Chief Cutlery Co.?

eisman

eisman

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Sep 9, 2009
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Recently acquired this Irish Congress pattern marked Chief Cutlery Co. I can't find anything on this company. Obviously well made, the slightly curved bar shield is unusual, the jigging is great, the blades have excellent walk and talk with very positive half stops. It's been used (and will be). The swages are very well done, the assembly is tight. My guess is from around the 60's-70's, but I'd like something a little more solid.

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If you can add to this please let me know. Bonus points for pictures of more from this maker.
 
Man, since I saw you post it earlier I have looked on the net and knife books I have and have not found a single thing about Chief Cutlery Co:(
 
Don't feel bad. I have a pile of books at my feet and haven't found anything in a weeks looking. The name makes it hard to Google on top of everything.
 
Not trying to be funny,I think I handled a Chief pocketknife at a gun show yrs.ago!I asked the dealer where it was made I had never heard of this Co. He told me China!I didn't buy it !
Jim
 
There's a Chief out of China. The logo stamps are quite different. This knife isn't one of those. It's very close in build to a Fight'n Rooster but the pen is totally different. I'll try to post some side by side pics tomorrow.
 
eisman said:
There's a Chief out of China. The logo stamps are quite different. This knife isn't one of those. It's very close in build to a Fight'n Rooster but the pen is totally different. I'll try to post some side by side pics tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've seen the Chinese "Chief Brand" knives on some vendors' websites. Do your think it could be a case of someone "buying the name" of the Chief Cutlery that made your congress jack?

- GT
 
This is a strange one. You would think some info would be available if Chief Cutlery was indeed a company. Especially if they were in business within the past 50 -60 years. I wonder if it is possible if an employee that worked for a large knife company made this for himself and just stamped the blade tang under a different name?
 
This from a dealer that sells Chief Brand Knives.

"Chief Knives are one of the leading types of traditional pocket knives, which can be defined as a matchless blend of design, craftsmanship and affordable pricing. An ideal Chief Knife will feature stainless steel blades and nail nicks for easier opening and closing, as required. The inner construction of a Chief Knife includes genuine bone handles, polished stainless steel bolsters and stainless steel liner. Such construction is also responsible for enhanced strength and functional life.

Enriched Knowledge Base about Chief Knives

Antique in appearance, this Chief Pocketknife comes with stainless steel bolsters, SS blades inlays and liners. There are evident scales on the bone handles with a Chief™ logo to complete its look."

They appear to be China made. Not to worry. I've got some really nice Rough Riders.

I sent the link to eisman eisman
 
Modoc ED said:
This from a dealer that sells Chief Brand Knives.

"Chief Knives are one of the leading types of traditional pocket knives, which can be defined as a matchless blend of design, craftsmanship and affordable pricing. An ideal Chief Knife will feature stainless steel blades and nail nicks for easier opening and closing, as required. The inner construction of a Chief Knife includes genuine bone handles, polished stainless steel bolsters and stainless steel liner. Such construction is also responsible for enhanced strength and functional life.

Enriched Knowledge Base about Chief Knives

Antique in appearance, this Chief Pocketknife comes with stainless steel bolsters, SS blades inlays and liners. There are evident scales on the bone handles with a Chief™ logo to complete its look."

They appear to be China made. Not to worry. I've got some really nice Rough Riders.

I sent the link to eisman eisman
Click to expand...
That sounds like it was written by someone for whom English is not their first language.
 
I would put a little vinegar on the blades to see if they are stainless or not.
 
OK. Here's some more info, because this is definitely NOT a Chinese Chief. First, the blades are stamped "Germany" which indicates it's pre-WWII. (And they are NOT Stainless.)

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Second, it's an unusual size; 3 5/16". It's very well assembled, and the blades have really clean grinds. The shape is very close to a Primble Congress I have, but the bolsters are wrong. The slightly curved bar shield is unlike any I have.

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The swages are really clean, and if you look at how the pen is thinned with parallel grinds that's not something you see often. (See the GEC and FR in the pictures for comparison.)

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So, here I have a really good knife, well made, in a not very common pattern, by a company I can't find anything on. It's incomprehensible (to me anyways) that anyone would make a stamp up for one knife, or even for a run of an unusual pattern, and not use it for something more profitable. I'd love to have a Remington, Winchester, or another German makers knife in this pattern (and they did make them according to the catalogs) from this era to compare it to, but those knives are hard to come by. Which makes me wonder all the more how this came to be.
 
eisman said:
OK. Here's some more info, because this is definitely NOT a Chinese Chief. First, the blades are stamped "Germany" which indicates it's pre-WWII. (And they are NOT Stainless.)
Click to expand...
Why do you say the "Germany" stamp indicates it's pre-WWII?
It does appear to be a quality German made knife, but I would guess from later in the 20th century. I admit that's just a guess from me, but it doesn't have the visible steel pins on the bolsters that so many older German manufacturers used. Hopefully someone will know more.
 
eisman eisman , Apologies. I did not mean to imply that your knife was of Chinese origin. Just agreeing with others that the current Chief knives sounds like it is.
Yours looks well made and now that the Germany is mentioned, makes more sense. Yours does have the characteristic very thin bolsters when viewed from the top as a lot of older knives do. Interesting.
 
I understand the confusion with the Chinese brand; that's what comes up with Google. Post WWII should be stamped W Germany if it was made for export, and this type of slipjoint usually was. The bolsters are German (nickle) silver. Also note the shield is pinned. Very confusing...
 
While we've got you here, Eisman, is an Irish Congress Jack basically a Jack knife made on a Congress pattern??
 
Charlie;

Apparently. I've got books with the name of the pattern as an "Irish Congress" (Fight'n Rooster) and a "Congress Jack" (Remington and Boker). I've also seen "Irish Jack" but can't find that in print. (When I see it next time I'll be sure to get a picture.) Congress Jack seems to be more "standard". Levine notes this is an "American" pattern, and he lists it as a Congress Jack. (This is why I would expect the one I have to be marked W Germany if post war production; it's a pattern that would have been made for export.)

Note that the page from Big Book of Pocket Knives (below) by Ron Stewart lists both names on the page, with different layouts for each. I've never found a "Irish Congress" of the pattern shown, it commonly being called a "Half-Congress". As far as I can tell Congress patterns with blades on both ends were usually defined (or described) by the number of blades. Whittler patterns being an exception.

That being said, all the older ones I've found have the pen blade "inside" the main blade. I find this much more comfortable to work with compared to the recent GEC version with the pen on the "outside". It's especially nice with the blades sitting low.

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Hmmmmmm. . . . . . . . It looks like it's fair to use any two of the terms "Irish", "Congress" and "Jack" on either configuration.!?!?:rolleyes:
Thanks for the extra information!!:thumbsup:
 
eisman said:
Post WWII should be stamped W Germany if it was made for export, and this type of slipjoint usually was.
Click to expand...

The wall came down 29 years ago, and Germany was officially reunited 28 years ago. I'm not so sure that it can't be post war with a stamp that says Germany.

O.B.
 
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