--Chad Love

If we've heard the old saw about "never carry a knife to a gun fight" once, we've heard it a million times, right?

So why not do both? With one handy-dandy weapon?

From this post on boingboing:

From a 1930s Johnson Smith & Co catalog, "The Defender," a combo pocket knife/"revolver." It's clearly "a most useful combination that will be thoroughly appreciated by sportsmen, hunters, campers, night watchmen, cyclists, automobilists, travellers, ladies, and the public generally∑ Nothing could be more serviceable on a fishing tramp as it obviates the necessity of carrying a heavy gun."

Pretty fascinating stuff, if a bit screwball. Reading the ad copy is a hoot (a readable version of the photo is below). But I'm confused: where's the "revolver" part? And what, exactly, is a "fishing tramp" (other than Joe Cermele?).

Comments (6)

from bass bomber wrote 27 weeks 17 hours ago

$5 for one back then. Wow times really have changed.

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from robert cota wrote 27 weeks 13 hours ago

Very nice knife, I wonder how the kick would have been on something so small?

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from davycrockettfv wrote 26 weeks 6 days ago

I'l love to try this out!

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from Kyle Hardie wrote 26 weeks 6 days ago

That is sweet!

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from Paul Parrish wrote 26 weeks 5 days ago

I'd hate to see how that thing would group at 10 feet. Best defense? Throw it!

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from ja_demko wrote 26 weeks 4 days ago

"Revolver" was often used to mean any kind of a handgun in ad copy and such in the early part of the 20th century. I'd really like to have one of those pocket knife/gun combos, but it is an example of the type of thing that gives BATFE a bad case of the fantods. Vintage examples are, I imagine, few and far between, expensive, and likely unsafe to fire with modern ammunition. Nobody is producing a modern example due to BATFE's regulations suppressing the market for such an item. If you could just go to the gunstore and pick one up with no more hassle than buying a derringer or minirevovler, why would you not add one to your collection?

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from bass bomber wrote 27 weeks 17 hours ago

$5 for one back then. Wow times really have changed.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from robert cota wrote 27 weeks 13 hours ago

Very nice knife, I wonder how the kick would have been on something so small?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from davycrockettfv wrote 26 weeks 6 days ago

I'l love to try this out!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Kyle Hardie wrote 26 weeks 6 days ago

That is sweet!

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from Paul Parrish wrote 26 weeks 5 days ago

I'd hate to see how that thing would group at 10 feet. Best defense? Throw it!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from ja_demko wrote 26 weeks 4 days ago

"Revolver" was often used to mean any kind of a handgun in ad copy and such in the early part of the 20th century. I'd really like to have one of those pocket knife/gun combos, but it is an example of the type of thing that gives BATFE a bad case of the fantods. Vintage examples are, I imagine, few and far between, expensive, and likely unsafe to fire with modern ammunition. Nobody is producing a modern example due to BATFE's regulations suppressing the market for such an item. If you could just go to the gunstore and pick one up with no more hassle than buying a derringer or minirevovler, why would you not add one to your collection?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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