Miners Candlesticks/Larsen Patent - Museum Object Report

Miners Candlesticks

Larsen Patent - Museum Object Report.jpg - LARSEN PATENT FOLDING STICK MUSEUM OBJECT REPORT - My special thanks to Leo Stambaugh whose keen eye notes that this folder is very similar to the design of the Larsen patent folding candlestick shown as No. 238 in Wilson and Bobrink's Miners' Candlesticks Guide. Thanks also to Leo for providing this object report including a photo from the Henry Ford Museum showing the only known Larsen stick. The Neils Larsen folding hook and spike model was awarded patent No. 151,297 on May 26, 1874 while Larsen was living in Mill City, Colorado Territory. Larsen soon after moved to the Leadville area. The Larsen stick in addition to the folding spike and hook includes a fold out knife blade for cutting fuse. While somewhat smaller (the Larsen stick is 3 in. closed and 4 1/4 in. open), Larsen's patent and this pocket folder are a very similar design and share many of the same features including the folding mechanism, open thimble, hook shape and construction. The only known example of the Larsen patent is the patent model itself currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. The 1874 patent model is the earliest known example of a miner's candlestick with hook. It is quite interesting that this folding stick and the Larsen's patent stick without the folding blade look too much alike to be coincidental. Speculation that this could be a pre-patent model of Larsen's design or a copy of Larsen's design by a competent blacksmith makes the search for its history even more interesting. Research continues.)

Larsen Patent - Museum Object Report | LARSEN PATENT FOLDING STICK MUSEUM OBJECT REPORT - My special thanks to Leo Stambaugh whose keen eye notes that this folder is very similar to the design of the Larsen patent folding candlestick shown as No. 238 in Wilson and Bobrink's Miners' Candlesticks Guide. Thanks also to Leo for providing this object report including a photo from the Henry Ford Museum showing the only known Larsen stick. The Neils Larsen folding hook and spike model was awarded patent No. 151,297 on May 26, 1874 while Larsen was living in Mill City, Colorado Territory. Larsen soon after moved to the Leadville area. The Larsen stick in addition to the folding spike and hook includes a fold out knife blade for cutting fuse. While somewhat smaller (the Larsen stick is 3 in. closed and 4 1/4 in. open), Larsen's patent and this pocket folder are a very similar design and share many of the same features including the folding mechanism, open thimble, hook shape and construction. The only known example of the Larsen patent is the patent model itself currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. The 1874 patent model is the earliest known example of a miner's candlestick with hook. It is quite interesting that this folding stick and the Larsen's patent stick without the folding blade look too much alike to be coincidental. Speculation that this could be a pre-patent model of Larsen's design or a copy of Larsen's design by a competent blacksmith makes the search for its history even more interesting. Research continues.)

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