Rare Complete Mid-Century Imperial Giftmaster Salesman Sample Set.

This is an incredible, time-capsule piece of American advertising and cutlery history. This Imperial Giftmaster set was used by traveling representatives in the late 1960s to early 1970s to showcase custom-branded "premiums" to corporate clients.
The set is exceptionally preserved and includes:
8 Pocket Knives: Featuring various patterns (Barlow, Pen, Jack) with crisp corporate logos from Pennwalt, Federal Land Bank, Syracuse Produce, and more.
1 Letter Opener: Matching cream handle for Madison Avenue Specialties.
1 "Eagle Coach" Multi-Tool: A rare, large triangular jar/bottle opener tool branded for the famous Dallas, TX bus manufacturer.
2 Stainless Steel Money Clips: Branded for Georgetown Steel Corp.
2 "Keychain" Style Pocket Knives: Featuring the iconic "Have a Nice Day" and Sternberg & Co. logos.

Condition Details:
The Knives: All appear to be in unused, "New Old Stock" condition with original factory snap. No visible rust or spotting on the blades.
The Display: The vibrant red felt lining is remarkably clean with no fading or tears.
The Box: The original wooden "Giftmaster" case is structurally sound with intact hinges and clear gold lettering on the lid.

This is a "must-have" for collectors of Imperial knives, vintage advertising, or 1970s corporate memorabilia. You rarely find these kits complete and in this level of preservation.

This Imperial "Giftmaster" Salesman Kit is a fascinating piece of marketing history. It was used by a traveling representative to show regional companies how their logos would look on premium "giveaway" items.Based on the businesses shown, this set was likely compiled in the late 1960s to early 1970s.
Here is the historical context for some of the specific brands featured:
Featured Companies & History
Pennwalt Corporation: This was a major Philadelphia-based chemical and equipment conglomerate formed in 1969. The presence of this specific logo helps narrow down the set's age to the early 70s.
Federal Land Bank (of Wichita): This was part of a government-sponsored cooperative credit system established to provide long-term loans to farmers. During the 1960s-70s, they frequently gave away pocket knives and pens at agricultural trade shows.
Eagle Coach (Dallas, Texas): This was a prominent manufacturer of luxury touring buses (often used for bands and political campaigns). The large blue multi-tool in your kit was a high-end corporate gift likely given to fleet owners or transportation executives.
Madison Avenue Specialties (Corvallis, Oregon): This was the "middleman" agency. They were likely the promotional products company that worked with Imperial to sell these custom-branded sets to other businesses in the Pacific Northwest.
Note:
The large blue triangular tool is a vintage multi-functional opener and jar wrench. In the promotional product industry of the 1970s and 80s, this specific item was often called a "Great Opener" or "Universal Opener. It’s unusual shape was engineered to handle several common kitchen and household tasks:
The Large Loop (Jar Wrench): The inner serrated "teeth" are designed to grip various sizes of stubborn jar lids. You would slide the tool over the lid until the teeth bite into the side, using the wide handle for extra leverage to twist it open.
The Bottom Notch (Bottle Opener): The notch at the base of the triangle functions as a standard lift-top bottle opener for soda or beer caps.
The Pointed End (Tab Lifter/Can Piercer): The top point was often used to hook under pop-top tabs on soda cans to lift them without breaking a fingernail.
Historical Context: The branding for Eagle Coach (Dallas, Texas) makes this a specific piece of transportation memorabilia.Eagle Coach was a famous manufacturer of luxury "Silver Eagle" buses. Their main factory moved to Brownsville and later had headquarters in Dallas. Because these coaches were high-end (often used as tour buses for musicians like Elvis Presley or Willie Nelson), they gave out premium, durable multi-tools like this to their VIP clients and fleet owners.
Value to the Set: While a standard plastic opener like this might sell for $5–$10 on its own, its presence in your Imperial Giftmaster box is critical. It proves this was a "Master Salesman Kit" intended to show a client (like Eagle Coach) the full range of custom-moldable plastic and metal items Imperial could produce.

Unique Collectibility - This isn't just a knife collection; it's a cross-over collectible.
For Knife Collectors: It shows a perfect "snapshot" of Imperial’s catalog from that era, including the letter opener and money clips which are rarely seen together.
For Ad Collectors: Each item represents a different industry (Agriculture, Chemicals, Transportation), making it valuable to regional historians.

Shipping: Will be packed with extreme care in a sturdy box with bubble wrap to ensure the wooden case and inner contents arrive safely.

Item # 129075