Fine Cased Rogers & Unwin Knife Pistol

This is an excellent condition example of a James Rodgers Marked Percussion Pistol-Knife, with a primary double edged dagger blade and supplementary pen knife. The pistol is about 6 1/2” in overall length with the blades folded and has a 3 5/16” octagonal barrel with a nominally .30 calibre smooth bore.
Both blades are stamped James Rogers with one blade marked with a three-line stamp with the addition of “Sheffield”.
The barrel carries Birmingham proof marks and the horn handle contains the original accessories which are a 30-calibre mould and tweezers. The pistol is contained in its original case with label, complete with cap tins and the correct Hawksley powder flask. The original German silver plating is extant and there is no damage to the grips.
Mechanical condition is as it was made, a strong main spring with the concealed hammer releasing the captive trigger when pulled back.
This is a time capsule that has stayed together since its manufacture.
Whilst knife pistols are not rare to find one in such extraordinary good condition complete with accessories is uncommon. This is the best I have seen.
It made sense to have a backup blade with a single shot pistol and by the middle of the 18th Century it was common to see self-deploying bayonets on English pistols and Blunderbusses offered as an option. I am offering a number of these items now. The blade on this pistol is opened as a pen knife and was not made as self-deploying so clearly when it was ready for use there was an element of premeditation and its owner anticipated a difficult situation.
The concept of the knife pistol was perfected in England by the partnership of James Rodgers and Philip Unwin, a pair of Sheffield based cutlers in Yorkshire. Unwin joined Rodgers’ very successful knife-making firm in 1828. Rodgers had made a name for himself producing a large array of “Bowie” style knives for the domestic English market, but for export to the United States. The firm had trademarked the NON*XLL mark, intended to be said aloud as “non-excel,” suggesting there was no peer to their products.

Between the two partners they developed and patented a system to combine a single-shot percussion pistol with typical folding pocketknife. The year after the partnership was created, Rodgers died, and Unwin continued to run the business until it failed in the late 1860s. Initially the firm was located at 7 Charles Street (from about 1827) and moved to 23 Burgess Street around 1840. In 1862 it moved to 124 Rockingham Street where it remained until it went out of business. The 1828 Sheffield business director listed the firm as follows: “Unwin and Rodgers, manufacturers of pen, pocket and desk knives, pearl sides, clasps, buckles, and in a great variety. 7 Charles Street.” In 1841, the directories further noted the firm were “manufacturers of spring knife cutlery, including lancets, scissor knives and pen machines, pistol knives, American and Indian hunting and self-defence knives.” Their percussion knife pistol was one of the mainstays of their product line by the early 1840s and in 1861 they received a British Patent for a cartridge version.

For collectors of English firearms, blades and the eclectic, this set has everything and would be difficult to better.

Code: 50672