America's "Little Sheffield"

[KAW]

Here's a NE manufacturer Ken, a Southington ;and a comparison I had done of jigging( which seems to have like DNA ) with an Ulster and a Schrade.

OK... I'm guessing this is a test...
the Ulster is on theleft... the Schrade in the center,,, which leaves the Southington on the right...

Did I pass?....

Nice collection there Lyle... but I have to admit... I'm more partial to the bone than the yellow handles... plus... obviously intended to be a work knife that would get hard use in the field... I'd wonder why they would select the yellow color handles which I would think would show more wear, tear & grime pretty quickly?

[wlf]

left to right

Schrade ,Ulster,Southington

French ivory was a very popular handle choice for knives. Even the less expensive(now) and shrinking yellow composition early Case knives
brought attention and admiration. It was pleasing to the eye.

[LongBlade]

and to clarify the handles on the Southington (and please excuse me Lyle but just trying to help ) - those handles on the Southington are jigged bone and just not deeply dyed like the Schrade and Ulster - I got the feeling Ken that you thought they were synthetic based on saying “I am partial to jigged bone rather than yellow handles”... personally I like lightly dyed jigged bone and have other knives that are similar ...

[wlf]

You are right Lee.

I thought Ken was referring to the pics of the various handles on the Schrades. I suspect he will weigh in definitively shortly.

[LongBlade]

Lyle I think you're right - I think Ken was referring to the page before now that I looked back at the Schrades with the yellow handle examples... sorry for the confusion... I also find yellow handles so unappealing unless they are GEC "rotten banana bone" never mind the celluloid aspect which was the worse synthetic plastic ever made for any purpose ...

Calling Ken to the podium now ....

[BWT]

Here's mine.

[FRJ]

Nice knives, Bill.
Great show!

[LongBlade]

Nice group of knives Bill - thanks for sharing You have some awesome NYK Co knives - All look to be in great condition... Can I ask the length of that single blade ivory example?? Does it have good snap to the blade opening and closing? Looks like a boys knife to me though perhaps a quill knife pending size as the blade looks abit smaller in size ... How far does the spring wrap around on the top side?? Guess a photo from the top down would be best if possible....

[BWT]

Nice group of knives Bill - thanks for sharing You have some awesome NYK Co knives - All look to be in great condition... Can I ask the length of that single blade ivory example?? Does it have good snap to the blade opening and closing? Looks like a boys knife to me though perhaps a quill knife pending size as the blade looks abit smaller in size ... How far does the spring wrap around on the top side?? Guess a photo from the top down would be best if possible....

Thanks Joe and Lee. I was fortunate, all those knives have good to excellent snap and no blade wobble. The ivory is 2&3/8,with excellent open and closing snap and half stops. I thought it might be a quill knife? The New York ones that don't have Hammer Brand on the tang I was told would make them before 1878??? Thanks again.

[LongBlade]

Thanks Bill for providing that info to help clarify ... Beautiful knife indeed - I believe it is a quill knife and a quite nice one too ...

[wlf]

Nice bunch Bill.

[JohnR]

Nice group there Bill, really like the Ulster, I've had a thing recently for early Ulster and Utica knives.

[BWT]

Thanks Lyle and John. That's my first Ulster but won't be my last.

[thefarside]

New York Knife and an Ulster Ellenville small stamp. Sorry the picture of the New York didn't pick up the etch.

[BWT]

Two nice knives, but the Ulster, Ellenville is one good looking knife, thanks for sharing

[FRJ]

thefarside, those are two beautiful knives. What great early antique folders.
That is a fine Ulster Ellenville. A lockback swing guard with an exceptional spear blade and gorgeous stag.
How long is that knife? Is that a folding dirk with that blade?

[wlf]

Nice big folders Jim. I like that Ellenville Ulster. I had one like that stamped Ellenville Knife Company. I traded it to Mike Losicco.

[LongBlade]

Indeed 2 beauties Jim ... Thst Ulster has a cool shield too ..

[thefarside]

Bill, Joe and Lyle - Thanks for the comments, The Ulster is 4 3/8 inches closed and I believe with the false edge grind all along the top of the blade it would be considered a folding dirk. Here is a Napanoch folding hunter I have had for awhile. The stamp is very light and the reverse is stamped with the pattern number X100X ( the stamp and the pattern number are slightly more legible if you click on the photos). The factory bail is unique.

[thefarside]

Thanks Lee, your comment beat my previous reply.

[peanut740]

Bill, Joe and Lyle - Thanks for the comments, The Ulster is 4 3/8 inches closed and I believe with the false edge grind all along the top of the blade it would be considered a folding dirk. Here is a Napanoch folding hunter I have had for awhile. The stamp is very light and the reverse is stamped with the pattern number X100X ( the stamp and the pattern number are slightly more legible if you click on the photos). The factory bail is unique.

Jim,I believe this is from the later Napanoch company, after the original sold to Winchester.I think this knife was made by Union Cut on contract.

[thefarside]

Roger, I agree with your assessment, I definitely believe the bone on my knife is Union bone. When I was in St. Louis, one of the collectors in the area had a Napanoch folding hunter with a dog head shield.

[KAW]

left to right

Schrade ,Ulster,Southington

French ivory was a very popular handle choice for knives. Even the less expensive(now) and shrinking yellow composition early Case knives
brought attention and admiration. It was pleasing to the eye.

Calling Ken to the podium now ....

For the record... I was referring to the knives Lyle mentioned as having French Ivory handles as in his photo...


I was assuming (based on the name of the pattern) that a farmers jack would be a hard used kind of knife, even more likely to be abused and so was wondering if the French ivory would hold up under such use as compared to bone or wooded handles?

As for guessing at the makers in the photo... I suppose I'm going to have to repeat the course on Schrade vs Ulster...

[KAW]

Bill & Jim So glad you have stopped by... & quite honored to see the knives you have posted here...
Bill... That quite a collection you have there...
Just last Saturday I picked up a NYKC at the Lehigh Valley Knife show just like your second photo.
Mine is stamped with the pattern number 2421 on the pile side of the spear blade... I just luv those long pulls...


Jim... great showing... I envy you for the NYK stamped bolster & would "kill"for one still with an etch!!!
... and that Ulster / Ellenville is to drool for!
... and a hefty Napanoch to boot!...
Really enjoying the great knives being posted here...

[KAW]

On what turned out to be a spur of the moment decision on the morning of... I donned my newly received earlier in the week bright red AAPK shirt and drove two hours with my girl in tow to the Lehigh Valley Knife Show in Easton, Pa last Saturday. Definitely one of the best decisions I have made this year! We came home with 15 knives... most adding to the Hudson Valley collection...
Needless to say I'll be busy posting them to this thread for the near future, but for now I'll start with a teaser photo of all 15...
at top is a Canal Street Cutlery 5¼" folding hunter with buffalo horn handles & sheath made in 2010.
The grouping of three in the upper left are New York Knife Co.
below that are two old E.C. Simmon Keen Kutter that I am hoping someone can tell me if they were made at the Walden factory?
(I have already posted them on the Keen Kutter thread). Also a Simmon Keen Kutter MoP steak? knife.
At the bottom & center... Schrade Scrimshaws including an Ellenville-Warwarsing July 4th, 1992 commemorative with the USS Constitution.
Upper right is a Montgomery Wards' Lakeside brand tuxedo c.1922−1928; a Schrade Cut Co. lobster; two Ulsters (one with a blade etch) & a Connecticut addition in the way of Excelsior Knife Co. jack... further details to follow...