York Cutlery Co.

[JEARL]

I would like to find any information about this knife co. Can't find to much on the internet. Are there any reference books about this company? Any help would be appericated.

Thanks Jeff

[tjmurphy]

Goins Encyclopedia lists York Cutlery but has nothing to say about it.
Here is a little York Cutlery Co. knife that I have in MOP. Based on the one that I have, I would not consider it a very high quality knife

MVC-052F.JPG (44.05 KiB) Viewed 7890 times

[knives-are-quiet]

Got these bits and pieces of info from searching the internet.
Mostly from another well known knife forum.

The York Cutlery Co. was located on Market St. in York, PA. At one time it was both a retail store and wholesaler, mostly a one-man operation under a Mr. Gutmann.
He started his company in the very early 1950's, was still in business in mid-1990's.
His early imports were from Germany, though later ones came from Japan and also Korea.

Not to sure how accurate this info is but it's all I could find.
Hope it helps.

JW

[knife7knut]

Here's the only one I have;a jigged bone EZ opener.Believe it or not that notch isn't modified;exactly the way it came from the factory.

[tjmurphy]

K7K, what do you think of the quality of the knife?

[trail]

Amazing. Can you imagine this unassuming man sitting in his shop in York PA, making arrangements over the telex with some shell-shocked Waffen SS vet in Solingen for custom stamped pocket knives to sell in said York shop? And now TJ has one in his hand, to show to his brothers at AAPK? It's a wonderful world.

[tjmurphy]

Sorry, I don't get the gist of your post, little slow tonight.

[knife7knut]

K7K, what do you think of the quality of the knife?

TJ I think it is on a par with a schrade or a Utica of the period. Only thing I didn't like about it was the deep cut for the EZ open feature.Looks like it would weaken the frame.

EDIT: Yours appears to be a much earlier knife.The one I have looks to be 60's vintage or thereabouts.The nail mark on yours looks hand struck.

[tjmurphy]

Thanks K7K. The reason I ask you about the quality is that the little one that I posted has such a light frame, that when I closed it after taking the picture, it flexed enough to crack the handle on the mark side.

[Joe Dirt]

This one looks pretty old. No info on it anywhere either.

..... Joe

[tjmurphy]

No information on that one either, but it's a cool old knife.

[knife7knut]

Sorry to hear that TJ.That is one of the reasons I don't like to carry a pearl scaled knife;too afraid of dropping it and damaging the scales.
Joe:that horseman's knife is interesting.I have several of them from various makers and from the one's I've seen there may have only been a couple of makers of that pattern that stamped them with various marks.
They seem to fall into two or three categories:
One will have either a spear point or sheepfoot master blade with a smaller pen blade with a corkscrew and a square awl as tools on the spine.The next grade will have an additional saw blade with a wood awl(for want of a better word)on the spine.They may or may not have tweezers and splinter pick in the scales and a fleam blade that folds under the scale.All usually have the hoof pick and flat screwdriver blade made into the center liner..
The final grade has in addition to these a button hook;a file blade cut on three sides;and a couple of harness repair screws.Also sometimes found is a folding shotshell extractor and a small pair of scissors slid into the scale.
They also usually come in three distinct sizes(I only have two sizes)and I'll have to measure them to get the size.This pattern seems to be one of the oldest known.

[Joe Dirt]

Thanks for the great info k7k!

Unfortunately, the knife is close to being a relic. I bought it with intentions to restore
it but it has just too much overall character.

One of those borderline decisions - it WOULD be a NICE knife with new scales and pins.
(the mark side scale is missing)

For now it is going to be left "as is."

..... Joe

[Miller Bro's]

My experience with York Cutlery knives is that they are of low quality.

I have several and the fit/finish is sloppy, the blade finish poor and they are hastily put together.

[tjmurphy]

That's the impression that I have too, based on the one that I have.

[RobesonsRme.com]

You guys can correct me if I'm wrong and I know that you will.

Seems like I've seen a York marked Hawbaker Special in the past and maybe a four blade scout/utility. They or it, which ever the case may be, seemed well made.

Am I confusing York with some other marque?

Charlie Noyes

[tjmurphy]

From what I've read, Schrade was the first to make the Hawbaker Speical in 1947. Since then the makers that I've seen have been Schrade, Case, Queen and the latest (2009) by Canal Street. I've not seen a reference to York being one of the makers. There used to be a list floating around on the net listing the makers and year of manufacture, but I can't find it again. I think I used to have it saved until my hard drive crashed and I lost everything.

I have a knife stamped York Cutlery Co. but I don't think it's of very high quality and I think that Miller Bros. wrote the same opinion just about a week ago.

EDIT: I did find a reference to York Cutlery at this link:
http://books.google.com/books?id=LL_7wQ ... &q&f=false

Scroll down to page 318

[PA Knives]

YORK of York PA, never made any knives. But you guys already know that. I have a display case from them that clearly says importers of cutlery. I also own a rather nice example of a bone handled congress that would bowl you over. It appears to be of German history as many of thier better knives do. Like any company they had high and low end. The manufacturer was the one that offered the best deal. So no loyality to any particular company.

what I know about this PA related company.
I can add more if you like.

[Miller Bro's]

I also own a rather nice example of a bone handled congress that would bowl you over.

Quit holding out on us David!

[JEARL]

You guys can correct me if I'm wrong and I know that you will.

Seems like I've seen a York marked Hawbaker Special in the past and maybe a four blade scout/utility. They or it, which ever the case may be, seemed well made.

Am I confusing York with some other marque?

Charlie Noyes

Charlie York did make a Hawbaker Special, just picked one up. I just started collecting H.S. I figured this one is fairly rare. The knife seems to be of good quality. The only information I can find about the York Hawbaker is from Jim Sargent's book the 7th Ed.

Jeff

[Miller Bro's]

WOW! that red background is loud

[JEARL]

WOW! that red background is loud

Sorry about that, I am not the greatest photographer

[Miller Bro's]

Jeff,

Just kidding around My photos leave something to be desired

[tank55]

I have a large bowie knife that has York Cutlery Co Solingen Germany on it, I know it given to the guy I got it from before 1976, that when I got it was it from this same company, did they sell blanks, his grandfather add handles to it, I am assuming there were no handles when the grandfather purchased it
thanks in advance

[jerryd6818]

I have a couple of German made York 72 clones. They're on the low end of the quality scale.