Cattaraugus
The Cattaraugus Company was started by John Champlin and his son Tint in 1882. It was first incorporated under the name J.B.F. Champlin and Son as a wholesale distribution company based in Little Valley, New York. The business proved to be a successful endeavor, and it soon branched into a knife production company named Cattaraugus.
In 1890, Mr. Champlin purchased cutlery manufacturing equipment from a failed business called the Beaver Falls Cutlery factory. Because Champlin started in the knife business as a wholesaler for a company who Imported German and English knives he had great knowledge about the cutlery business. As a wholesaler, he knew the market well, and he knew the shortcomings of the U.S. knife manufacturers. His plan was simple. He believed that the business would thrive if he could providing the highest quality cutlery available. In order to achieve this goal, he hired the best cutlers and provided them with the highest quality materials. This combination proved to be successful. Champlin brought in cutlers from Germany, England, and other U.S. manufacturers. The knives that were created in these early years set the quality standard by which all other U.S. manufacturers were measured.
More About Cattaraugus Knives
The links below offer a detailed explanation and reference to various characteristics about Cattaraugus knives.
| Cattaraugus' Knife Numbering System | This link will explain the company's numbering system that it used to represent knife patterns, handle materials, and other characteristics. |
| Cattaraugus blade abbreviations | In addition to the pattern number, Cattaraugus sometimes stamped additional letters on its knives to represent certain blades or other unique characteristics. This link contains information about these characters. |
| Handle materials used by Cattaraugus | Here you will find some pictures and descriptions of the various handle materials used by Cattaraugus. They are listed by their respective handle number designation. |
| Catt Pattern List | This link lists most of The company's knife patterns by their factory pattern number, shows a picture, and gives each knife a name along with a description. |
| Catt Military Knives | This link contains information about The knives that the company manufactured for WWII. |
| Catt Bolster Configurations | This link contains information about The bolster variations the company used & included indication within the factory pattern number. |
You will find some great examples of vintage old American cutlery history for sale here regularly.
I want to be very clear upfront this is not an original Cattaraugus Cutlery knife. To my knowledge they never made a pattern like this. I bought this knife about 6 years ago because...
Item # 128084
$174.50
Very cool piece of American history. The Cattaraugus 225Q "Quartermaster" is a durable WWII-era (1942–1944) combat-utility knife, renowned for its extremely thick, roughly 6-inch...
Item # 124164
$90.00
This is a folding hunter made by A.G. Russell for his Cattaraugus Cutlery and his Knife Collector's Club in 1997. This knife looks remarkably like a S&M sway back trapper only with a...
Item # 120101
$194.50
Knife appears to be in overall good condition, with typical age scratches/scuffing. Blade has small chip (see photos). Sheath has some discolorations and "trench art", and shows possible field...
Item # 116492
$125.00
Cattaraugus Cutlery Co Little Valley NY 1886 to 1963 Pearl Handle Whittler Model # 32093 May have been Clean But looks Mint except has flawe in the pearl that you can see in...
Item # 111114
$225.00
Cattaraugus Cutlery Co Little Valley NY Straight Razor Knife - Nice Composition Handles - Opens and Closes Pleasingly - No Cracks - No Wobble - Good Used Vintage Condition - Approx. 6 1/8...
Item # 100918
$75.00
LEFT HAND Custom made, hand stitched from 8-9 oz veg tan bridle leather. Uniformly dyed a medium brown, moisturized and sealed to remain flexible and help repel moisture. Patterned off an...
Item # 100667
$75.00
This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery folding hunter. A.G. Russell had these made in Seki Japan in 1990 for the Knife Collectors Club, KCC, by some of Japan's finest craftsmen. The handles on...
Item # 100316
$168.50
This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery folding hunter. A.G. Russell had these made in Seki Japan in 1990 for the Knife Collectors Club, KCC, by some of Japan's finest craftsmen. The handles on...
Item # 97737
$168.50
RIGHT HAND Custom made, hand stitched from 8-9 oz veg tan bridle leather. Uniformly dyed a medium brown, moisturized and sealed to remain flexible and help repel moisture. Patterned off an...
Item # 74954
$60.00
RIGHT HAND Custom made, hand stitched from 8-9 oz veg tan bridle leather. Uniformly dyed a medium brown, moisturized and sealed to remain flexible and help repel moisture. Patterned off an...
Item # 74953
$75.00
I have 2 folding guards and a liner for a vintage Cattaraugus folding machete for sale. They need some cleaning, please look the pictures over. For more info please shoot me an email at...
Item # 131421
$40.00
Cattaraugus Cutlery by Canal Street Cutlery For the 35th Anniversary of the KCC Whittler Sambar Stag
A.G. Russell called this a whittler. Made for the Cattaraugus Cutlery in 2005 in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the KCC by Canal Street Cutlers. The handles are some very good...
Item # 129734
$198.50
This is a hard to find vintage Official Boy Scout Knife that any collector would be proud to own. It is in good used condition. There is a little blade loss to sharpening but it's not...
Item # 129680
$140.00
Cattaraugus Cutlery A.G. Russell Sleeveboard Whittler Brown Jigged Bone 1989 Please Read Description
This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery sleeveboard whittler, made for A.G.Russell in Seki Japan for the KCC in 1989. Done in beautiful jigged brown bone handles that are chip and crack free. With...
Item # 128794
$114.50
Cattaraugus Cutlery Co Little Valley NY Bone pen, 3 3/8" long. Master blade with some scratc hes and staining , has good snap, pattern number looks like 22689 but is hard to read. Pen blade with...
Item # 127553
$125.00
Vintage Corn razors looking for a new home. The boxes don’t match the names on the razors but they came in them. Boxes are rough but the razors have no cracks or chips in the handles. The...
Item # 125839
$40.00
This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery FH-1 Arkansas toothpick made for the A.G. Russell Knife Collectors Club back in the 1990's in Seki Japan by some of their finest craftsman. The handles are...
Item # 125029
$128.50
CATTARAGUS CUTLERY CO. LITTLE VALLEY N.Y. (1886-1963)--WHTTLER #32589-3 1/2 INCHES CLOSED-3 BLADES FULL MARKED TIGHT AND SNAPS MINOR RESHAPE ON SMALL SHEEP-FINE ROGERS BONE HANDLES WITH...
Item # 124182
$165.00
The light colored one is a Hibbard, Spensor, & Bartlett whittler. Has one stable handle pin crack. Also one of the secondary blades is tipped. Second is a Cattaraugus whittler. Main blade has...
Item # 121692
$60.00
CATTARAGUS CUTLERY CO. LITTLE VALLEY N.Y (1886-1963)--WHARNCLIFF WHITTLER #32159-3 BLADES FULL MARKED SNAPS AND TIGHT-ROGERS BONE HANDLES SWEET ORIGINAL...
Item # 121655
$215.00
Part of a recent 37 piece collection of knives purchased from a fellow AAPK member. This collection includes many Marbles by Dave Shirley, Wendell Carson, S&M, Robeson, some very special...
Item # 120812
$173.50
Cattaraugus Cutlery by Canal Street Cutlery For the 35th Anniversary of the KCC Whittler Sambar Stag
A.G. Russell called this a whittler. Made for the Cattaraugus Cutlery in 2005 in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the KCC by Canal Street Cutlers. The handles are some very good...
Item # 119445
$198.50
Cattaraugus 225Q knife, WWII , 6" blade and 10 1/2 overall. Blade has some scratches and light staining but very good overall. Leather handle that someone sanded some grooves in, very stable,...
Item # 117764
$95.00
This is what A.G. Russell called his Mediterranean Barlow. Made in Seki Japan by some of Japan's finest craftsmen in the 1990's. The unique feature of this knife is the side lock,...
Item # 116212
$149.50
CATTARAGUS CUTLERY CATALOG-LARGE 143 PAGES-GREAT KNIVES PICTURES FACTORY AND HISTORY SORRY COULDNT GET A LOT OF THE PICTURES IN BUT IT IS LOADED WITH A LOT OF COLOR...
Item # 115391
$24.00
Cattaraugus Injun #4 Hone, has some nicks and chips on the edges and the back side. 4 1/2" x 2" x 3/8". Little Valley...
Item # 115366
$40.00
ROMANCE OF COLLECTING-CATTARAUGUS-ROBRSON-RUSSELL-QUEEN---220 PAGES..BOOK IS MINT FROM LAYING AROUND ALL THESE...
Item # 114829
$15.00
A.G. Russell called this a whittler. Made for the Cattaraugus Cutlery in 2005 in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the KCC by Canal Street Cutlers. The handles are some very good...
Item # 111518
$198.50
This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery folding hunter. A.G. Russell had these made in Seki Japan in 1990 for the Knife Collectors Club, KCC, by some of Japan's finest craftsmen. The handles on...
Item # 111022
$174.50
From my personal collection. This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery sleeveboard whittler, made for A.G.Russell in Seki Japan for the KCC in 1990. Done in beautiful jigged brown bone handles...
Item # 111021
$173.50
From my personal collection. This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery sleeveboard whittler, made for A.G.Russell in Seki Japan for the KCC in 1990. Done in beautiful jigged brown bone handles...
Item # 103910
$173.50
CATTARGUS CUTLERY CO. LITTLE VALLEY N. Y. (1886-1963)--LARGE COKE HUNTER-5 3/16 INCHES CLOSED-LONG PULL CLIP BLADE MARKED TIGHT AND SNAPS-WALNUT OR COCABOLA ?...
Item # 103518
$165.00
This fixed-price sale with the ability to make fair offers was valued based on the very good grade of this knife and recent eBay sales for the same knife if available. This knife is referenced in...
Item # 101489
$130.00
This fixed-price sale with the ability to make fair offers was valued based on the excellent grade of this knife and recent eBay sales for the same knife if available. This knife is referenced in...
Item # 101488
$150.00
This fixed-price sale with the ability to make fair offers was valued based on the excellent grade of this knife and recent eBay sales for the same knife if available. This knife is referenced in...
Item # 101487
$123.00
From my personal collection. This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery sleeveboard whittler, made by A.G.Russell in Seki Japan for the KCC in 1990. Done in beautiful jigged brown bone handles that...
Item # 101349
$173.50
Cattaraugus Cutlery Co Little Valley NY Straight Razor Knife in Box - Nice Wood Pattern Composition Handles - Opens and Closes Pleasingly - No Cracks - No Wobble - Good Used Vintage Condition...
Item # 100921
$150.00
This is what A.G. Russell called his Mediterranean Barlow. Made in Seki Japan by some of Japan's finest craftsmen in the 1990's. The unique feature of this knife is the side lock,...
Item # 100793
$149.50
This is what A.G. Russell called his Mediterranean Barlow. Made in Seki Japan by some of Japan's finest craftsmen in the 1990's. The unique feature of this knife is the side lock,...
Item # 100317
$149.50
Cattaraugus Cutlery Co Little Valley NY, 2 15/16" long Doctors knife.Pattern #22753. Master blade has wear and scratches, 1/2 stops and good snap.Pen blade with good amount of wear , 1/2stops and...
Item # 98684
$100.00
Cattaraugus "The Better Quality Knife",Hard to read this on the tang. Bone handled Outers Knife. 4 1/2" blade 8 1/2" overall.The blade has pitting scratches and wear.Nice bone handles with no...
Item # 98670
$75.00
Cattaraugus Cutlery Co Little Valley NY , Master blade with some scratches and pitting , half stops, not much snap.Electrician blade snaps when open, not much snap closing.Has liner lock. Ebony...
Item # 98396
$35.00
Cattaraugu Cutlery Co Little Valley NY, 3 3/8" Sleeveboard Whittler. Master blade tip looks like it was tipped and reprofiled.Blade has scratches and some pitting, blade has very good...
Item # 98247
$50.00
This is what A.G. Russell called his Mediterranean Barlow. Made in Seki Japan by some of Japan's finest craftsmen in the 1990's. The unique feature of this knife is the side lock,...
Item # 97738
$147.50
Cattaraugus skinning knife , blade 4 3/4" long , 8 3/4" long overall. Blade has scratches and pitting , has a bunch of small dents on the back tang. A nice red & black and leather fiber...
Item # 96524
$75.00
This is a Cattaraugus Cutlery folding hunter. A.G. Russell had these made in Seki Japan in 1990 for the Knife Collectors Club, KCC, by some of Japan's finest craftsmen. The handles on...
Item # 95450
$168.50
CATTARAGUS CUTLERY CO. LITTLE VALLEY N. Y. (1886-1963) BARTENDER-3 3/8 INCHES CLOSED-3 BLADES TOOLS MARKED TIGHT AND SNAPS CORKSCREW IS SHORT-TAN BONE HANDLES....
Item # 94803
$49.00
