Imperial knife

Joined
Oct 12, 2008
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5
Bought old fixed blade knife in the bad shape stamped "Imperial Prov RI USA". Have a couple of questions:
1. Who are Imperial?
2. What means Prov RI USA?
3. What steel is this?
4. How to clean the blade?

Respectfully
Dmitry
 
1) Imperial Cutlery Company. As far as I know, they've been out of business for quite a while. They generally made inexpensive knives.

2) Prov RI USA means Providence (the city) Rhode Island (the state) United States of America (the country) indicating where the knife was made.

3) Hard to say, but probably 1095 carbon steel if it has rusted. Imperial used both carbon steel and stainless in their knives.

4) Flitz Metal Polish and a Scotchbrite pad does a pretty good job without removing too much steel. If the blade is badly rusted, automotive sandpaper may be faster at the cost of removing more steel from the blade.
 
1) Imperial Cutlery Company. As far as I know, they've been out of business for quite a while. They generally made inexpensive knives.
Correct, part of the Imperial-Schrade Corporation that went bankrupt and was dissolved in 2004 on their 100th anniversary. But the Rhode Island factory was closed long before that, 1989 as I recall, when Schrade began producing the Imperial knives in Ireland.
 
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