C.Platts & Sons Eldred PA. knife 1897-1900

[raincrowe]

I would like to feature a knife stamped...( C.Platts & Sons Eldred PA.) This knife is one bladed and Approx. Three and One half inches closed
the knife I believe has ebony handles; is extremely well made; blade snaps great... just a great all around knife for it's age...
I have owned this knife for several years and the find the other day (S&M) got me looking for this knife and thought it should tell it's story
Goins.. Pg 217 Gives some history but very limited; Looking on-line i didn't find very much either....hopefully someone can show or tell more
about these knives...

[FRJ]

I can't offer any information other that what you have found but I will say I wouldn't let that one get away from you.

It is a real treasure and you probably won't come across another one.

[New_Windsor_NY]

I.....

Do you EVER search the AAPK site??
Just a basic, simple search of AAPK produced this.

[raincrowe]

I did find something on-line about the Platts & Sons
https://jfgvictoryverlag.com/eldred/platts.html

[Mumbleypeg]

There is a lot of information about Platts here on AAPK and can be found using the search capability. It’ll take some reading and searching through the posts to sort out the history from the pictures of Platts knives, reproductions, and unfortunately counterfeits. A brief summary is Charles Platts learned the cutlery trade in Sheffield England. He immigrated to the U.S. where he found employment with several different cutlery firms, and eventually started his own cutlery. His sons joined the business which became known as C. Platts & Sons. After Charles Platts died, his son H.N. Platts began buying out his brothers. H.N. married Debbie Case, one of the daughters of W.R. Case (granddaughter of Job Case), making H.N. the brother-in- law of Russ Case, and son-in-law of W.R. Case.

During the early years of W.R. Case & Son Cutlery they had no factory, it was a sales operation, aka “jobber”. Russ Case had been the top salesman for Case Brothers Cutlery but left and started W.R. Case & Son Cutlery which he named for his father (and financier), making him a competitor of his uncles at Case Brothers. For the first couple of years Russ Case got the knives he sold made by Platts & Sons, but stamped W. R. Case & Son.

H.N. Platts then joined Russ Case and the company name was changed to W.R. Case & Sons. (Note that Sons is now plural, consisting of W.R.’s son and his son-in-law). Manufacturing equipment from the Platts factory was moved to Bradford, PA. - W.R. Case & Sons now had a factory. A few years later H.N. left for health reasons (grinder’s consumption) and moved to Colorado where he eventually founded Western Cutlery Co. But that’s a story for another time.

You can find that and more here if you’re interested and curious enough to do the research.

Ken

[raincrowe]

I can't offer any information other that what you have found but I will say I wouldn't let that one get away from you.

It is a real treasure and you probably won't come across another one.

Thanks FRJ...

[1967redrider]

I can't offer any information other that what you have found but I will say I wouldn't let that one get away from you.

It is a real treasure and you probably won't come across another one.

Thanks FRJ...

I agree. Sweet knife and pattern.

[raincrowe]

There is a lot of information about Platts here on AAPK and can be found using the search capability. It’ll take some reading and searching through the posts to sort out the history from the pictures of Platts knives, reproductions, and unfortunately counterfeits. A brief summary is Charles Platts learned the cutlery trade in Sheffield England. He immigrated to the U.S. where he found employment with several different cutlery firms, and eventually started his own cutlery. His sons joined the business which became known as C. Platts & Sons. After Charles Platts died, his son H.N. Platts began buying out his brothers. H.N. married Debbie Case, one of the daughters of W.R. Case (granddaughter of Job Case), making H.N. the brother-in- law of Russ Case, and son-in-law of W.R. Case.

During the early years of W.R. Case & Son Cutlery they had no factory, it was a sales operation, aka “jobber”. Russ Case had been the top salesman for Case Brothers Cutlery but left and started W.R. Case & Son Cutlery which he named for his father (and financier), making him a competitor of his uncles at Case Brothers. For the first couple of years Russ Case got the knives he sold made by Platts & Sons, but stamped W. R. Case & Son.

H.N. Platts then joined Russ Case and the company name was changed to W.R. Case & Sons. (Note that Sons is now plural, consisting of W.R.’s son and his son-in-law). Manufacturing equipment from the Platts factory was moved to Bradford, PA. - W.R. Case & Sons now had a factory. A few years later H.N. left for health reasons (grinder’s consumption) and moved to Colorado where he eventually founded Western Cutlery Co. But that’s a story for another time.

You can find that and more here if you’re interested and curious enough to do the research.

Ken

Thanks Mumbleypeg...I have heard of C.Platts and Sons I know about their involvement with W.R. Case and them being instrumental in getting
the Western Cutlery established; but I haven't had the time nor the resources to do the reseach on the project; I have owned this knife for a
number of years and have looked and handled several knives but have yet found one to compare it with; not one knife had the same name..
I bought this knife from an elder couple who had some knives to sell; and they just considered the knife as another old knife
I wished I would ask more about the history of the knife but didn't think much about it at the time; but I did put in my Case collection
because I knew the knife was affilated with Case Cutlery...I believe this knife to be original and in excellent condition
This knife in hand shows age,quality, and class and that is difficult to duplicate!!

Ken...As alway you do a great job with your information and research making it a pleasure to read... keep up the good work...Thanks again
Raincrowe

[Mumbleypeg]

Thank you for the kind words. Now that I know a little more about what you’re looking for, maybe this will help. Here’s a picture of the stamp like the one on your knife, from Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery by Gerald Witcher. This is from the chapter on authentic Case family tang stamps, which to my knowledge is the most comprehensive and extensive collection of photographs of authentic tang stamps in existence.

Ken

[raincrowe]

Thank you for the kind words. Now that I know a little more about what you’re looking for, maybe this will help. Here’s a picture of the stamp like the one on your knife, from Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery by Gerald Witcher. This is from the chapter on authentic Case family tang stamps, which to my knowledge is the most comprehensive and extensive collection of photographs of authentic tang stamps in existence.

Ken

Wow...So the stamp is authentic!! I have a 2-bladed stamped curved ( Case Bros ) straight line ( Little Valley ) below NY
I haven't seen this stamping in the books just curious if this stamp is legit

[raincrowe]

I did get some pictures of the knife and tang stamps don't know how good the stamps came out
I believe the handle on the back has an older repair but can't be sure....

[doglegg]

raincrow, that old knife is a treasure. Love everything about it. What beautiful handles. Congrats that it is yours.

[Mumbleypeg]

The knife looks good to me. Maybe this will help on the stamp. Again, from Witcher’s book. There are 26 different authentic Case Brothers stamps pictured in the book. (Yet another reason why “read the knife, not the stamp” is good advice. However, there is a chapter on how to spot fake stamps, too).

Ken

[RalphAlsip]

I did get some pictures of the knife and tang stamps don't know how good the stamps came out
I believe the handle on the back has an older repair but can't be sure....

It looks to me like it could be a 5203 pattern. The attached image is from an original Case Bros Little Valley catalog.

[raincrowe]

I can't offer any information other that what you have found but I will say I wouldn't let that one get away from you.

It is a real treasure and you probably won't come across another one.

Thanks FRJ...

I agree. Sweet knife and pattern.

Thank you