New York Knife Company & Schrade Walden

[textoothpk]

Here's something kinda cool. The photo is a knife of mine, a Schrade Walden advertiser, for a Woolen and Felt company. Nice huh? And the ebay link is one I am bidding on, a Hammer brand by New York Knife Company, Walden. Kinda illustrates discussions we've had in the past concerning the relationship between these two companies.

So what is missing here? A Schrade Cutlery Corp, of course. Did they make one of these give-aways as welll? Need LT to make an appearence to answer that question.

Note: My knife also has two blades, but I would never open both blades of a knife that shares a common backspring. Hard on the spring!

New York Cutlery Co- Hammer brand- 1856 to 1931. I'd have to research the dates the Felt and Woolen company was in business to figure out how old the Hammer knife is.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6537537945&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEBI:IT&rd=1

Knox Woolen company: Located in Camden, Maine. In business 1864 to 1988. Camden was used in 1957 as the locale for the movie 'Peyton Place' and the mill was called 'Harrington Mill' as the site in the movie for a Labor Day picnic. Mill has been restored now.

EH Best Company of Boston: I have no found information yet. But I have found that New England, and Boston in particular, were Important woolen mill locations.

And perhaps this little thread of mine here and the rather inexpensive knives involved, say a little bit about the simple pleasures of knife collecting. I have not/will not discover anything earth-shaking or even of interest to anyone probably except for one or two of you and myself. But still. A much more fascinating aspect of knife collecting than mindlessly gathering up a bunch of blades at any cost.
Have a great week, guys,
Phil

 

[Codger_64]

Digging out the little details is always fun for me. Like different sheaths, tangstamps, engineering changes made during the life of a run, etc. Even a grouping of one pattern all private labled for Craftsman, J.C. Penny, L.L. Bean, Colt, Remington, Winchester, duh.... do you smell burning rubber? Does anyone have a list of all the private stamps? Of just merchandisers? Seems like LT answered a question about a large hardware chain knife a while back. Did they make them for Montgomery Wards? And then there are the knives they made for other knife companies. Some of the Frost comissioned Schrades are nice. Camillus made some knives for Schrade, did they make some Camillus knives? Other brands?

Codger

 

[lt632ret]

They all made these little aluminum knives I have attached a pic which includes a version from Walden knife CO as well. Yes Schrade also made them under Schrade cut. Originally the aluminum handle was the higher end of there lines like gold or silver. However when the methods for producing aluminum improved the material went from a semi precious metal to an inexpensive one. Being soft it was quite conducive to early engraving for advertising.

No one will ever be able to know exactly how many companies Schrade made knives for . I can attest to that statment since I have many of the various tang stamps and later hot dies used for advertising for various companies.

Just to give you an idea I grabbed a few variations of 2 and 3 backspring fishing knives. If you look close you will see what are essentially variations of the same knives under Schrade, Sears, JC Higgins, Wards, Ulster. Variations included keeping the Ulster or Schrade tang and just etching the blades. or the chain stores own tang. Or just about anything else you could imagine.

Schrade not only produced for the various stores, they in fact made many knives on contract for other knife companies ( under there tangs ).

When you look at the fishing knives remember they were made on the same machines Ulster and Schrade were the same company and came off the same machines in the same building. On any given day they could roll off the machines with any of these markings. It was just a matter of what was on order. The records for these early years in fact most of the years is lost forever if indeed they were ever kept.

The chances are the Hammer is a later ( in there history) New york Knife. Imperial did not to my knowledge make this aluminum knife. They took over the logo after 31 when NYK went under. Anyway that is how I would call it.

Hey Phil Santa is in the Mail we are going to make a hero out of you yet. Priority should be there in a day or two. Merry Christmas. Margarita Moderator. LT.

 

[textoothpk]

Thanks for the pics and info, LT. Fascinating about the status of aluminum how it has changed over the years.

Santa? Hero? I can't wait, LT!
Phil