Knoxall

[JohnF]

Hi everyone! A while ago I had a thread on the Bernard Levine Forum on an old advertising knife made by Schrade. It had aluminum handles and was marked E.H. Best& Co. Boston, Mass. on one side and Knoxall Textiles on the other. My original question concerned the style of the knife which seemed much older than the Schrade/Walden/NY tang stamp would indicate.
Recently, I have found two other variations on this knife, one a Schrade/Cut.CO./N.Y. and a Schrade/Walden/NY USA.

The Walden USA version omits the E.H. Best marking and adds a Knox Woolen Company, Camden Maine marking. I have been able to locate some information about Knox from a Google search, but not about E.H.Best.
My question is, do any of you on this forum have any info on that company or on these knives? And, does Schrade have any info?
Thank's in advance.
John.

 

[lt632ret]

The knife in question is I believe a model 7529 ( under the Schrade Cutlery Corp tang. After 1946 this pattern was sold under the Schrade Walden tang ). After 1946 the model number would have been 3 digits. If I had to guess I would say 752. This same knife was also handled in bone 7523B, Cocobolo cell 75341/4C, and 7533B which was also a bone style. Schrade of course was and is a contract knife company which often sold knives engraved for advertising purposes. Several of these same names appear more often then others. EH Best, Bruce Seabright, Knox or Knoxall are among the more frequent. I do not know what type of firm Best was ( or is ) I do know I have found their name on several styles of knives ( 778, 779, ect). Seabright is found on ring knives and automatics, as well as regular pockets. The 778, and 779 models were used by numerous firms. I know some collectors who only collect this style just to get as many advertisers as possible. It would be difficult to list them all RCA, numerous insurance conpanys, the list goes on all the way back to the beginning of 1904 when mostly the advertising knives were the double bladed autos.

The 7529 adapted itself to this type of advertising since it was metal and could be engraved more easily than some other types of handle materal.( even though cell was being used) This model is 3,3/4" long. However the same style was made by Walden knife and I believe NYK, in a 2,3/4" model. I am attaching a picture of a similiar knife made by Walden knife it is the 2,3/4" ( while not exactly the same it is close). So in effect under Walden knife or NYK you can find similiar examples of this model all the way back to the 1800's. This becomes even more confusing due to the fact that while NYK at Walden 1856-1931, Walden Knife 1870-1923 did predate Schrade 1904. They were all for a time contemporaries. All producing similiar styles. This is further complicated by other New England companies that also produced similiar styles.

In conclusion, I am attaching a picture which appeared in Jim Sargeants First edition on pocket knives, and what do we find, yes The one in the book has E.H. Best engraved on the handle. It kind of makes you think he sure bought a lot of them whatever he did for a living. I hope you enjoy the pictures Rich