It depends on how narrowly you care to define what is a Schrade. The names changed, owners changed, corporate structure changed quite a few times. Do you believe an Ulster knife is a Schrade? A Kingston? What about a George Schrade
Schradebrand? Is the Schrade geneology a straight stick, or is it a tree with branches and roots?
I see two patents visible in the pictures, though a third may lurk just out of sight below them.
#2170537 issued Aug. 22nd, 1939 to Felix Mirando
Knife Handle and Components
#2281782 issued May 5th, 1942 to Felix Mirando
Improved ornamental covering for Knife frame
I believe your knife was made some time post-WWII. Albert Baer's Ulster Knife Company (he bought Ulster, then known as Dwight Divine & Sons, Inc. in 1941) formed an association with Imperial Knife Company in 1942, Imperial Knife Associated Companies. Baer did not, however own the Schrade Cutlery Company at that time. It's ownership still remained with the Schrade brothers. Baer's Kingston Cutlery Company, formed in 1943 using an old Ulster trademark, purchased Schrade in 1946. At which time, it ceased to be Schrade Cut Co, as we have come to know it. It became Schrade Walden Cutlery Corporation, a division of Imperial Knife Associated Companies Group, which included:
Imperial Knife Company, Inc. of Providence, R.I.
Ulster Knife Company Inc. of Ellenville, N.Y.
Schrade Walden Cutlery Corp., of Walden N.Y.
Kingston Cutlery Co., addressed New York, N.Y.
Vulcan Razor Corporation of Maplewood N.J.
In 1947, Kingston Cutlery Company was dissolved, though the brand reverted to an Ulster trademark and was used through circa 1960.
In 1958, The Schrade Walden Cutlery division moved from Walden, NY to Ellenville, NY. for consolidation with Ulster Knife Company after a 1957 fire in the Walden factory. After the consolidation of the two corporations, the parent corporation was named Ulster Knife Co., Inc. Joseph and Louis J. Schrade were still listed as President and Secretary of Schrade Walden Cutlery Corp. at that time, while Albert and Henry Baer were President and Secretary of Ulster Knife Co., Inc.
Records show that in August of 1973, the name of Ulster Knife Company, Inc. was officially changed to Schrade Cutlery Corporation.
In 1983, Albert Baer bought the stock of all shareholders in Imperial Knife and became the sole owner of the privately held company. Records show that at the end of December, 1983:
Imperial Knife Associated Companies Inc.
Imperial Knife Co., Inc., of Rhode Island
Schrade Cutlery Corp.
Imperial International Corp., and
The Knife Shop Outlet Inc. of New York
were merged into the Albert M. Baer Corporation of Delaware to become Imperial Schrade Corporation of Delaware.
You still with me? Good. Hang in there!
In 1985, The Imperial Knife Associated Companies name was changed to Imperial Schrade Corp., and the company's U.S. operations were combined under one roof in Ellenville, with the exception of the Jackmaster line being made in the Stag Cutlery, LTD., factory in Listowel, Ireland. IKAC purchased the vacant Channelmaster factory in Ellenville.
In March of 2004, Imperial Stag/Imperial Schrade Europe, a subsidiary of US-based Imperial Schrade Corp., closed the Listowel, County Kerry Ireland factory after 43 years.
On July 29, 2004, Imperial Schrade announced it was shutting down its Ellenville plant. 260 workers were fired without notice. In October, 2004, all assets of Imperial Schrade were sold at auction including the machinery, materials, finished product, and the trademarks, patents and copyrights. Thus ended the Schrade era.
Think I covered it all? Nope. 1973, Imperial’s subsidiary in Theirs, France, Durol S.A., completed a new manufacturing plant, and began full production.
In 1977, Imperial Knife Company also owned owned Richard Bros., LTD., of Sheffield, the British licencee of the Lohr and Steihl patents, and since 1975 of Rogers-Wostenholm. Schrade IXL products were produced at the Morse Street factory until 1982. This American-UK joint venture went bankrupt in 1983. Thus, Schrade-Wostenholm knives were made 1977 to about 1982.
Dang. I left out their operations in Germany, Canada, and Mexico. Oh...and one more important one quite recently in the news. Camillus. It closed this past month. And it made quite a few knives and components for Imperial Schrade, including...some of the Schrade-Wostenholm IXL knives!
Albert owned a goodly share of Camillus when he left them in 1940, and complete ownership evolved to the Baer family upon the death of Alfred Kastor in 1963. He maintained an active involvment with the company behind the scenes until his own death in 1997 at age 92, having been in the cutlery business for seventy five years.
So each of us has to decide for ourselves what constitutes a "SCHRADE". I include the whole family back to 1876 myself.
Michael
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