Revolutionary coin silver knife, perhaps? Family lore...

[pmpadley]

This forum has been so helpful that I am throwing this one in the ring. My grandfather's notes indicate that this is a Revolutionary War era knife, coin silver, and yet it has no marks whatsoever. He thought it was the oldest item in his collection. The blade is worn but still quite sharp; the haft is tight; the pistol handle is substantial and also well-worn. This has truly seen better days. Has anyone seen anything similar, or can at least give credence to my grandfather's estimate of its age?

[agphile]

The shape of both blade and handle would suggest to me a mid 18th century date in the case of English cutlery so I guess much the same goes for American cutley and your grandfather's attribution seems right. Without any marks to pin down the maker you have to take it on trust that it was American made rather than imported

[pmpadley]

Thanks for replying so quickly. I will note the mid-1700s time period and will keep a lookout for similar pieces for comparison.