The Buffalo Bill Commemoratives

Codger_64

Codger_64

Moderator
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
62,324
The Buffalo Bill Commemoratives


Quite often it is seen stated that the “Kentucky Rifle” limited edition knives made by Schrade Walden for A. G. Russell’s Collector Club were the first commemorative knives. In a way, they were indeed a milestone which started the modern commemorative knife collector fad, but they were by no means the first knives to commemorate a person or event.

First to come to my mind were the Eisenhower Case knives, but they weren’t really commemoratives, just especially engraved knives presented to him, or he presented to others during his administration. So they were really more presentation knives in the tradition of swords presented to officers and dignitaries.

Next, I am mindful of the George Washington knife made by Camillus (A. Kastor & Bros.) in 1932 and reprised in the 1990's.

I recently ran across some information in a file regarding an even earlier commemorative knife made by New York Knife Company circa 1914 with the featured famous person W. F. Cody “Buffalo Bill” on them. The ad copy from the flyer follows:

“Buffalo Bill”
Camping, Radio and Auto Knife
B. B. No. 1

A stunning knife creation named after the famous Old Scout. Now just let us tell you what this knife will do. Suppose you are a hunter or a camper.

You want a can opener, don’t you? And a can opener is a cuss to get lost. But here it is in a knife - can’t get lost.

You want a bottle opener? Here it is - can’t get lost. Maybe you want to make a hole in the tent canvas or a piece of leather. Buffalo Bill gets busy with the old punch blade. Does splendid work as a spark plug cleaner.

You want to clean fish or cut a skin, there is a sharp pointed strong cutting blade.

You are working on your radio or some electrical apparatus and you want to scrape the wire. Here it is right at hand, also a nicely tapered screwdriver.

You are doing some little carpenter work and you want to start a nail or screw hole. The punch is dandy for that work.

Back from camp and you no longer need to carry the knife on your belt. Remove the shackle and the knife is smooth for the pocket.

An all around knife of the highest quality, the same as every pocket knife stamped “HAMMER BRAND.” Made by the most expert cutlers in this country.

Why there isn’t a hunter, camper, sportsman, farmer, fisherman, autoist, mechanic or any real man who doesn’t want this knife on sight.

New York Knife Co.
Walden, N.Y.


The jigged bone handle of the knife had an inset oval shield bearing the likeness of Cody. The clip master blade had an etch “America’s Great Scout”, “Buffalo Bill” with an oval portrait etch.

Also in this file was a copy of a letter from...

Col. W. F. Cody, Vice President, The Col. W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) Historical Pictures Co., Denver, Colorado.

Harrford Calif.
May 2nd 1914

New York Knife Co.
Walden, N.Y.

Dear Sir,
You certainly make the best all round camp or hunting knife I ever used. I want another one for one of the greatest hunters in the world who is stuck on mine.

Yours truly,
W. F. Cody
“Buffalo Bill”

This small file was in a larger file having to do with Schrade Walden's later Buffalo Bill commemoratives. Be patient and I'll post information from that other file on the 166 pattern and others.

Michael
 
In the late 1960's Schrade Walden, under the direction of Uncle Henry Baer, designed, produced and sold a Buffalo Bill Commemorative Large Bowie #166. This was done in cooperation with the W. F. Cody Museum. A quantity of BB125 folding hunters were also made. In 1976, now Schrade Cutlery Corporation, a new Buffalo Bill Commemorative was produced based upon a stockman pattern. Then later, now Imperial Schrade Corporation, the 1998 issue of the American Legends knife for 1998 featured Buffalo Bill Cody. The last issue I can find would have somewhat of a "grail" status. Only two bulldog pattern knives were produced in 1989 with gold filled Aurum etched blades (the design art was og the center building in Wyoming) as a fundraiser for the center. I find no mention of these other than the two to be donated. I'll examine these knives in detail in upcoming posts.

Michael
 
An honest foot of Bowie knife in a 13" antique finished “Gaucho” style sheath. I recently bought a Sears Craftsman version of the Schrade Walden Buffalo Bill Commemorative Bowie knife from a fellow forum member, and in honor of him... and this knife, I’ve written up some research on the SW 166 Bowie pattern.



While it was most usual for Schrade Walden... and later Schrade Cutlery... to first make and sell a production knife under their own name and then later sell it as an SFO, the 166 pattern was an exception.

In 1967, Schrade Walden produced a unique 12" Bowie style knife. That year 1,572 of them were shipped to Sears Roebuck & Co. as their #21627. Over the next six years nearly 10,000 more were sold to Sears for a total of 11,0334 knives. 166SR was Schrade Walden's name for the version of the 166 that they made for Sears Roebuck, specifically for the American Eagle Series. The first Sears number was #21627, and the number for the last lots in 1972 and 1973 changed to #73603. That the details of the knives with these two numbers are the same is assured by the SW pattern number of both (P#3027) and the SW name for both (166SR).

These knives had a sawcut Delrin Old Timer style handle with brass and brown Delrin spacers separating it from the nickle silver birdshead pommel, and the symmetrical flat oval guard was composed of three layers, a brown Delrin spacer separating two outer brass plates. This same design theme was used on the 141SR American Eagle sold as the 41OT in 1971-1973 but with a standard style one piece guard. These Craftsman hidden tang blades were stainless steel and featured a 3/16" x 2 1/8" fuller groove on each side of the 7" clip blade. The tangstamp on blade right was “Craftsman” over “U.S.A.” read from the blade tip. The166 was a Sears Craftsman before it was a Schrade Walden BB166 Buffalo Bill.


The BB166 Buffalo Bill Commemorative design began in 1968 as a cooperative venture and fund raiser for the W.F. Cody Museum, the museum helping with the artwork and marketing, receiving a portion of the proceeds from both Schrade Walden and the selected jobbers who handled the first sales.



From: Henry B. Baer May 7, 1968
#166 - As described above, the blade to be etched with the fascimile signature of W. F. Cody in quotations "Buffalo Bill." We will have to buy an emblem approximately the size of a dime to be inserted near the base of the handle. Sample will be enroute to you at the time of this memo...

The first 400 were indeed made in 1968-69, all serialized. Numbers1-10 were sent to the "21 Club" in NYC., number 21 to Henry Baer via IKAC New York, NY., and the balance of first 100 sets to the Buffalo Bill Historical Society in Cody Wyoming. These were boxed sets including the BB125s. Some early numbers may be found with a "TR” suffix indicating they were sent to the Trustees of the W.F. Cody Museum. I also see notations of changes from the early proposed walnut handles to African Rosewood, and the Cody bust handle shields were coined in house when outsourcing proved to be too expensive. The matching “antique finish” Gaucho style sheaths for the knives were produced by El Cid of Santa Monica, California.



They were sold also through Abercrombie & Fitch (150), Norm Thompson (250) and an unknown quantity to Hoffritz, “Made expressly for Hoffritz” also etched on the blade.

The knife later appeared for open retail sale first in the 1970 Schrade Walden catalog, and for a second and final time in the 1971 catalog. They were not listed as sets with the companion folding hunter BB125, and the BB125 did not appear individually either.

An additional 750 were sold as Sears #21628 in 1969 and 1970. While it is not at this point a certainty, this pattern likely closely followed the later BB166 design with single brass guards having forward curved upper and lower quilons, the rounded African Rosewood handle and brass rivets.

Next? 1976 BB2

Michael
 
Codger,
Excellent piece! I felt obliged to include a little photo material to go along with it since There's nothing to add to your incredible research. These are some pics of the BB166 with box and paperwork. The box has a red felt lining that I neglected to show:
2qi1gs4.jpg
[/IMG]

2he8snn.jpg
[/IMG]

2nhnt5y.jpg
[/IMG]

4csvno2.jpg
[/IMG]

3zkvcq8.jpg
[/IMG]

Eric
 
$30 indeed, it would be nice to get hold of one of those now at that price, great pics and a fine example of the BB166.

Rusty1
 
lrv said:
A little more info.
in 1967 S/W made a Gaucho series pattern # 3226 has a 2 bladed 225 style knife and your sheath.

gaucho.jpg
Click to expand...

From an earlier post by Larry Vickery, an advertisement showing the Gaucho style sheath that was also used for the BB125 mentioned by Michael above.

Rusty1
 
Here is the only ad I have on the BB's. 1969. Sure wish it was in color.
TTYL
LArry

1969-BB-AD1s.jpg
 
The 1976 “Buffalo Bill” Commemorative Knife Set came in a hinge top display box with a coined brass commemorative medallion. The gold-tone medallion is 1 ½” diameter with profile, name and life span on front and “Schrade Cutlery Corporation Est 1904", “Buffalo Bill Commemorative Limited Edition” on the back. The 4" stockman pattern had a 3" master clip blade etched “W.F. Cody “Buffalo Bill” 1846-1917", a 2 1/4" sheepfoot blade and a 2" spey blade. The tang stamp reads “SW CUT BB2 USA”. The black Sawcut Delrin handle bears a brass coined shield with a bust portrait of Cody. Brass pins and bolsters, serialized, limited to 24,000 pieces and made in Providence R.I. by Imperial Knife Associated Companies.





Michael
 
Recently found the New York Knife Company camping knife that this post describes do you have any other information about it? It has Buffalo Bill's face engraved in silver on the bone casing. I was excited to find it 2 weeks ago at a sale with the intentions of using it for dirty jobs. Cleaned the blade off with a paper towel and discovered "American Buffalo" engraved into the blade. Been hooked on it ever since.
 
Michael, is this the ca. 1914 New York Knife Co Walden BB1 you had mentioned?

2zovzgl.jpg


2rpsfa0.jpg


All the Best!
AECA
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top