Antique Cattaraugus Knives and Company History

Status
Not open for further replies.
About 8 months since anything was posted here. That surprised me.

I have this big folding dagger coming in the mail. Should have it by Monday, maybe Sat. I have known about this knife for many years and have tried to buy it since the first day I saw it. It came from the same man that has sold me many of the JBF Champlin items, Picture from the factory, JBF Champlin family traveling trunk etc. The knife was found in the old Champlin Opera after it was damaged in a fire. In one of the pictures there is a hammer, the hammer is a full sized hammer and shown as a guide for the size of the knife. I don't remember the exact size but will post that after I get the knife. Rumor has it that there is another one in better condition in LV owned by the family of an old employee. IMG_1065.JPG IMG_2774.JPG IMG_2775.JPG IMG_3453.JPG
 
Great knife you have there JJ

More info on the big knife, it's 10 1/2" closed by the way.

I always thought the man I bought the knife from in LV was the person who found it but he sent a note with the knife that and explains more about it. I am not going to mention the peoples names that were involved since that would not be right since they know nothing of this site etc. The knife was found inside a boarded up window after the fire and sold to attorney in LV, that was in 1985. It was then purchased by the man I bought it from in 1988. The location was in the shipping room of the Opera house which was on the ground floor.

Below is a picture of the Opera house after the fire in 1985.IMG_1045.jpg
 
ohSErzQ.jpg
 
Looks like all of my Catt pics are gone from the thread, so I will re-introduce some of mine, worm grooves included. :) In the Cattaraugus catalog, this is called a Gelding Jack.

The Whittlecraft is superb Charlie ! Thanks for keeping the thread going everyone ! :thumbsup::)
 
Last edited:
Primble said:
Looks like all of my Catt pics are gone from the thread, so I will re-introduce some of mine, worm grooves included. :) In the Cattaraugus catalog, this is called a Gelding Jack.

The Whittlecraft is superb Charlie ! Thanks for keeping the thread going everyone ! :thumbsup::)
View attachment 1716726
Click to expand...
Math don't add up.
$15.31 pay for 17.05 hours is 89 cents a hour. Not the noted "170" (presumably $1.⁷⁰)
89 cents an hour was good wages in 1921.
(June 18, 1921 was a Saturday, a logical "week ending" day)

Beautiful knife.

I wonder what position Mr. Ellis held at the company.
Weren't cutlers on piecework pay?
 
waynorth said:
Tha Catt came back, the very next year!!?? . . . .uh, that's not right . . . . . . . .
This annual return/bump doesn't do a great old name justice!! I guess the venerable make is not that popular here on the Porch??

Catt WhittleKraft, with a sloppy sharpening job! A nice knife!!

View attachment 1685011View attachment 1685012View attachment 1685014View attachment 1685015
Click to expand...
Love it. Scouts are taught free hand on artificial stones. That is a skill that is long in the making.... most scout knives that were actually a scout’s have road rash. It's part of learning that skill. Though I did reach the highest rank, I still am only a mediocre free hand sharpener. Here are 3 generations of scouts from last summer camp's Order of the Arrow call out ceremony. Pap, my boys and me.
20210723_195324(0).jpg
 
afishhunter said:
Math don't add up.
$15.31 pay for 17.05 hours is 89 cents a hour. Not the noted "170" (presumably $1.⁷⁰)
89 cents an hour was good wages in 1921.
(June 18, 1921 was a Saturday, a logical "week ending" day)

Beautiful knife.

I wonder what position Mr. Ellis held at the company.
Weren't cutlers on piecework pay?
Click to expand...
Good catch and all good questions for which I don't have an answer ! 😊
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top