It seems that in auctions a higher-value, more interesting piece is often accompanied by a less exciting piece and they are sold as a pair. This pocket folder by H. M. SLATER accompanied a HALE Bros. 8173/1914 pattern knife, but is a nice little item in its own right.
Basically this is a single blade folder of pleasing profile, with steel liners and a nickel silver ‘rat tail’ bolster. The scales are not stag, but a textured material which, as usual, came covered in dried putty which was removed by an hour’s careful ‘picking’. The blade has a nasty ding, but it doesn’t particularly offend me.
The blade is stamped VENTURE (Slater’s trademark) in an oval and VENTURE H. M. SLATER SHEFFIELD at the tang. This is the second knife I have bought this month where the spine of the blade is pleasingly chamfered. Overall length (closed) 3 ⅝”/9cm.
This is nothing amazing, just a nice, practical pocket knife for the odd jobs that life presents.
Source: bought at auction.