I attended the Texas Masonic Retirement Center Family Day event in Texas yesterday and purchased an old Joseph Rodgers Stockman three blade folding knife with really nice stag stocks from one of the vendors. I had never heard of them before but could tell that is was a quality knife at what I thought was a really good price. Google searches have turned up general info on the maker and newer made knives, but I have been unable to find any info as to possible value for an older one. Can anyone here help out?

Rodgers was one of the famous Sheffield makers from many years ago. You can write to Bernard Levine, the Whut Izzit editor at, Knife World, P.O. Box 3395, Knoxville, TN 37927.

Include a sharp, clear photo of the knife on white or light gray background and tell him all markings. Photo size should be at least 5x7 inches, and you'll need good closeup capability with your lens. Many good digital cameras have a macro feature, I think.

That's your best bet. It will take awhile for them to forward your letter and photo to Levine in Oregon and for him to reply in the publication. I don't know if he gives any personal replies. Subscribe. It's a good knife title, probably the only one that doesn't use advertisers' desires as their criteria for article selection.

T-Star

A stag handled stockman from one of the Sheffield Joseph Rodgers brands would date from around 1890 to 1930, be rare and extremely valuable. Or it could be something else...hard to say without more info. Where you found it has me leaning toward something else but you never know.

In any case, you owe it to yourself to find out and Levine would be a good place to start. You can post here http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showforum.php?fid/29/ following the general instructions posted above and Levine will answer. If he says it's the real deal just follow the link at the bottom of his post to his site and let him appraise it(not free but worth it).

Sure would enjoy seeing pics of what you have if you can. Does it have a star and a cross marking? What else is on the blade?

Bob

Thanks for the replies guys. I will try to take some pictures and post them in the next few days. Each of the three blades has a six point star and maltese cross stamped on one side and "Joseph Rodgers Sheffield England" stamped on the opposite side. The man I bought it from was probably at least 60 years old and was selling some old western prints, cowboy boots, etc. He claimed that he had owned it for several years and was getting rid of some stuff he no longer used. I am not real big into knife collecting, but I could tell that it was real stag and an older knife so I figured that it was worth at least the $40 he was asking for it.

so I figured that it was worth at least the $40 he was asking for it.

Oh, I think you can count on that, if it's the real thing and in decent condition.

T-Star