The Robeson Cutlery Company

[RobesonsRme.com]

I've seen several of those four sided display cabinets, all on the internet, most on Ebay. I've never been able to purchase one.
I've only seen one that wasn't altered in some way. I think people use them to display small items or cards or whatever at antique malls.
I can tell you that I 've seen some on swivel bases. Whether they came that way originally, I don't know.
I do think that the unaltered one was set up to display something other than pocketknives, probably scissors, possibly razors.

Willie, the available data would date that tang stamp 1917 - 1939 and most likely made in a subsidiary plant in Mount Morris, New York, that was built to do the extra work brought on by WWI. They closed the plant about 1939, I think.

Charlie Noyes

[galvanic1882]

Picked up this little gem last week. It has some stains on the blade but I don't think it was ever used and has a very strong snap to it!!!

I love that case!!!!!

[RobesonsRme.com]

Nice, Mike!

I read the pattern number as 11688 (116088, actually. I've just gotta insert that zero).
Is that correct?

I've never owned one of these before.

Robeson also made a beautifully designed cotton sampler at some time. I've seen one, but never owned one.

You done good, but, "What? No ink?"

Charlie Noyes

[galvanic1882]

Yea I know Charlie no INK!!! But look at this little advertising beauty. Now all I need is a mint example of the knife shown to go with it!!! An ink blotter from Robeson.

[Miller Bro's]

It`s been almost a month and no reply from Charlie on that Ink Blotter


Charlie,

On your postcards posted on page one, do any of them have a date?

A postmark or a rough idea when the picture was taken?


Thanks

[RobesonsRme.com]

I should have posted a response. Mike and I had discussed the blotter back channel.
It's a great item. I certainly wish I had one like it.

The knife illustrated on the blotter is like those we discussed a while back. The liners and bolsters wrapped over the edge of the handle slabs and did not need handle pins.

I'll post an example below.

MB; most of those cards, at least the B/W ones are from 1903 to 1910 or so.
The three story brick building was built in 1903, the same year Millard F. Robeson died. So, any photo with the building is after 1903.
I suspect the tinted ones are a little later. 1920's 1930's?

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

The three story brick building was built in 1903, the same year Millard F. Robeson died. So, any photo with the building is after 1903.
I suspect the tinted ones are a little later. 1920's 1930's?

Thanks Charlie

Here is a real picture postcard. It is dated 1905. This one looks earlier than any of the ones you posted. If you notice the brick building does not exist. There are only two telephone poles with one wire on them. The later photos have shorter poles with more telephone/telegraph wires. Also if you look closely in this photo you can see the rail along the sidewalk is pretty straight, the railing in the later ones is bent all over from the workers sitting on them during break time. On the roof is a platform with a wheeled device on it, the later pictures do not have this. There is no water tower in the background, the front door of the factory has a sign on it, later ones do not, I could go on and on ::blah:: You get the idea

If the brick building was built in 1903, this card should have that in the picture. Unless this card was mailed much later in time.

What do you think Charlie

[RobesonsRme.com]

Let me correct myself. The three story building was built in 1906. Never trust my memory.
The water tower doesn't exist in your photo because it was the supply for the fire sprinkler system that was incorporated into the new building. That was its sole purpose.

I'm not sure about the sign you mentioned. I've been told it was still on the building until its destruction, whenever that occurred.

Very nice older photo, MB.

Does it not contain a Christmas Star hanging from the utility wires?

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

I'm not sure about the sign you mentioned.

Let me clarify, there is a sign on the front door, not the large one hanging above the front door. I know it is hard to see from my picture, but there is a sign just below the window on the left hand door that you would use to enter the building. Wonder what it said?

Very nice older photo, MB.

Does it not contain a Christmas Star hanging from the utility wires?

Thanks Charlie, no it is a star that someone made with a pencil on the postcard. It was mailed from Perry N.Y. Nov. 10 at 8am, it arrived in Elmira N.Y. Nov. 10 at 1pm, it got there in 6 hours!! Postal service was much faster with the horse and buggy

There is a message on the bottom of postcard on the front side and of course the address on the back, still a nice old card.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I downloaded the photo and blew it up as best I could.
As near as I can make it out, the sign on the door reads, "Collectible Knives, 2nd Door on the Left"

[Owd Wullie]

I thought it said NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS.

[galvanic1882]

Charlie, great knife!!! Now I need to find one so keep your eyes out for me.

Mike

[Mossdancer]

Charlie Noyes:
Found one over the weekend that you might want to see. Nothing special and someone at one time or another put in a replacement spear and brass pinned the shield. Just looking I would call it a coke bottle or a swell centered jack, what is the real name?. Just guessing it would be from a bit after the turn of the 20th century. I have several photo's, I will only post a few. If anyone wants more let me know.
moss

[RobesonsRme.com]

MossD;
That's a rare pattern. I've never seen anything but photos and only three different knives at that.
One of them is on AAPK. I'll try to find it. It was posted long before I joined.
There was one with black handles like yours on Ebay a year or so back. It had a clip blade as the secondary, but it was a replacement.
I have the pattern number somewhere.
I think I've seen these referred to as "Stabber" jacks. They are certainly coke bottles.
Our English friends call them "Fiddle-Backs".

Let me search for the one here on AAPK.

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

This the one you looking for Charlie?

[Miller Bro's]

Or maybe this one.............

[Miller Bro's]

Here are all three in one picture.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Thanks, MB. The bone handled knife was the one I was looking for. I had to stop my search last night. Sarah wanted to watch a Christmas movie. My participation was requested.
Charlie Noyes

[RobesonsRme.com]

Here's a little note from M.F. Robeson to a customer, dated July, 1888.
This is the earliest piece of paper I have.
I just bought this, it arrived today.
Click on it twice to make it bigger.
Charlie Noyes

[RobesonsRme.com]

After twentythree years of searching for knives, information and ephemera pertaining to
The Robeson Cutlery Company, I have finally, through the miracle of this thing we call
"The Internet", found something that has eluded me for that entire twentythree years, a
photo of Millard F. Robeson, founder of Robeson Cutlery.

I located an historical text, relatively recently posted to the internet,
History Of The Town Of Perry, New York.
It is a three hundred seventy plus page book written by a Frank. D. Roberts, in collaboration with Carl G. Clarke and published by Carl G. Clarke & Son in 1915.

The details of the establishment of The Robeson Cutlery Company and how and when it came to be located in Perry begins on page 87.

The story is virtually the same as that told by Dewey and Lavona Ferguson in
The Romance of Collecting Cattaraugus, Robeson, Russell and Queen Knives, published in 1978, so the Fergusons had access to this information in some form.

The book is now on-line at the following link:

http://openlibrary.org/books/OL23362452 ... y_New_York

If you go to the web page, click on the "Read Online" icon to the right of the screen. A facsimile of the book will appear. Look at the bottom left of the screen. You can move the "Hand" right and left to access the different pages of the book. Just drag the hand until you see page 87 and stop. The book will advance itself to that page.

After I found this yesterday, I checked an on-line antique book site called http://www.BiblioFind.com, now owned by Amazon.com. There was, indeed, an original copy available.

I bought it.

Also available are photo copies of the book and a paperback reprint published just this last year.

The Internet is a marvelous thing, filled with traps and snares and filth, but also an absolute boon to researchers and to folks like us seeking obscure information on various cutlery companies.

I also found an announcement in The Buffalo Express, a Buffalo, New York newspaper dated Friday, December 16th, 1898, publicizing the establishment of The Robeson Cutlery Company in Perry.

The same announcement was in The New York Times on the same date.

Here, below, are the frontispiece and the pages of most interest to me. You should be able to
enlarge them.

Charlie Noyes

[edgy46]

Great find Charlie, and thanks for sharing. This will be printed out and filed in John Goins encyclopedia (my info file).

[RobesonsRme.com]

My 1st edition copy of History of Perry, New York arrived today. It is in great condition. It even had a letter folded inside, from the publisher to a resident of Perry that had pre-ordered the book. The note is on C. G. Clarke & Son, Publishers stationery, signed by C. G. Clarke and dated 1915.

Charlie Noyes

[Miller Bro's]

Picked this one up today.

3 1/8" Interframe pen knife pattern #128544 1/2, manicure blade is stamped with a patent date, for the handle design.

The insert is a black composition material.

Check it out

[galvanic1882]

I thought I would revive this post with a knife that a friend sent me awhile ago and that I have never posted. I love the celluloid handles.

[jerryd6818]

Mike, that is awesome. Those handles are beautiful. The little pouch is a real plus. What's the closed length on the knife?