Greg Martin Auctions’ two-day winter event of edged weapons and fine and collectible arms and sporting guns concluded with another multimillion-dollar tally. When the gavel came down on the final lot, the sale on February 25 and 26 had realized more than $2.6 million, with buyers participating both nationally and internationally in the San Francisco auction gallery, online in real time and via telephone and absentee bidding.
The event featured Part I of the largest collection of Bowie knives and edged weapons ever to come to auction †the estate of Donald Littman of Portland, Ore., included more than 1,500 knives of superb quality and craftsmanship from the last two centuries. Part I came up for bid on February 25 and achieved more than $1 million; the results reaffirmed the strength of Bowie knives made in San Francisco. Part II will be offered at a future Greg Martin Auctions event. The second day of the winter sale featured more than 750 fine and collectible arms and sporting guns, where the sale of a rare prototype Walther semiautomatic pistol generated particular interest.
A highlight from the first day of the sale, attaining $92,000, was a scarce hardware or cutlery store sample case of 98 pocket knives, with a matching gold hand-lettered wood sign “A. Burkinshaw, Pepperell, Mass.”
For Elliot Morehardt of Milford, N.H., a relative of a previous owner of the sample case, it was a homecoming. “I was very pleased to bring this back home,” said Morehardt, who placed the winning bid. “Owned by my father-in-law, Hobart Powers, this was a magnificent and one-of-a-kind advertising case made by the Burkinshaw Knife Factory of Pepperell in the mid-1800s. It was pure happenstance that I came across this auction, and was determined to bring it home. Mr Powers purchased it in the mid-1900s for a couple hundred dollars and proudly displayed it in his Brookline, N.H., home.”
Other first day highlights in the sale were a rare engraved and silver-mounted San Francisco dress knife by M.J. Hayes, with ivory handle and silver scabbard, which sold for $80,500; a giant exhibition multiblade knife by Christian, Solingen for Deutscher Gewerbefleiss, 1893, which realized $57,500; and a W.&S. Butcher, Sheffield, alligator motif and pearl-mounted Bowie knife with scabbard, circa 1840s, which went out at $40,250. A Will & Finck Gold Rush period San Francisco push dagger with a walrus ivory grip and German silver scabbard fetched $34,500.
The focus shifted to arms and sporting guns on the second day of the sale. Leading the day’s action and securing its place as the overall sale’s top lot was a rare and important pre-World War II prototype Walther MP hammerless model semiautomatic pistol in .45 ACP caliber, circa 1935″6. It sold for $126,500.
Two ensuing lots, both Colt revolvers, each finished at $97,750. The first was a US martially marked cased Colt Second Model dragoon revolver with accessories. The second was a rare 9-inch Colt Texas Paterson No. 5 holster model revolver.
Additional highlights were a massive four-bore British black powder double rifle, which brought $86,250; and settling at $69,900 was a rare and important US martially marked Colt Texas Paterson revolver, accompanied by a leather flap holster.
Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For information, 415-537-3800 or www.gregmartinauctions.com .
