Calendar Knife

[thawk]

One of these was discussed a few years ago. Saw this one and thought I'd post some pictures. It looks a little different as I recall.

 

[glennbad]

CALENDAR KNIFE!!! NOOOOOOO!

LOL, just kidding. That was the subject of some "heated" discussion years ago.

Sorry, I don't have anything to add, I just remember that epic topic.

Nice knife though!

Glenn

 

[Upstream]

It should be interesting to watch but it really dosen't fit into my bag of tricks.

 

[Upstream]

By the way, nice pictures

 

[lrv]

A few comparisons between this new find to one we have seen before

 

[lrv]

 

[Larry303]

Thanks lrv. Looks authentic to me.....that's if you accept mine is authentic as well.<Mine has never been cleaned or buffed and remains brilliant gold..as gold should...even nuggets out of the ground shine with sun on them and they have remained in the ground I dig, in a lot of cases, for 500 million years>> Only difference is that example is GF =Gold Filled..mine is stamped 14K and is solid gold apart from the Waldemar skeleton...still, both examples, are as rare as rocking horse crapp. Hoo Roo

 

[glennbad]

Does not look like the same "quality" as Aussie Larry's. It looks legit though. Is it possible that they made different "grades" of this knife? Or maybe the quality was determined by the finisher???

Nice comparison pics, USA Larry!

Glenn

 

[Rusty1]

If they both have 14K on them, in reality the colors should look the same as Larry's version, rosy gold colored. Probably just cooler lighting on the pics Hal posted. which makes the knife look more like 9 Karat gold.

Not exactly my cup of tea, but very interesting knives.

Russell

 

[Codger_64]

Does not look like the same "quality" as Aussie Larry's. It looks legit though. Is it possible that they made different "grades" of this knife? Or maybe the quality was determined by the finisher???

Nice comparison pics, USA Larry!

Glenn

I would say so, yes. "They" is the unknown to date. SCC was a knife manufacturing concern, not a jewelry maker. SCC made the skeletons of these waldamers, but not the covers, IMHO. The covers were made by a goldsmith, or jewelry company. This current knife is gold filled, like the previous example seen in a collectors' book. That is a thin rolled gold wrapping around a base metal like brass. Larry's example is not gold filled, but rather gold. Obviously they were made for different price points. One might imagine as well that patterns were also made of gold plated brass covers, or sterling silver or even silver plate.

It is my opinion that these calendar knives were made for or by a major jewelry concern such as was my gold pencil knife. In that instance it was made in NY by (or for) Lambert Bros. Jewelers and sold by them, using a SCC skeleton. Perhaps some day someone will unearth a periodical advertisement for these waldemars which will identify the makers/merchants and their various retail prices.

But for now we have proof positive that the calendar knives were not a one-of-a-kind creation. Common sense and knowledge of knife history says they were not made in-house by the creators of the skeletons.

 

[Larry303]

Thanks Codger,for rational common sense knife discussion. Not only is mine authentic ,an identical calendar knife in solid gold was put up for auction with photos in 2011 in September... Details Heritage Auctions <HA.com> #5076 Item Lot No 68239 it was described as a Tiffany Gold Pocket Knife with Perpetual Calendar...it has none of the CPC or 1937 because it is also solid gold.......< Mine is the only example so far I have seen that was with its original monogrammed alligator purse/sheath where it had obviously sat unused for many,many years.>
Another identical to the above specimen posted by Hal was put up on Worthpoint having sold 02/17/2007...under the Category Militaria and weapons. That Gold filled example has CPC and 1937 on the front but it has a different initial on the reverse to Hals example. Interestingly Worthpoint states CPC represents 'Corn Products Corporation' so perhaps these less valuable material covers may have been given as gifts at that time...we have now seen 4 X 1937 CPC stamped knives GF = Gold Filled, 1 X Sterling Silver <the Sterling Silver version aslo did not have CPC 1937 on face> and 2X Solid gold <mine included> both without CPC 1937 on face... Total 7 Calendar knives have surfaced to date. The example in Sargents Second Edition 1989 and valued at $1000 at that time is one of the GF examples, and was owned by Herman Williams <he has confirmed that with me in personal email> and he made it available to Sargent for the photo..
So thats 7 examples of Schrade Cut Co Waldemar skeletons covered with three different materials to date but all identical with the letters/numbers on the calendar face...how could that be unless they were all created by the very same Jewellery house?.....perhaps the same Jewellery house that created your quoted example Michael.
Michael are you able to post those links to both the above auction details for me please?....I havnt worked that one out as yet....
I think we are now a lot further down the track on these vintage calendar knives than when mine was simply dismissed as a fake, due to ignorance of the above knife/history & facts.....Hoo Roo

 

[Codger_64]

Heritage Auctions from this past September, a Tiffany & Co. marked 14k.
http://fineart.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=5076&lotIdNo=11033

From Worthpoint, an example marked 14k GF from a February, 2007 auction. This is the one where the seller postulates CPC to mean Corn Products Corporation. They are the makers/owners of Argo Starch and Karo syrup. IMHO, this is supposition though.
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/unique-1937-14k-gf-pocket-knife-w-perpetual

 

[Larry303]

Thanks Michael. I'll have to learn how to do that....
That's toooo funny if it does stand for 'Corn Products Corporation'....what a great 'giveaway knife' at that time if it does..you give your clients a perpetual calendar and they will always remember you.....it may be mere supposition to state CPC stands for anything else as well..it has never been confirmed in any Schrade catalog or publication.....what are your thoughts on all letters/numbers being identical on the examples sighted so far?...Hoo roo

 

[Codger_64]

Looking very closely at the typestyle/fonts, I am seeing at least two different dies. I believe we can all agree that the calendar faces were either roll engraved or die stamped. That is not something they would make pre-WWII for a one-off item. But using either brass or gold or silver, or fill or plates of either, all are soft metals so the dies would not have to be super hardened as if they were stamping steel over a long production run.

As to CPC... Take your pick: http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Corn+Products+Corporation Corn Products Corporation was, even pre-war, a huge multinational concern and it would not at all have been inconceivable for them to comission a jeweler to make a quantity of knives in various quality/expense as gifts for executives, depending upon their corporate level and contributions.

 

[thawk]

The Tiffany is post 1946, according to the stamp. Interesting.

 

[Larry303]

...and mine does not state Tiffany anywhere either...least not the bits I can crawl inside and see......one of the knowledgable posters on Bernard's forum stated that to comply with the then Laws /now as well?..Jewellers or manufacturers had only to stamp their 14K on the actual item or a permanently fixed part of the item..mine very clearly has 14K stamped on the bale which is identical to the scales. Its also interesting that the Gold Tiffany is 1.6ozs gross... similar to mine which I have previously posted and I understand the GF CPC 1937 examples weigh considerably less..<I wonder what the reserve was on that Tiffany even if a Walden and not a Cut Co>...Hoo Roo...

 

[Codger_64]

The Tiffany is post 1946, according to the stamp. Interesting.

I was hoping someone would notice that. It strongly suggests that the maker of these waldamer knives continued to manufacture their unique covers post-war and indeed to buy the skeletons from the same source used pre-war, even after the ownership migrated from the Schrade family to Baer via Ulster. We can remember that Baer made a statement in his memoirs as to how he paid for his purchase of Schrade. It may well be that, aware of the pre-war waldamers, he contracted the jeweler to provide coverings for a subsequent run of the knives which, due to their precious metal content and unique calendar feature, commanded a premium price far above those of their mainstay production knives. Perhaps Larry V. will find us Baer's quote regarding his means of payment for Schrade.*

ETA: Tiffany is/was renowned for not selling their merchandise to other retailers, reserving the sales to their own New York, London and Paris stores. It occurs to me that this company might have a degree of corporate memory as to the products it has produced and sold. Perhaps someone might contact the customer service representatives at Tiffany and inquire as to the details of the Tiffany marked knife.

*

ALBERT BAER- Domenic asked me to join the Imperial Family. He told me the story of his &#8220;sale&#8221; of IKCo. stock which FAM never executed. In 1947, we merged. He had the idea of buying Schrade, which I did and paid for it with 3 knives -our $125. gold knife, $10. retail pocket knife and a $5. knife.

 

[Larry303]

Great stuff Michael, its only by probing that we have managed to get this far already casting doubt of the veracity of previously held myths which were accepted as fact. The Internet of course has been the vehicle for much new information and the changing of previously held beliefs based on mere speculations/suppositions/guesstimations... It's only by discussing and researching that the true picture will eventually emerge......its the journey which I find interesting and its inevitable some passengers will always hop off....this is Schrade history and belongs in this forum....Hoo Roo

 

[koldgold]

Great stuff Michael, its only by probing that we have managed to get this far already casting doubt of the veracity of previously held myths which were accepted as fact. The Interent of course has been the vehicle for much new information and the changing of previously held beliefs based on mere speculations. It's only by discussing and researching that the true picture will eventually emerge......its the journey which I find interesting and its inevitable some passengers will always hop off....this is Schrade history and belongs in this forum....Hoo Roo

Larry and Michael, I have been looking with interest at this ongoing debate on these gold calendar knives for years now.
If a knife is made of gold like Larry&#8217;s knife, he could sell it to anyone that collects old items made of gold, and he may get $1500+ for it.

However, Larry like myself is a collector not a seller. We believe if you sell it, you do not have it any more - most collectors fell they are only custodians.

Back to these calandar knives; Discussion, Research and FACTS will alway win in the end.

Speculation and myths do not help in any way, you should all work together to learn the true history of these knives.
One thing is for certain, Larry&#8217;s knife was made for someone with a greater amount of money, then the other Calender knive's would-be owners I have seen. Ken

 

[tongueriver]

I was delighted to discover that I too have a gold colander knife! Interested collectors may pm me for price.