Bogus NY Knife Co and Wallkill River Works

A place to discuss & share pictures of counterfeit knives. Please be sure to alert the AAPK community if you spot one. Also make sure to ask questions if you are not certain about the authenticity of a knife you are considering buying or selling. There are plenty of great people here willing to help.
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ea42
Posts: 2963
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:23 pm
Location: Wallkill, NY

Re: Bogus NY Knife Co and Wallkill River Works

Post by ea42 »

Gunsil wrote:Sorry about the typo. I had always thought it was 1886 for the Hammer Brand, but looked in Goins' who says 1878. There are a few mistakes in Goins' and I think the 1886 is correct. Still, as I have stated there were many NYK knives in the Hammer Brand era with only etched Hammer brand marks so the lack of a Hammer Brand stamp is no indicator that a knife is fake. I agree that the knives referred to here are not good knives. The lack of nice top grinds (improperly often called "swedges") is a good indication of a modern fake.

Totally agree with you there Gunsil, I have a few of those etched knives, although two of them have both the etch and the Hammer Brand stamp.

The most glaring red flag to me is the pen blade on the pile side, I've never seen a New York Knife (or Wallkill River Works) jack with that configuration, either in person or in catalogs. The pen blade is always first with a full length top grind on the pile side for ease of access to the big spear, which should also have a straight pull and not a crescent. The Wallkill pattern comes close to a NYK pattern, but the bolsters are completely different, blades are again backwards. I'd be surprised if the shields are pinned.

Eric
kootenay joe
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Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
Location: West Kootenays, B.C.

Re: Bogus NY Knife Co and Wallkill River Works

Post by kootenay joe »

Welcome to AAPK.
"Amazing what a club email can Stur-up,2006 post"
I think you are looking at 'join date'. All posts in this thread are current.
Eric, what an amazing document you have: THE Original document trade marking "Hammer Brand", now 131 years old !
Definitely museum worthy, Smithsonian !
kj
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KAW
Posts: 522
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:33 pm
Location: was Ulster Co., NY; now Hanover Co., VA

Re: Bogus NY Knife Co and Wallkill River Works

Post by KAW »

ea42 wrote:"Hammer Brand" was trademarked July 13th, 1886. Got the original right in front of me.
NYK moved to Walden in about 1856, so there was a roughly thirty year year period before they trademarked the Hammer Brand name. That's not to say it wasn't used before 1886 though. The very early knives used an arched tang stamp rather than the straight line stamp.

New York Knife Co trademark.jpg

Eric
Eric.... How do you get your hands on this stuff?!!! That certificate is fantastic! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
From what I understand the development of the Hammer Brand trademark went on for years.
Here's what I have in my records:
1878: NYKC adopts the Hammer Brand trademark. The logo at first is only the hammer & rolled up sleeved arm.
1881: NYKC trademark is modified to add the words “Hammer Brand”.

Now I'll have to add the 1886 date to my timeline.
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
ea42
Posts: 2963
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:23 pm
Location: Wallkill, NY

Re: Bogus NY Knife Co and Wallkill River Works

Post by ea42 »

That was a stroke of luck guys, I'll have to post a pic somewhere other than the counterfeit forum lol.

Eric
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danno50
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Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:05 am
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada

Re: Bogus NY Knife Co and Wallkill River Works

Post by danno50 »

The seller relisted the Walkill River knife with more information. He states that the knife showed up on AAPK as questionable. Also states he does not know much about knives.
Dan
Dan
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KAW
Posts: 522
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:33 pm
Location: was Ulster Co., NY; now Hanover Co., VA

Re: Bogus NY Knife Co and Wallkill River Works

Post by KAW »

ea42 wrote:That was a stroke of luck guys, I'll have to post a pic somewhere other than the counterfeit forum lol.
::idea:: America's "Little Sheffield" thread seems like the perfect place.... ::super_happy::
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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