Cattaraugus Cutlery Co. Little Valley N.Y. 1886-1963

[orvet]

Hi guys,
Maybe one of you Cattaraugus folks can help me identify this little knife I picked up this weekend at an estate sale. I can’t find anything on the numbers here on AAPK in the research section and I don’t think I have a book on Cattaraugus.
For a tiny little 2-3/8” knife it has a lot of snap to it! And those little blades are sharp too!

I am not a huge fan of MOP but this appears to be gold lip MOP, and I don’t see a crack on it anywhere. It’s a pretty nice knife to come out of an old farmhouse estate.
Of course the pictures don't come close to doing it justice, typical of most MOP.

I appreciate anything you can tell me about it, including an approximate value.
Thank you,
Dale

[galvanic1882]

Hi Dale, the O sometimes stands for Opal Pearl which it might be.

[Bamarick]

Good morning Dale,
As Mark said, it is Opal Pearl. I have one of these myself that I got from Jim Sargent several years ago. I would call mine near mint and I believe I gave him $125.00 for it at the time. I hope this helps.
Ricky

[orvet]

Thank you Mike and Ricky, I really do appreciate the information.
Does anyone have an approximate time that this knife might have been made?
Would it be pre-World War II or postwar?

Thanks again!

[galvanic1882]

Best guess would be pre World War II

[orvet]

Thanks Mike!

[peanut740]

I have been told from a couple different knife know-it-alls( in a good way)that Cattaraugus didn't make any pocket knives after WWII.

[espn77]

Is that normal for the tang stamp to be sideways?

[FRJ]

Great looking little Congress, Dale.

[Jacknifeben]

Some of the smaller knives are hard to get all of the numbers on same line, I have some the same way. Nice knife.

[tongueriver]

Some of the smaller knives are hard to get all of the numbers on same line.

This cut is from the 1930 catalog. An earlier version may have been non-stainless. I did not see an example in the 1922 catalog.

[galvanic1882]

Here is a bit of Catt history that is a bit obscure. See the front of this old billhead dated 1890 that shows some of the trademarks that Cattaraugus used, Galvanic and WW Wilson. The other picture is of the back of that billhead and states what is warranted and what is not. On the bottom it states that goods marked Attica and Valley Falls are not.

Below are pictures of 4 knives the top 2 are Attica Knife Co marked and the bottom 2 are Valley Falls.

Derek and I have been searching for them for years and figured we would share the info.

Mike

[Jacknifeben]

Wow, you are into this a lot deeper than me. Keep on teaching us.

[espn77]

Thanks Mike for the information. You always show good stuff.

[Jacknifeben]

Does that letterhead GALVARIC?

[FRJ]

It looks like GALVARIC to me too. Must be a misprint.

[galvanic1882]

Thanks guys, no it says Galvanic the N is fancy and sorry for the bad picture

[FRJ]

Thanks Mike, I see it now. No apologies, glad to see this ephemera that is still with us.

[orvet]

Thanks guys for the help on my knife and for all the additional information!
Thanks for the ephemera Mike it always helps to make things more real, at least to me.
I am not a Cattaraugus collector, but the quality grinds on these tiny blades is rarely equaled even on much larger blades.
If I keep finding knives like this I may start being a Cattaraugus collector.

[FRJ]

Here's a nice Cattaraugus jack. No cap and no half stops but a full nickel silver center liner. 3 1/4".
Plastic covers. There is a dimple on the cover pin just below the bolster. Watch the cover pop there.

[galvanic1882]

I am always on the lookout for different stamped Catt's and here are 4 little boys knives. The small ones are marked CCC LITTLE VALLEY NY they are 2 5/8" closed and the larger one is 3 3/8" closed and is marked CATTARAUGUS in an oval over CUTLERY in a straight line and LITTLE VALLEY NY below that in an oval. First and only time I have seen this tang stamp. If anyone else has one please post it. Thanks Mike

[wlf]

Knowing is all most as good as having.

Thanks Mike

[Miller Bro's]

Rare find Mike

Here's one I bought several years ago, don't think I ever posted it. Looks like it was never used.

[peanut740]

MB,that is a dandy.

[galvanic1882]

Ooooo MB that is a great knife!!