Sometimes the history is as good as the knife.....

D

Drum4fun

Joined
Mar 21, 2018
Messages
371
I found this vintage cigar cutter today at a yard sale. I gave $5.00.

What I believe I have is a vintage (circa 1900-1920's) advertising Cigar cutter made
by H. Keschner , Solingen , Germany for Carl Nollenberger ,
Leadville, Colorado. There
appears to some discrepancy in dating the knife... as internet sources site Mr. Keschner
business dates from 1920 -1940... and, Mr. Nollenberger had left
Leadville, Co. by 1916.
(see the very interesting history of Mr. Nollenberger in the link below) .

backstory... I was drawn to this knife as my Great Grandfather Patrick Foley resided in Leadville, Co. during the Silver boom and my Grandfather Alexander Foley was born there. Their stay overlaps with the exact years of Mr. Nollenberger's residency in Leadville.

I will leave the knife in the condition found... (after a light oil coating). This will be a keeper.

For reference.... a copy of this knife found on line retails for $175. The knife (cigar cutter)
is functional.

Charles
advertising knife.... https://imgur.com/a/SCVbeqI

Carl Nollenberger's history... http://pre-prowhiskeymen.blogspot.com/2018/08/carl-nollenberger-bowties-and-booze-in.html?m=1
 
Thank you Jimmy...I'm digging it ! Now, if only I could afford a Gurkha Cigars Cellar
Reserve 15-Year. Rated 99 !! (to test it out). :thumbsup::D
 
Very neato! Does the blade depress on the hole to cut the cigar? Like with your thumb?--KV
 
KV...exactly correct. When I first showed it to my bride she thought the
hole was for a lanyard !

The design is so practical / functional... well thought out. Not much bling
but very cool to look at...:cool:

Charles
 
Nice find, that is a neat knife! I visited Leadville last year, my uncle lives in Snowmass.
 
Ernie... I visited Leadville for some Family tree research.... the place oozes the Silver
boom history. In researching this knife I found many iterations of the cigar
cutters.... a nice bit of history that I have previously overlooked. I am very glad
I had the opportunity to pick it up ....yard sale... you never know.

Charles
 
Drum4fun said:
I found this vintage cigar cutter today at a yard sale. I gave $5.00.
Click to expand...
Very cool knife and story Charles. We crossed over Independence pass coming from Aspen awhile back and came out just below Leadville. A most beautiful and scenic area. Thanks for sharing.
 
Dwight....I agree spectacular scenery. I really enjoyed matching up the history
with the blade... true connectivity to the real Wild West. These early "advertising"
knives are important links to the past.

Charles
 
Drum4fun said:
Dwight....I agree spectacular scenery. I really enjoyed matching up the history
with the blade... true connectivity to the real Wild West. These early "advertising"
knives are important links to the past.
Click to expand...
They are indeed of utmost importance. History in steel. Here's an example representing an area just down the road from Leadville.IMG_4837.jpegIMG_4842.jpeg
 
Charles, congrats on your fabulous find! :thumbsup::cool::cool::thumbsup:
I think the knife is very cool even though I have no connection to its history. With your connections, the $5 knife must be priceless! :thumbsup::thumbsup::)

- GT
 
Thanks GT...I know this find was pure-D luck. I missed it first pass. But something
told me to dig deeper on the cluttered table.... glad I did.

On my family tree visit to Leadville I visited the archives at the historic Catholic
Church I found that my Great Grandparents had a son that survived 13 days. Found
his markings in the Old Catholic Cemetery Infant section.... all it indicated was a tiny
marking of "T.F." (Thomas Foley). We decorated the grave. This was new family
history. These scenarios were not uncommon in early Leadville. The knife and story
will be passed to my boys.

bride reminds me....c.o.d. was Influenza. Many small headstones with close
proximity dates to Thomas' passing....

Charles
 
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