Brown Brothers Big Whittler

[RobesonsRme.com]

This Brown Brothers big whittler is currently up for auction on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... tsupported

Not my knife, not my auction, and I'm not bidding.

But, I find this knife to be very interesting. Goins says the mark was used by Union Cutlery, circa 1902.

Below the Ebay copyrighted photos of the Brown Brothers knife is a photo of an old Robeson Cutlery Co. whittler of apparently the same pattern. The Robeson was made at the time that Millard F. Robeson was having his cutlery made for him in Camillus by Charles E. Sherwood and a group of immigrant English cutlers, circa 1892-1900.

So, were both knives made in the same place? If so, was it Camillus or Tidioute?

Very interesting.

Charlie Noyes

[GreatScout]

Charlie,
I don't know, but that is a very interesting post, and very cool old knives you show us. Now those are really what knife collecting is all about, as is your question, at least for ME.
Phil

PS... I was going to PM you, putting you on the spot and asking you to do a REAL KNIFE LORE post about Robeson knives, as I did here recently concerning Novelty Cutlery. And then I visited your website... Wow. Very impressive, and other collectors ought to thank you for that.

[PA Knives]

In my book you will see a detailed discription of how the Brown Bros came to be and the transistion from Little Valley, New York, to Tidioute Pennsylvania and finally on to Olean, NY and KABAR.

Brown Bros knives were all imported from Germany in the early years, later on they had them stamped with Olean NY added, these were believed to be made in the USA but no one knows for sure.

The seller is a bit over the edge saying it is the rarest, but it sounds good. Most simple Brown Bros knives like this sell for very little. Most don't even know who they are. I am one of the few. W. R. Brown his brother, under the guidance of there Father John "married to two different CASE Women" started in Little Valley importing razors and knives. Changing to Union Razor just prior to 1902 when they bought into the first Tidioute Cutlery Company. Mind you I say bought into as most web sites have this completely wrong. The Brown's were not the sole owners as L. L. Hunter, son of Jahu Hunter "the original founder of Tidioute Cutlery and died before the incorporation" was a partner in the new company UNION RAZOR.

OK I will stop now. I love this stutt

[RobesonsRme.com]

PA Knives wrote about Brown Bros. : "...later on they had them stamped with Olean NY added, these were
believed to be made in the USA, but no one knows for sure."

So, what of the possibility vs. probability that Brown Bros. might have contracted with Sherwood and company in Camillus to produce the knives?

I know the Ebay knife is in terrible condition, but the frame, handles, bolsters and size are about the same as my Sherwood made Robeson contract knife, and I can easily visualize the worn blade being in the same style and contour as on the Robeson. The seller states 4 1/8" in length, I have measured the Robeson at 4 1/4".

In all my years collecting, I've only seen this pattern twice before. Both were Robesons. I own one, the other was worn out, kind of like the Brown. The Brown makes number three of this pattern.

PA; have you ever seen or do you possess a knife like these?

Charlie Noyes

[PA Knives]

I am a firm beleiver that anything is possible, but until I see proof positive it is purely speculation. I have not seen a plain "Brown Bros" that wasn't a German import. Purely from the construction and design of the knife. Now a Brown Bros, Olean, NY is a different story. These a few and far between, I question even those not be purely imported because they did not produce them themselves, and it was an import name that they used on occasion. Again, it is possible, but I question it until proven. You may have proof, but is it possible that your knife too was an import not made by Robeson? But actually from Germany. Who knows as of now. Remember the Tariff acts required stamping, but many still did not or removed it from the knives before selling them. I have an article coming out in Knife World soon on this very subject.

I have not owned a knife as you show, I have several Brown Bros whittlers though. One was on the cover of KW a few years back. This makes for a great discussion though.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I have no proof of anything I suggested. It was speculation, seeking your opinion.

The Robeson knife is marked, ROBESON / CUTLERY Co.. At least two of the blades, perhaps all three (I'd have to dig it out to refresh my memory) are marked, "PREMIER".

Millard Robeson did import knives marked similarly, including the word Premier, but every one I've ever seen or owned was marked, "GERMANY" as well.

After passage of the 1891 tariffs, according to all the published histories, Robeson sought an American maker to avoid the extra expenditure. He settled on Charles E. Sherwood and Denton Bingham, brothers-in-law, who were operating a cutlery facility in Camillus. They made knives for Robeson for a couple of years, but fell on financial hard times. Robeson assumed control of the facility, but kept Sherwood, Bingham, and the workers on. He was lured to Perry, New York about 1900. The Camillus facility was eventually sold to Kastor Brothers and soon became The Camillus Cutlery Company.

I have assumed my knife was made in Camillus by Sherwood and company, based on the tang stamp and the lack of a country of origin.

If the Brown Bros. knife was proven to be a German import, then, based on the pattern sameness, I would question the origin of the Robeson. Absent that proof, I'll stick with my previous assumption.

Anything, however, in the world of antique pocketknives is possible.

I wish we knew more about these two old knives.

Charlie Noyes

[knfmn]

I have an old Union Razor Toenail ,but this is the first Brown Bros. I have seen. I would say they are rare.