Congress Pattern are my favourites! Thank you, Tobias! 🤗❤️👍👋🇺🇸🇬🇧

That slim Case congress has a sheepfoot main, and a spear main on the other side. The spear main was obviously used a lot more by it's original owner, due to having more wear, that wore out some of the cutting edge. Yes, many congress knives did indeed come with this blade configuration. Perhaps the most popular, highly sought after, and most valuable is the Case big congress ( I can't recall the pattern number at the moment ) that was made in it's original form from the 1920's up through the 1960's I believe. It also had the sheepfoot main and spear main. Sometime later, Case totally changed this big congress, by downsizing all of the blades to it's present form.......which is really sad. Because all 4 blades were drastically downsized, it made it easier & less costly to produce that knife. The older ones made in the 1920's in mint condition are worth around $7000, depending on the handle material used. Extremely rare to find one in mint condition these days........thus the high value.

Great history lesson! You should become a history teacher! You are very pleasend to listen to. Like a "Bob Ross". 🌷

Interesting. Thanks!

Re: camilus two blades "congress" knife. According to The Standard Knife Collector's Guide, fourth ed., By Roy Ritchie and Ron Stewart...this particular pattern knife with two blades is a "Senator" ppg. 37. Below that illustration is a Congress pattern knife with 4 blades. They both have the same handle pattern which makes me think that because of this the tag of "Senator" is somehow being lost or forgotten. Great videos by the way ! I really like history behind these traditional pocket knives. 😁

Great video. I recently bought a Congress pattern Painted Desert Rough Ryder, and I am impressed how compact the whole package is. The Brown Stag bone Congress by RR has a spear point main blade, which I like better than two sheepsfoot blades. I've seen some RR mini Congress knives, but they look like the blade length might be too small. Kind of like my Victorinox classic blade. I hardly ever use it, but carried it for decades. I use the file, and scissors more than anything else.

Just this week I got my Titanium series Rough Rider congress with smooth bone scales, what a beautiful piece!! I'm also really liking that buckshot scaled congress from Colt.

After I saw this I started looking for a Congress Then I saw Stephan Schmalhaus video on Case Congress and really had to have one Finally was able to purchase a Boker Germany…pretty but still want a Case

Love the different varieties of them

Great video!

I am not sure how i had missed this one for so long. Congress pattern is a favorite of mine but of all the thoughts i had heard on why its called a congress none really made sense until now. Thank you for the information.

hi Tobias, enjoyed your video! I read a story once, along time ago that Abe Lincoln was walking down the street and stopped a man and told him that he was given his congress knife and told that if he ever met a man uglier than himself he was supposed to give it to that man! and he did just that!! Lincoln was said to have had a wonderful sense of humor! also, years ago I was talking to a case rep and I was asking about multiple blades on folders, he told me that a lot of patterns had them because they were work knives and instead of stopping to sharpen them during the day workmen would just use the second blade and sharpen them when they got home. I don't know, but made sense to me at the time. at any rate, I enjoy all you videos, thanks for putting the time in to make them for us! Tom

Good Evening Tobias loved your history of the Congress family and I finally tracked down a Genuine Kentucky Congress. I would have really liked a Pride White Bone one but I managed to get a MOP Steel Warrior .The Warrior/Pride Kentuckies are identical unlike the Frost which have different blade placement within the Congress and the large Clip point a tad smaller.Thank you for letting me see this beautiful wee Gem😉

Nice collection of knives.

This video was super interesting and informative! I don’t have a Congress yet but that will change. Really loving the gorgeous bolsters and blade selection on that White Tail Lincoln, that one is my favorite of this group. I like the 5 blade Congress too with that large clip point! By the way you did a really smooth job of turning that pen into a coping blade on the 3 blade RR, looks like it was manufactured that way not a DIY. Being winter I have a lot of downtime from work and am thoroughly enjoying watching all these great vids of your extensive and amazing collection!

Love that classic collapse at the end! Not a pattern I collect but I do have one lol! Now I’m interested in the “Kentucky Congress” my family might enjoy that one!

That was a great video and I loved the history you inserted. I had recently read about President Lincoln’s congress knife.

Great review Tobias and really nice collection of congress knives🔪👍

Great video! Thank you! I had not heard about the difference in naming between the slim and high. Also, you touch on it, but as a knife collector and accumulator who grew up in Illinois, I still find it interesting how this is very much a Southern knife which fits with tobacco and cotton production.

Amazing and very interesting video. Enjoying learning about the origin and uses of traditional pattern pocket knives.

Dang learned some cool history!

Enjoyed it buddy, good look at the Congress, :)

Great video on the congress knife. I do think that case sheepfoot blade was re shaped. You could also file the kick a bit on the sheepfoot blade so the point is hidden.

I have a 2005 case Congress with a similar blade selection . Sheep foot, a long spear or drop point ,coping blade in front and a pen on the back . 64052 . I like it so much I wanted one with round bolsters and lower blades so it's easier to carry . I have a GEC tidoute easy pocket on the way from SMKW . Can't wait to see it . Going to be my first GEC .

Great video thanks. I have a Boker Tree Brand with 4 different blades, sheep's foot, pen, coping and spey, call the Carver's Congress Whittler mage in Sloligen Germany. It would be even better if it had the wharncliff and clip point added. Also have a knife from Great Eastern Cutlery Farm & Field #62 Pocket Carver that is traditional 3 blade congress style but has a 2 inch wharncliff main blade and 2 small 1 inch carver blades that are the same. Both great pocket knives.

Thanks, interesting information. I just purchased a Marbles 4 blade congress marked "Germany." It's a high boy with eyelash nail nicks, beautiful stag covers with super fit and finish. It's heavy and 4.25 inches closed. I paid $77.00 yesterday at a gun and knife show. Looks new and never sharpened. Good deal? Know anything interesting about it? Seller claimed it is "vintage." Thanks again.

Tobias have you ever seen the Abe Licon pocket knife ivory handle 6 blades Shetfield blades that is looked really great ! Nice video !!!

I’d always assumed that the Congress term was a a risqué reference to the interlocking of two pairs of ‘legs’! Or do I just have a dirty mind!

What congress does rough ryder currently have available that you would recommend?

👍👍🤠🤠

Be VERY careful about your choice to open both blades riding on the same back spring, because the back springs were NOT heat treated & designed to do that. It is the #1 reason for broken back springs, because you are bending both ends of the same back spring at the same time, which creates far too much tension on that single back spring. Trust me. If a certain congress knife ( or other pattern that shares 2 blades on the same back spring ) happens to be equipped with half-stops ( and quite a few were ), then it is safe to open the first blade to it's half stop position, and then open the other blade, because the half-stop position relieves the tension on the back spring. If ya wanna open both blades of a congress that has cammed blade tangs, that share the same back spring, make sure you open the first blade all the way open, to relieve the spring, before opening the other blade. Dealers always opened all the blades part way simply to display all the blades. But it is wise to refrain from doing that altogether.

Very informative video. I never knew they were called Congress models. My grandmother gave me one back in early 70s. She bought it from Budapest, Hungary but is made by Hoffritz and marked Hoffritz on top line, Solingen on middle line and Germany on the bottom line. It has stag scales. nickel silver rounded bolsters and I assume carbon steel four blades - two sheepfoot, coping and pen. It measures about 3 5/8” closed. It recently came back into my possession after 50+ years. My cousin found it in grandma’s attic and sent it to me. Do you know anything about Hoffritz brand and how old do you think it is? I got it brand new like I said in 72-73 first time. Nowadays is still in very good condition but the blades have a dark patina. Thanks

Nice video Tobias. I would love to get my hands on a good big congress knife.

My favorite pattern. I have heard it is one of the hardest knives to make right due to the amount of blades that share a spring. Which is the one in the back with the big cat on it? Wish you had shown it off.

How Long have you been Collecting "CASE" Knives ?

Interesting vid Tobias - I'm just getting into these having been recommended by Slick Slicers. Just one question if I may: why would someone want an identical (sheep foot) blade at each end of the knife? Is it one for food and one for other things? Or for two people sharing? Or in case one gets broken/blunt? I'm intrigued...

It looks like the 6 blade knife had 3 back springs, doesn’t it?

i do not agree with the idea the congress was a tobacco knife as this pattern that was popular in areas that had little to no tobacco farming , it is a pattern that lends its self to wood and leather work

That Camillus has synthetic/simulated abalone handles.......not real abalone.

I hate the congress knife pattern, they wont lay right in your pocket..