Codger_64
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Many, many of the old cutlery names and trademarks have found new owners over the years. Sometimes the new owners apply them to knives of equal or higher quality than the original owners. Sometimes not. Recall that Michael Mirando, the Italian immigrant and his partner Dominic Fazzano bought the Hammerbrand mark of New York Knife Company in 1935. Oh what a stir there must have been when it showed up on cheap knives made in Providence of all places!
Meanwhile the largest cutlery supplier in the nation to that point, Adolph Kastor and Brothers, four industrious German immigrants, bought Sherwood's Camillus factory and imported German cutlers to man it, having already made fortunes importing English and German (Germany, Austria, Czchoslovakia) knives. Yes, the population of the tiny village of Camillus doubled shortly with new immigrants. Eventually they bought the OVB mark and Coleman's Western.
But not before being themselves bought by the owner of Schrade who used to work for Camillus, and who had bought Ulster and eventually would buy all of the shares of Imperial, essentially owning the trademarks of all of them. He also owned cutlery works in England, Ireland, France and Mexico at various times. And later the company imported again from Germany and from the Pacific Rim. Yes, it is sad to see some great old companies go by the wayside, and natural to lament shifting market pricepoints of new owners of trademarks. But as always, the more things change the more they stay the same.
And as Waynorth and many other dedicated collectors know, all of the cutleries of the past left behind many examples of their products. While the cutleries may be gone, the knives are not.
For instance I had three main favorite patterns of interest in both the Old Timer and Uncle Henry lines. I sought out examples of those three patterns which represent the full timeline of their production, not an easy thing to do. But a challenge. How can you know everythoing there is to know about a pattern if you can't chickeneye and coonfinger them? When did they quit doing this and start doing that?
So I own around thirty of the 897UH premium stockman pattern. And around thirty of the 152OT/UH Sharpfinger pattern. And round thirty of the 165OT/UH Woodsman fixed blade pattern (until the recent breakin and Great Schrade Robbery). Half or more of each pattern's examples are new in complete packaging. All of these are in addition to hundreds of knives accumulated chasing pattern ancestors.
Whether you are looking for examples to collect or to use, there are knives out there to fit every pocket and belt. Oh yeah! In another thread on the nostalgia topic, "necromancing long gone cutleries" (
) , I bought this cheap used knife late last night. Why? Well we were talking about some people eschewing (disliking) the Swinden Key construction. But years of research showed me that Albert Baer's other factory, Camillus, produced many knives for Schrade over the years... SFO, Old Timer and Uncle Henry. I found one example that I had not documented, though it is used and not in perfect condition, here is a Camillus produced Schrade 897UH with pinned through bolsters.
Now I admit that without the actual S Card from Tom, I can't be positive of it's provenance until I hold it in my hand, I believe this knife represents the work of two cutleries, the historic owners of the mark and the factory which actually made it using their marks.
Meanwhile the largest cutlery supplier in the nation to that point, Adolph Kastor and Brothers, four industrious German immigrants, bought Sherwood's Camillus factory and imported German cutlers to man it, having already made fortunes importing English and German (Germany, Austria, Czchoslovakia) knives. Yes, the population of the tiny village of Camillus doubled shortly with new immigrants. Eventually they bought the OVB mark and Coleman's Western.
But not before being themselves bought by the owner of Schrade who used to work for Camillus, and who had bought Ulster and eventually would buy all of the shares of Imperial, essentially owning the trademarks of all of them. He also owned cutlery works in England, Ireland, France and Mexico at various times. And later the company imported again from Germany and from the Pacific Rim. Yes, it is sad to see some great old companies go by the wayside, and natural to lament shifting market pricepoints of new owners of trademarks. But as always, the more things change the more they stay the same.
And as Waynorth and many other dedicated collectors know, all of the cutleries of the past left behind many examples of their products. While the cutleries may be gone, the knives are not.
For instance I had three main favorite patterns of interest in both the Old Timer and Uncle Henry lines. I sought out examples of those three patterns which represent the full timeline of their production, not an easy thing to do. But a challenge. How can you know everythoing there is to know about a pattern if you can't chickeneye and coonfinger them? When did they quit doing this and start doing that?
So I own around thirty of the 897UH premium stockman pattern. And around thirty of the 152OT/UH Sharpfinger pattern. And round thirty of the 165OT/UH Woodsman fixed blade pattern (until the recent breakin and Great Schrade Robbery). Half or more of each pattern's examples are new in complete packaging. All of these are in addition to hundreds of knives accumulated chasing pattern ancestors.
Whether you are looking for examples to collect or to use, there are knives out there to fit every pocket and belt. Oh yeah! In another thread on the nostalgia topic, "necromancing long gone cutleries" (
) , I bought this cheap used knife late last night. Why? Well we were talking about some people eschewing (disliking) the Swinden Key construction. But years of research showed me that Albert Baer's other factory, Camillus, produced many knives for Schrade over the years... SFO, Old Timer and Uncle Henry. I found one example that I had not documented, though it is used and not in perfect condition, here is a Camillus produced Schrade 897UH with pinned through bolsters.
Now I admit that without the actual S Card from Tom, I can't be positive of it's provenance until I hold it in my hand, I believe this knife represents the work of two cutleries, the historic owners of the mark and the factory which actually made it using their marks.
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