Most of you now know that my obsession with drawknives gets out of control on a weekly basis. This one was in fairly good shape when acquired aside from being covered in a heavy patina, which included years of dirt and grime. I first thought it had no maker's mark due to the heavily covered surface. The handles were tight, but the wood was very rough to the point of being uncomfortable. I repaired, refinished and painted them and added a couple coats of poly for wear protection. The handles are oriented such that the knife can be used bevel up or down - depending on your stature, bevel down might be more comfortable. And, yes, your stature does have a bearing on the correct angle of the handles for a particular use.
The bevel of the 10" blade was cleaned up a bit as was the backside. It was then sharpened to a fine edge and and accompanied by my patented "custom blade guard."
This is a "gold rush" knife. There were a fair number of companies started in conjunction with the California gold rush, and this knife originates from one of those with an interesting history. Livingston Low Baker & Robert Muirhead Hamilton came to California in 1849 in hopes of finding gold. Mining for gold was hard work with little rewards, so Baker & Hamilton started selling general supplies/ tools & provisions to the miners. They first conducted their business out of a tent on Mormon Island near the town of Folsom California.
In 1850 the pair opened their first store in Sacramento concentrating on agricultural equipment and general merchandise. The trade of their Sacramento store extended throughout Northern California, Oregon & Nevada.Baker & Hamilton eventually had offices in Washington/Oregon /San Francisco /Los Angeles/ New York and even had their own manufacturing factory in Benicia Ca. They were able to manufacture and market their own products, with Stiletto being one of their brands. By 1860 B&H had a thriving block-long store in Sacramento, and in 1867 they opened their first store in San Francisco, down on Front Street, which was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. After merging with Pacific Hardware & Steel Co. in 1918, Baker & Hamilton merged with Pacific Hardware & Steel Company to create Baker, Hamilton & Pacific Company and moved into 700 7th Street at the corner of the evolving Mission Bay area.
$65, plus actual shipping. Payment by personal check. I prefer to ship you the knife, and if you like it you send me a check. If you don't, then ship it back to me and pay me nothing. Your risk is simply return shipping.
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