Tom Mix-Ralston Purina "Straight-Shooter" Knife
by Barry Carithers (The Bolster, Kentucky Cutlery Assoc)
Tom Mix's movie biography billed him as a 1/4 Cherokee-Oklahoma native, member of Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders," wounded veteran of Spanish-American War, Philippines insurrection, Boer War, & Boxer Rebellion, a Texas Ranger & U.S. Marshall. Of course none of it was true. This early movie cowboy was born in Pennsylvania of pure English ancestry. He was a U.S. Army deserter, small town Oklahoma Marshall and a Kansa deputy sheriff. Married 5 or 6 times...no one is sure...he was one of the biggest stars of Hollywood in the 1920's and spent most of his earnings as fast as he made it. With the introduction of the "talkies" and the crash of the stock market. In '29, Tom, using his fame, began a new career in the circus. Cornered between circus stops in 1933, Toms scribbled his approval for a radio show on the back of a Gardner Advertising Company envelope, and thus months later began the longest running juvenile radio cowboy show in U.S. history.
Ralston was given approval to have an impersonator of Mix for their show and with a continually changing cast of side-kicks and supporting characters. This series of ceaseless cowboy shenanigans, did not go off the air until 1950. The demand for Tom Mix radio premiums was so strong that virtually every type of child's product was produced with a Tom Mix logo. From books to bandanas, badges to branding irons, the Ralston cereal box tops poured into St. Louis for 17 solid years. Those hard-earned dimes and quarters were taped to those box panels and anxious kids awaited the arrival of their eagerly sought treasures.
The Ideal Knife Company (1924-1986) of Providence, RI contracted with Ralston Purina for the production of an inexpensive, tipped bolstered jack knife which would be added to their line of late 1930's cereal premiums. Although I could not find actual documentation, I believe the knife was available to the young members of the Straight Shooters Club for a quarter and several cereal box tops. Thousands of these heat-stamped, cracked-ice celluloid handled jack knives were produced. Most pieces, although fairly well constructed for the money, did not survive the ravages of time and hard childhood use. Collectors today are lucky to find any example with full strong blades and the bright red and blue logo of the "Ralston Straight Shooters" stamped into the handle. Good hunting!
The Elegant Easy-Open Jack
by Barry Carithers (The Bolster, Kentucky Cutlery Assoc)
Designed with a half-round notch at the rear of the knife handle, the easy-open has provided generations of knife users a unique and simple way of opening the master blade on various of jack knives. The concept of the easy-open goes back into the 19th century. One would like to think that it might have been created by a New England cutler who had the disagreeable habit of biting his nails. Short nails and lack of dexterity could have been the reasons for the easy-open ranking among the top three desired styles of pocket knives among boys of the early 20th century.
Generally found with a spear-point or sheep-foot master blade, the easy-open was more commonly made with the swelled-jack pattern. Among the rarest pattern to use the easy-open was the gunstock, a concept popularized by Boker in the 1920's & 1930's. First created in knives with ebony, cocobolo, and walnut handles, it has also been used, but rarely, on jacks with pearl and ivory handles. Most frequently the easy open concept is found with jigged bone and celluloid handles. One has only to journey back six decades in time to re-discover the most prolific production of the easy-open style. This came in the years 1942-1945 with the accelerated manufacture of the jigged bone-handled Navy general utility pocket knife. Made under government contract by Camillus, Imperial, Pal, Utica, and Kingston, millions of attractive and finely-crafted "Navy easy-openers" were provided to the troops during WWII. Most are found with all steel liners, bolsters, and ball, although a few exceptions have been noted with brass liners and nickel-silver bolsters.
The gradual decline in the manufacture of the easy-open was accelerated with the introduction of the "blade hole" by Spyderco Knife Company in the 1980's. Today we find a growing number of knife collectors who are specializing in easy-openers. With so many handle materials and numerous pattern styles to choose from, a knowledgeable collector could assemble an exquisite display of easy openers with moderate funds and a keen use of the Internet. Good Hunting!
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