I believe this is a rare one,a hyperbole when speaking of this pattern.I grin. Ahh,The Old West. Interesting knife and more colorful company history.
Old Texas stamps are pretty rare.
Krakauer,Zork & Moye's Suc.'s El Paso Texas. Goins says Soc's,but stamps say Suc.'s. c 1895-1914 . Suc.'s meaning Successors. 4"( again, typical for this pattern) stamped on all blades,as with all old knives.
I'm fairly certain it is a Challenge made knife.Shield and frame match.I also suspect an ethnic relationship between Challege and this Company.
The 1897-98 San Antonio City Directory lists the company at 114-16 West Commerce with A. & M. Krakauer, G. Zork, and E. Moye as proprietors. This wholesale and retail company, which specialized in hardware and sporting goods, began in San Antonio but was far better known in El Paso with a main branch in Chihuahua, Mexico. Many Colt revolvers were shipped to the main El Paso store for distribution elsewhere. The company announced in the Oct 3, 1897 San Antonio Light that their entire stock was being sold at cost so that their interests could be concentrated in Mexican and Western houses. In Jan 1911 the other partners bought out E. Moyes interest for $300,000, and the company was then Krakauer Zork & Moye Successors.
Also see:
https://books.google.com/books?id=y...nepage&q=krakauer zork & moye company&f=false
Interesting side notes:
They were etched "Krack-A-Jack",which is where Bob Roark and Charlie Dorton got their etch for the 2010 cotton sampler they SPOed from GEC.Bob told me Charlie Dorton found it in the Goins description and they used it.
This company came under Senate investigation during the Mexican Revolution ,accused of selling arms and munitions to the rebels.You can read the transcript of the Sept 7, 1912 Senate Subcomittee on Forgeign Relations here:
https://books.google.com/books?id=k...q=Krakauer,Zork,Moye's and Successors&f=false