Empire Strikes Again!

[waynorth]

This copy of an Empire brochure from 1858, was used to inspire the Display Case I used to own!! A nice copy of the original, the Factory original case from 1858 still exists, somewhere??!!

 

[waynorth]

 

[waynorth]

galvanic1882 just sent me this interesting Pen from Empire ca. 1900!! It has a nice tapered Serpentine shape, with dimpled bolsters!!! I've had 3-4 of these "dimpled" knives from Empire through the years - my friend Tom from Winsted, Empire's home, has some evidence that a talented cutler in that factory, "customized" the knives with these dimples!! This is a nice one, though worn, with nice fiery Pearl!! I'm sure R.B. enjoyed it while he had it!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

That's one hang of a Knife right there Charlie!

Pleased to see RB loved and looked after it so well with his very careful sharpening

 

[waynorth]

Empire did a lot of pen and fob knives! This one is impressed on both sides with a neat art deco design, and is Gold Filled, or Plated!! (I never know which!)!
A nice sleeveboard pattern, made by Empire!!!!

 

[waynorth]

As seen above, and here, Empire was affected by the Art Deco era in the 1920s!! They made this beautiful Deco-style Lock-back Hunter for Shapleigh's, and Ken Ericson Made a reprise a few years ago, from a pattern refined by Tony Bose!! There's a lot of history in these knives!!
By 1930, Empire Knife Company was closed!!

 

[waynorth]

One more Empire, before I retire! I showed this one to Mike and Neal, during the Podcast yesterday, as I was expounding on how much I liked single spring,two-blades!!
Both blades are stamped, typical of those early days!! It is 3 1/4" and light as a feather, and this knife has beautiful, dark jigging that looks like an evolution of pickbone, nicely scaled to this smaller knife! Likely made after WWI, the blade etch is still there!!
Its handle shape reminds me of a wee Texas Jack, so I think of it as a Texas Pen!!! Ha Ha!!! Nice old knife!!!