1928 Auction

That was very interesting. We all know the about the Schrade/Walden buyin, but I have never heard anything about why the Walden factory was sold off.
 
From Official Guide to Collectors Knives
C Houston Price
2000

WALDEN KNIFE COMPANY
The company was first formed as the Walden Cooperative Knife Company about 1870. As strange as it may seem, the 18 original workers were members of competitive baseball teams. Employees of New York Knife Company would play baseball during their lunch period and Col. Tom Bradley, the company President, disapproved. A management/employee argument ensued, resulting inthe employees being fired. The fired craftsmen rented some space in the RiderEricsson Engine Company's factory and began to make their own knives in a cooperative venture.
In 1874 the company incorporated as the Walden Knife Company and purchased a factory of their own. The company's products were of high quality resulting in excellent sales and profits. The number of employees grew to 125 by 1881 and had nearly doubled that number by 1891.
The company's president persuaded George Schrade to move his Press Button Knife Company to Walden in 1893 and Walden Knife Company bought an interest in Schrade's firm. With Walden's support and Schrade's management, the firm had produced well over a million Press Button knives within a ten-year period. In 1903, Schrade sold his patents and interest in the company to Walden Knife Company.
By 1911, the Walden Knife Company factory had been expanded and over 600 workers were making more than 2,500 different patterns of pocketknives. These knives were marketed through the E. C. Simmons Hardware Company in St. Louis, Missouri.
When George Weller, the company's principal stockholder, retired, the Simmons Company purchased his stock. With it, they gained control of the company and made Walden Knife Company the home of Keen Kutter knives. Simmons added several new buildings to the manufacturing complex and, during World War 1, the company operated at full capacity making large knives for the Navy. At the war's end, Simmons merged with Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Winchester assumed responsibility for knife manufacturing. The Walden Knife Company ceased to make knives in the mid-1920s. A few years later, the old Walden factory was purchased by Schrade Cutlery Company.
The Walden Knife Company made excellent quality knives handled in bone, celluloid, pearl and other materials popularly used at the time. Most were stamped WALDEN KNIFE CO., WALDEN, N.Y. or WALDEN KNIFE CO. MADE IN USA. Keen Kutter brand knives, made by Walden, and those made later by Winchester are practically indistinguishable one from another since Winchester duplicated many of the Walden Knife patterns.
 
Great info Larry.
Thanks for sharing. I wanted to go to that auction. :(

I want items #532 & 533.
The value of the antique Ingersoll Rand air compressor would be significant, but they were great old compressors. On second thought I don't want such a big tank. I will have to get a smaller one.
That old cast iron air compressor is probably still running if it has had proper maintenance. I used to repair large reciprocating & rotary screw air compressors, (up to 1700 HP on the rotary screws). I think the largest recip I worked on was 25 HP. The old reciprocating air compressors were amazing old machines.

I would love to go back in time & walk through that plant & see all the old equipment they used. Then walk through a new plant like Benchmade's & see all the laser cutters. One of those old time cutlers would think he was in a science fiction movie...........H. G. Wells or something.

Pardon my morning rambling.........need more caffeine. :D
Dale
 
I'd be happy just to go back to 1962 and pick up a few OT's like the 2 and 50. Maybe 2 doz each.. Oh and a couple of the auto hunters and one arm knives and and and...
TTYL
Larry
 
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