Hello! I have just discovered this forum and and looking forward to digging through and learning/sharing with y'all but today I have a bit of a query.
Little background; I have been a hobbyist level blacksmith for a year or so now and focus mainly on chefs knives (my day job). I received a knife from a family member that stumbled upon in storage and assumed I would know what to do with it.
I cannot for the life of me discover much beyond the following:
Frieder Herdr A.S. "Constant" stamped on the blade.
Appears to be a leverlock, missing leaf spring and....?
Late 1800s-early 1900s
I speak german fairly well so I emailed Frieder Herdr and was directed to a very enthusiastic however not helpful knife collector here in the states.
Here are some photos of the blade in question.
Ultimately, I would love to attempt restoring it to working order but as I work mainly with culinary knives, I have a bit of research to do before I feel comfortable.
Any help ID'ing or working out the typical function of the spring mechanism would be greatly appreciated!