Christy Knives

[trail]

I mentioned on another thread that I had ordered a couple of these and promised to post pictures. With it being dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home, I wasn't able to do much, but here is one that I managed under artificial light. I'll get better ones later and post them, especially of the "tang" stamps and operating mechanism. The little knives are very lightweight and wouldn't serve for any heavy cutting, but the thin blades come razor sharp - in fact, these knives are the sharpest ones I have ever owned. They are literally small pocketable razor knives.

The Christy Knife Company of Fremont OH has been in business since 1889 (incorporated 1891) and is owned and operated by Hal R. Christy, fourth generation of the family. The company started off making a patented bread knife invented by the founder, went through a period when it was a full line cutlery manufacturer employing 100 men. Today the retractable blade knife is their only model, and I think they are more or less made to order. While the Christy knife won't replace a solid traditional folder in your pocket, it is a great addition to one for special purpose jobs requiring razor sharpness. I am delighted to have a couple of these American made classics in my collection.

Now, who has some of the vintage ones to show?

http://www.christycompany.net/

[whitebuffalo58]

Here's a couple. Not sure how old they are, but they're not new. These became real popular after a story was published about how a WWII pilots life was saved by having one. After crash landing, he used it to cut himself free from the harness and escape before being captured by the enemy. The stories on the internet somewhere.
I used to have a Gold plated one with filigree edges, but I let a "good friend" talk me into selling it to him.

WB

[trail]

Here are a couple of better pictures of the stamps.

[trail]

Back in the day you could get three free Christy knives if you and three friends would subscribe to Farm and Fireside Magazine for a year. The annual subsription appears to have been 50 cents, so it was a heck of a deal, if you ask me. I found the ad in the back of a book with the lurid title of "Saved at Last from Among the Mormons," by Douglas Jerrold, who was a popular playwright before the Civil War.

[OLDE CUTLER]

Two interesting things here. First, I happened across this Christy knife in with a bunch of other knives and parts I picked up. Second, I found this old thread on the Christy knives and clicked on the link from the original post to find out that they are still in business.

Mine is almost identical to the modern one in the OP, with the difference being mine does not have a zip code on it, so it must be pre early 1960s. Mine is also missing one of the brass screws that hold the parts together, but still seems to work OK. From the patent number, it appears that these have been made since back in the 1930s.

[1967redrider]

One of my knife books has Christy knives in it, now I just need to figure out which one . . .

[garddogg56]

Yes I do But I don't use em