Hartkopf & Co fleamarket find

[A.L.]

Hi guys!

Sorry that I am approaching you in English because my German isn't very good.

I was visiting Berlin this summer with my girl friend and one day we were just walking and noticed street flea market. I noticed a table with various vintage slip joint pocket knives and one in particular hit my eye:

It has says Hartkopf & Co and has various tang stamps as such:

I bargained it for 20eur, and man am I happy about it! I have always loved this kind of knives. They have sort of warm feeling to them, breath of old times. It's charming, and is in superb condition. Scratches in the blade and little brass patina but nothing too bad. I cleaned, oiled it and sharpened it.

So the thing is, does anyone have any more info on it? I asked the other forum and people said it was maybe around from 40-50's or even earlier? It's stainless as you can see, so I presume it cannot be too much older than that or can it?

I would really appreciate any extra info on it!

Regards,
Antti

ps.
Bonus content for Berlin loot:

(sheat I made for Böker mini pry)

 

[Abu]

Hi A.L.,
I have some Hartkopf & Co. in my collection and I understand your enthusiasm fully. Beside that you made a very good bargain!!!
In those years some of the Solingen manufacturers produced knives of the absolutely same kind and form, Boker 182 is still marketable. If they run a real cooperation I don't know, maybe we get an answer from an expert.

Fact is, Erich Hartkopf & Co. closed it's entity around 1968, another Co. used it's Brand for a short time. Which is, your knife should be >=45 years. By the way, the brand is "Teufelskerle", showing two devils heads, meaning "devils guys". Brand is distinktiv because there were other Hartkopfs in the business, "FH" Friedrich Hartkopf still existing (with nice vintage knives as well...).

I hope it'll help you and enjoy that Devils Guys.

Kind regards
Abu

 

[A.L.]

Very cool, and thanks a lot!
Devil's guys eh? That's pretty darn cool too. I carry this knife with pride, not only because I love it but it also is great memory from the trip.

Always cool to know more about this little mystery.

 

[Abu]

It's me again...
To carry it smooth and stylish there's a leather case with chain for the Boker 182 available put at the knifes eye......

Abu

 

[A.L.]

Yes, I have noticed. I might have to get the Böker sportmesser too.
I just slip the knife to my coin pocket where it sits solely without other things, with lanyard in case it drops out.

 

[porcupine]

Nice Piece, Congrats! I got exactly the same model, brandnew, two years ago from a business abandonment in Hamburg, where it hadn't been sold for decades .
Two info additions: The "R" on the Blade stands also for "rostfrei/stainless". This Type of Knife became popular by the end of the 19th Century, named "Soldier-Knife" or "Manoevre-Knife".

 

[A.L.]

Nice, good to hear that it finally found a good home.
And the R.. well, makes sense. Thanks for the info!

 

[cut]

This illustration is showing up the knife in question in a 1960s Hartkopf & Co. sales catalog with ref. no. 3350:



The catolg's index unfortunately does not indicate the meaning of "Z" which was another option concerning the handle material.

regards
cut

 

[A.L.]

Nice, thank you for sharing that!

 

[boogerbrain]

"Z" might have been used for "Zelluloid", a compound made from nitrocellulose and camphor, known as the first thermoplastic.

 

[Abu]

Hi Boogerbrain,
Thanks to pick up the thread again. I guess you're absolutely correct about the meaning of "Z". In the "Solinger Schatzkästlein" I presented shortly there was indeed that Multi-knive with a plastic handle. Now I know exactly what it is made of! Great.

Abu

 

[A.L.]

Hi again!

I was wondering if there is any indication that this knife is indeed vintage or just modern reproduction of old design? I mean, there still seems to be new ones in production with same kind of can opener etc?

 

[Abu]

Hi,
Nice to hear from you and your knife again! You never know...., but I guess there's no need to be concerned, it is vintage! Someone might know it exactly, well, I assume in Solingen there were one or two production sites who manufactured cooperatively this kind of knives with all the similar tools except branded blades. And Böker still does, tools looking the same like Hartkopf 45 years ago.

Copies of old brands? Where is the advantage? I do rely on the brands stamped on blade and button.

Regards
Abu

 

[A.L.]

Thank you, and thanks for the response.

I just wondered because someone at facebook slip joint group started to question and say it would be modern run.
By the sheer "feel" and intuition it feels old. You know, one of those things you just know when you handle the knife.

Either way, it is good knife whatever the age is and treasure to hold to.

Speaking of Sportmesser, got myself one this Christmas.

We are going to visit Munich this summer and I might snatch myself another of the same pattern who knows.