My wife's latest estate sale find.....

[oldbohntr]

She knows I like knives, so came dragging this briefcase with a really nice display of 4 Czech or maybe German knives and a steel.  I'm not asking for a value so as not to violate the regs of this site, nor do I even want to sell them until I know more.  All the tools are like new, have stag handles, and several have a boar's head logo and the word "leegebruch" etched or inked on the blade. There's a business card in Czech/German/whatever? that I can't understand. Leegebruch appears to be a town in Germany, but one time when I googled it, a knife seller (in Prague?) came up(no luck getting it back there again!) One of the knives in this case appears similar to one on that site, leading me to believe it is Czech and maybe a salesman's sample case or something.  Nothing comes up on the big auction site, so before I go wandering knife forums on the net, I thought maybe some knowledgeable trad-ganger could help me get started.  

They're very similar in appearance to some Pumas, and very interesting. If anyone is interested in pics, I'll be able to post some pretty soon.

[longbowray]

Pic ?

[oldbohntr]

 

 

 

 

[don s]

the short fixed blade really does look similar to a puma doesn't it. very nice find. you owe your wife dinner at least. i wish i could help. the only thing i know about knives is that i like them. don

[koger]

Definitley German made. What most  folks  dont know, as a former cutlery dealer I do, is that most German made knives are made in a co-0p of sorts. The comopanys pooled their machinery, resuorces and manpower, and make runs of particular brands, Puma, Kissing Crane, Hen and Rooster, German Eye, Buck Creek and so forth, to that companys name/specs/steel type, so as not to compete with each other, and be more effiecent. Everyone stays busy, and everyone profits.

[BradLantz]

don't say "they were asking $15 but she got them for $10" !!!


sweet ... and I'm not really big into knives !

[oldbohntr]

No, I didn't say "garage sale", I said "estate sale" because it was certainly not garage sale pricing! She's usually a really good wheedler but couldn't get it below a hundred bucks!  So, it wasn't an incredible bargain, but I'm thinking it's worth more than that!  In any case, we've got it now!  So, does anyone have any idea what forum might give me some more facts about this package?  

Samuel, as a lifelong representative for a manufacturing company, and whose retirement business includes selling and sharpening kitchen cutlery, I found your information about German knife mfgrs fascinating!  I had never heard that before.  There must be custom tooling for some of the work...and how to manage the manufacturing, quality control, and other differences that have to exist in different companies! How to maintain your brand differentiation, recognition, and quality reputation....wow! Also puts a different aspect for the collector....how would we feel about old Bear Kodiaks if Ben Pearson or Shakespeare made them some years?  I wonder if this practice extends to other "prestigious" industries in Germany: optics, for example.

[Todd Robbins]

Bernard Levine's forum over on bladeforums might be a good place to start for ID and possibly value.

[Steve Nuckels]

JMO, but I think your wife made a good purchase and you will probably find that package is worth much more!

Very interesting. please follow up with what you learn, I would be interested!

Steve
---------
Potomac Forge

[oldbohntr]

OK, thanks guys. I'll see if I can learn more on bladeforums. Will let you know if something surfaces.  
Tom

[agd68]

www.kifenetwork.com  may also be a good source of info. They have forums for particular collecrors so may be someone ther is familiar with these knifes.

[agd68]

Sorry, that was  www.knifenetwork.com

[Danny Rowan]

Try this site   http://www.jgstrade.com/en/knives/

or this   http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=21642&start=150

There are some more sites but they are in German.

[75diagg]

For once I wish I took German in school! That short fixed is a carbon copy design of Puma Hunter Companion or Hunters Pal(older)  we have a knife taken off a WW11 German Officer that looks like the long knife,, got my interest sparked

[oldbohntr]

Thanks, guys, I got distracted and let this project drop, but will see what I can learn on those sites.

[oldbohntr]

It's presentation knife set from Germany.   I understand they were made for gifts for party officials in East Germany during the Russian occupation, and continued to be manufactured for a short while after the unification. Then the factory was purchased by another company and began making different kinds of knives.  This may be one of the later sets, as the blades are inscribed in English, no one told me that definitely dated the set, and I simply have no information on its history.  I was told it is not a highly-prized collectors item.  Regardless, I think it's an interesting set, and it is a lot of nice stag-handled knives for my investment.  However, I think I will be moving it on, and will restart this thread on the knife classifieds.  Thanks to all for your help and encouragement.  
Tom

[Yeoman Bowman]

As others noted, definitely German.

Karl-Marx-Stadt was a state (district) in East Germany. Now it is called Chemnitz.

Leegebruch was a city in the state of Brandenburg, also in East Germany.

"Jadg" means "hunt" and "garnitur" means "decorate" or "ornament". So JAGDGARNITUR" roughly translates to "Ornamental or Decorative Hunting" knives.

"Hergestellt vom" is "manufactured by"

Looks like a really good deal your wife made.