Hatch Cutlery Bridgeport CT

Markesharp · Jun 30, 2014

I just received these knives I purchased from an auction for $21.00 (+3 others).
The most interesting is the Hatch Cutlery knife.
From a quick search I found that the company was short lived:

Bridgeport CT 1886-1888
Buchanan MI 1888-1899
Milwaukee WI 1899-??

Sorry for the bad pics....

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I will try and get better pic's later...I have to help a friend move. Thanks, Mark

Gevonovich · Jun 30, 2014

Beautiful ...beautiful ....knife!!

Primble · Jun 30, 2014

W

W !!! Great find (or bid) Mark - we need more pics for our fix when you have time. :thumbup:

You can just box "The Hatch" up and send her to me, any time you get to longin' for another. It would look proper on my table.

P.S. - Just don't ever send it to Gevonovich or Duncan - they don't need any more knives!

Markesharp · Jun 30, 2014

Primble said:
WW !!! Great find (or bid) Mark - we need more pics for our fix when you have time. :thumbup:

You can just box "The Hatch" up and send her to me, any time you get to longin' for another. It would look proper on my table.

P.S. - Just don't ever send it to Gevonovich or Duncan - they don't need any more knives!

Would you like it overnight or regular First Class Mail?

I am at a loss as to what this knife and if it is from 1886-1888, what the heck should I do with it? Any guidance would be much appreciated.
BTW, the knife is solid with great walk and talk, the pile side of the Ebony? has a very slight hairline crack.

Markesharp · Jun 30, 2014

A couple comparison pic's

Indoor pictures....not so good.

Pipeman · Jun 30, 2014

Nice Hatch catch Bro.

Thats a sweet knife, congrats.
Is it marked Bridgeport?
Best regards

Robin

Pipeman · Jun 30, 2014

Thats a pretty interesting knife. Distributed by Wiebusch who was one of the owners of Challenge. The sheild is a bit different with rounded tips on the blade end and pointed on the butt end. My Challenge HJ has one rounded tip but still perfectly inlet like yours. I wonder if Challenge made knives for Hatch. the master is a dead ringer for the master on my Challenge HJ.

NICE catch

Best regards

Robin

lambertiana · Jun 30, 2014

Goins lists three different Hatch Cutlery companies. Yours was made by the one that was in Bridgeport, CT 1885-1899. They were purchased by Challenge in 1899. That knife sure looks like a Challenge knife that I have, I wonder if Challenge made it for them.

The OVB was probably made by NYKC.

I can't make out the tang stamp on the third knife, what is it?

Here's my Challenge

Primble · Jul 1, 2014

Markesharp said:
Would you like it overnight or regular First Class Mail?

I am at a loss as to what this knife and if it is from 1886-1888, what the heck should I do with it? Any guidance would be much appreciated.
BTW, the knife is solid with great walk and talk, the pile side of the Ebony? has a very slight hairline crack.

Overnight would please me most and please just drop that Charlow in the box with it.

Seriously though and if I were you, I would LIGHTLY clean that one and drop it in my pocket!

lambertiana said:
Goins lists three different Hatch Cutlery companies. Yours was made by the one that was in Bridgeport, CT 1885-1899. They were purchased by Challenge in 1899. That knife sure looks like a Challenge knife that I have, I wonder if Challenge made it for them.

. . . . or could be the other way around - maybe Challenge bought them out for the tooling for that knife???

Markesharp · Jul 1, 2014

Pipeman said:
Nice Hatch catch Bro. Thats a sweey knife, congrats.
Is it marked Bridgeport?
Best regards

Robin

Thanks Robin.

It is marked Bridgeport CT.

Markesharp · Jul 1, 2014

Primble said:
Overnight would please me most and please just drop that Charlow in the box with it.

Seriously though and if I were you, I would LIGHTLY clean that one and drop it in my pocket!

. . . . or could be the other way around - maybe Challenge bought them out for the tooling for that knife???

Thanks for the advice Primble. :thumbup: Your last statement rings true from a little research that I've done so far. Seems they were only in Bridgeport CT for two years and moved to Buchanan MI and then were most likely bought out by someone.

lambertiana - The third knife is an old Remington. Thanks.

glennbad · Jul 1, 2014

What a great old knife! As far as what you should do with it? Like Primble said, drop it in your pocket and use it. I'd clean up the blades ever so slightly to stop the active rust on it, but that's about it, maybe a small bit of something for the ebony.

Very nice!

Markesharp · Jul 1, 2014

glennbad said:
What a great old knife! As far as what you should do with it? Like Primble said, drop it in your pocket and use it. I'd clean up the blades ever so slightly to stop the active rust on it, but that's about it, maybe a small bit of something for the ebony.

Very nice!

Thanks for the compliments and the advise Glenn. Much appreciated.

mattyc · Jul 1, 2014

That is a beautiful knife! I was born in Bridgeport, CT (more years ago than I'd care to admit), and I always appreciated the fact that it was a hub of manufacturing and machining in its heydey. As others have said, I recommend you use it, keep it oiled and well cared-for, maybe reflect on its age and provenance in your odd moments....

Markesharp · Jul 1, 2014

mattyc said:
That is a beautiful knife! I was born in Bridgeport, CT (more years ago than I'd care to admit), and I always appreciated the fact that it was a hub of manufacturing and machining in its heydey. As others have said, I recommend you use it, keep it oiled and well cared-for, maybe reflect on its age and provenance in your odd moments....

Thanks for the comment mattyc.

I will do that.

Primble · Jul 1, 2014

glennbad said:
What a great old knife! As far as what you should do with it? Like Primble said, drop it in your pocket and use it. I'd clean up the blades ever so slightly to stop the active rust on it, but that's about it, maybe a small bit of something for the ebony.

Very nice!

Really good advice! Now Mark - quit posting so much today and get to work on that knife - a little rubbing on those blades like Glenn said, then maybe a little vinegar laid down on those blades for a few hours - to darken, then oil and 0000 steel wool to lighten back to satin grey - hurry up - I want to see!

lambertiana · Jul 2, 2014

Markesharp said:
Thanks for the advice Primble. :thumbup: Your last statement rings true from a little research that I've done so far. Seems they were only in Bridgeport CT for two years and moved to Buchanan MI and then were most likely bought out by someone.

lambertiana - The third knife is an old Remington. Thanks.

According to Goins, the MI Hatch is not the same as the Bridgeport. The Bridgeport Hatch was in business until 1899, when they were bought by Challenge.

Hatch Cutlery Bridgeport CT

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