Knicer Bocker Soda Water

[spiveylm]

Hi everyone,

I have a collection of bottles that were found in the foundation of the over 200 year old home that I grew up in. I have always saved these and to be honest, I am not really sure what I have here. Most of them are still in the box. I do however have a C&M Knicker Bocker Soda water bottle that is cobalt blue in what appears to me to be great condition. I will post a picture later if I can figure out how. I also have a blue cobalt "Larvex" bottle but that one I think is newer. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[leebran20]

I don't have much other than to tell you that I have a friend who's in the military who found one of those bottles while on an operation near the Panama Canal (always gonna pick up a bottle if you're a collector; he stuffed it in his side-pants pocket and kept on crawling up the slope to his destination); and also, that I've seen a variation of the Knicker Bocker -- a paneled cobalt one -- in a blob top soda hall of fame on a different Web site (sorry I can't remember which one). So I guess what I'm trying to tell you is, that I think it's a pretty good soda at the very least and definitely a keeper. Probably someone else can tell you more specifics when you post a pic.

Brandon

 

[Pontiled]

The Knickerbocker soda that I recall is a cobalt-blue, iron pontiled one, with a blob top. It's a super soda. Current value is anyone's guess since most (only a few) only go on live auctions at the major BOTTLE auction houses. A picture would be great.

 

[spiveylm]

I did email someone else who had a picture of one similar posted on the internet. He said possibly over $300. Anyhow, here are the pics

Picture deleted as smaller version appears below - please see Help - Using the Forum ---> Uploading a Picture - Admin

 

[spiveylm]

OK...that didnt come out very good. I am new at this.....Try this one. I think should be better. Sorry.

 

[Oldtimer]

I'd be so happy I could fart if I found that bottle. A keeper.

 

[spiveylm]

OK...So I will tke it that this is a great bottle. I have one question though, what does it mean about the graphite residue? What is it, how do I know if it is there and why does it add value????

Might be dumb questions, but like I said, I am new at this.

I think I might get out that old box tonight and see what else I have in there. It has been packed up for about 15 years!!!

 

[leebran20]

spiveylm, if you don't mind, could you fill us in a little more on the story behind finding that bottle and the others with it in the foundation. I'm almost positive that that is the version I saw in the blob top hall of fame I mentioned, and if it indeed is, I would think the price you could fetch from the right collector would likely reach above three bills.

The friend I told you about, indeed found the same bottle -- I went to look for our old Hawaii club newsletter in which he wrote about the adventure and provided a photo. He's originally from our great island state, but he's Special Forces and came across this bottle and a few others around the same age while bearing down on an enemy target suspected to have holed up in an old abandoned French plantation home in the Canal region. He has been digging since the '70s and is a very knowledgeable bottle guy, and described the bottle thusly: "1848 Knicker Bocker Soda Water; cobalt blue with iron pontil"

-- OK, you and I are posting at the same time, so I'm just gonna edit this message after reading your latest: Yes, please let us know what else you have. And, the iron pontil is the residue left behind on the base after the pontil rod was removed. Sometimes, not much is left, however.

 

[spiveylm]

OK here's my story.....

When I was born we lived in an old house in Cummington Massachusetts. It was over 200 years old as I remember. I think it was built in 1788 or something like that. Anyhow, when I was around 5 they pulled up all of the old wood planks from the garage floor so that they could pour concrete. This is what they found. 100's of bottles. Not sure what happened to all of them, they may have gone to the dump. This was 29 years ago so dont go running to the dump to see what you can find! I just remember how excited my father was to find these bottles and he kept the best ones and this one was among them. Like I said, I am not real sure what I have but I will look through and let you know.