America's "Little Sheffield"

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FRJ
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

And here is a nice Ulster.
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Joe
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by Duffer »

That is a gorgeous curved jack Joe ::tu:: The rat tail bolster, the nice curvature of the handle and the beautiful pick bone covers are just a few visual elements that are just very compelling and desirable in a vintage folder ::nod:: That is a real keeper!! Thanks for showing it.

What is the closed length of the Jack?
Lloyd
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Lloyd.
It's 3 5/16" closed. I'm glad you like it. ::tu::
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by Miller Bro's »

Nice bone on that one Joe.

Did some one mention Pressbutton knives?
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FRJ
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

Those are pretty nice knives, Dimitri. ::drool:: They make mine look like dishwater.

Here's a little sway back New York Hammer.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by tongueriver »

KAW wrote: I presumed George learned his craft in Germany, but it was in Sheffield, England, before finding his way to little ole Walden.... where he & his brothers worked for the Walden Knife Co.
In 1892 he formed the New York Press Button Knife Company in order to get his patented invention, the switchblade, to market, but he was unable to raise sufficient capital to begin knife production. In 1903, Schrade sold a partial interest in the company to the Walden Knife Company, thereby having enough $$$ to start up his own company with the help of his brothers the following year.
My sources say that George left and went on to Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1910 with his own company and had no more connection with the Schrade Cutlery Company of Walden, New York after that. The Baers bought Schrade CutCo in December of 1946. Although they continued to use the 'Walden' stamp until 1973, they moved into the Ulster facility in Ellenville in 1958. I think.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by tongueriver »

Some Schrades.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by KAW »

Someone.... Please pass me the drool bucket!!! ::drool:: ::drool:: ::drool:: The bone on those Dimitri are to die for let alone being press buttons! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::

Joe.... those early Ulsters & NY Knife folders certainly do have character that never gets old :-D .... I can look at them all day long.... :shock: :)

Cal.... thanks for continuing the Schrade timeline.... it does seem ironic that George seems to get all the credit for the company's success while it was his brothers who actually ran the company for all those years.... decades even.... and most collectors don't know their names.
I did come across who they were once.... but even I neglected to archive that info. Perhaps I can find it again & post it here.

I have not seen too many of the older brands that include scissors.... altho I have seen them in catalogs.... I have not come across this particular one.... a Schrade Cutlery Co.... 3⅛" closed.... I believe it is a Senator pattern with tip bolsters & a black handle that I think is plastic (celluloid? I can't detect any grain to make it ebony).... if anyone has more info, please chime in..... also, do you think the missing spring for the scissors can be replaced?
10241 10242 10243
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by KAW »

Great knives!.... Cal ....as you probably can tell from my avatar.... Butter & Molasses is my favorite & I'm drooling over yours now ::drool:: ::drool:: ::drool::
....I really do need that bucket.... ::super_happy::
'til later....
Ken

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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by KAW »

To build upon Cal's history of George Schrade, in 1910 George went to England and then moved onto Germany trying to sell the cutlery machinery he invented. He arrived in Bridgeport in 1919 to work for the Challenge Cutlery Co. In 1928, the owner Charles F. Wiebusch died & the company went bankrupt a year later from which George received some cutlery machinery allowing him to start up his own company that same year.... George Schrade Knife Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, using the Presto logo.

Here's a great source about George Schrade written by his grandson:http://www.collectors-of-schrades-r.us/ ... george.pdf

The same source also states that George established Schrade Cutlery Co in Walden along with his brothers J. Louis and William. This however contradicts Imperial Schrade's own published history.... "Three Schrade Brothers; Joe, Louis and George, started the Schrade Cutlery Company in Walden, New York in 1904." ::shrug::

All I can add is that the Middletown branch opened at the corner of Cottage St. & Railroad Ave. in 1917. It was a former saw manufacturing works built c.1860 as the Wheeler, Madden & Clemson Manufacturing Co., later known as the National Saw Co. It was managed by Joeseph Schrade until it closed in 1932.... a victim of the Great Depression. A portion of the factory still survives today. {Edit] In fact.... its kinda ironic that this branch that Schrade only operated for 15 years starting exactly a hundred years ago this year still exists while there nothing of the main plant at Walden in existence today.
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'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

Here's a nice old whittler.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by tongueriver »

FRJ wrote:Here's a nice old whittler.
Love that propwood 804!
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by peanut740 »

Cal,Joe,MB,KAW and all the others that is some good bunch of knives! ::tu::
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Cal and Roger. ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by KAW »

Peanut.... thanks for dropping by.... ::handshake::

Joe.... that is a mighty fine lookin' whittler ::tu:: .... that pattern is growin' on me....

Its been kinda quiet around here.... so a wanderin' around the board I went & came across a post of a knife along with an old postcard of the factory. My reaction was.... What neat idea! 8) ....then it dawned on me ::idea:: ....I have postcards of all three Walden companies.... but my dilemma.... I had already posted all the knives in my NYKC & Walden Knife Co collection ::doh::
So at the risk of boring you folks with redundancy ::dead_horse:: ::yawn:: ::zzz:: .... I'm going to backtrack a little bit & post a ....

New York Knife Co. finale....
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.... and Walden Knife Co. finale
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I hope you like them.... ::shrug::
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

I like them. Always like the old postcards and the knives.

Here's a neat little Ulster.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by LongBlade »

Nice Ulster Joe ::tu:: ::tu:: .... an eloquent MOP jack... Am I seeing that as 5" in closed length or am I reading the ruler wrong ::dang:: ....
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Lee
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

Hey, thanks Lee.
You're reading the rule wrong. It's 9 1/2" ................. ::woot::

Naw, just kidding. It's 2 5/8". It's a snappy one. ::tu::
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

And a different direction from the little Ulster.

Here's a New York Knife Co. hunter.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by KAW »

Now that's taking extremes to the limit! :roll: :lol:
....the little but elegant MoP (BTW Joe... very nice photos showing the effects of the handle). ::tu::
....and the beefy HUNTER ::tu:: 8) ....I guess you didn't have a caliper rule big enough for that one?? ::rotflol::
....from all that you posted here.... it quickly becomes obvious that you have a museum caliber collection.... Do you have them all on display?
'til later....
Ken

10031 means.... never having a dull moment. 8)
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

Thanks Ken.
I certainly do not have museum quality knives. There are other members whose collections are up to that standard.
There is something wrong with every one of mine. Save a very few. But decent enough knives to own and show.
I have sure enjoyed every ones knives on this thread. Many more to come, I hope. ::tu::
Thanks for starting this thread, Ken.
Joe
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by danno50 »

Wow, Joe, KAW, Cal and Dimitri, lot of beautiful knives posted in the last week or so! ::tu:: ::tu:: I really like those Pressbuttons. Great pearl on that last Ulster, Joe! Also, thanks to KAW for the added history sprinkled throughout the thread.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, Dan. It's so much fun to see other collectors knives. ::tu::
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by Duffer »

Here are some Schrade Cuts. From top to bottom. 4.5" English Jack, 3.75" Split Spring 804 Whittler, 3.62" Camp/Utility, 3.62" EE single spring, 3.5" Congress and finally a 3.37" Barlow. Top folder has pick bone covers, the Barlow might be a George Schrade early machine jigging example and the rest are peach seed jigged bone.
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Re: America's "Little Sheffield"

Post by FRJ »

A fine bunch of knives, Lloyd. Really beautiful. Nice description of the covers. ::tu::
Joe
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