert, I am going to say it is original- The repros I have seen were of different patterns, and other than the tang stamps, were not made to deceive- Sure, an individual could have counterfeited one to deceive, but a lot of work for a knife valued at $200-$300- That deep clear tang stamp on yours is actually a good thing- That deep tang stamp is how they were made originally- I have seen examples of authenticated Kitchin/ Snake Brand knives and they, too, had that deep ,crisp tang stamp-Just tells me it was not etched in by a counterfeiter- Hope this helps- Plus, the company that owns the Snake Brand name, is known for mainly making machetes and bushcraft knives- Don't think they made but 2 or 3 repros, and as I said before, did not look anything like your knife.

Permalink Reply by Jacob White on June 6, 2014 at 22:33

I really appreciate all the feedback.  When it comes to knives...any knife...this is definitely my "go to" source.  I know authenticity can be a tricky thing sometimes. Other times, it is quite cut and dry.  I have had the opportunity to study many awful fake pocket knives and have learned a ton from the folks on here.  Thanks again!