Small knife need info
-
Billie89
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2024 12:42 am
Small knife need info
I am looking to find out more information on a tiny knife that was my grandmothers. It says Brown brothers Germany on it it’s pearl and gold. There is some other writing on it but it’s hard for me to make out. It looks like it says black bros
- FRJ
- Gold Tier

- Posts: 17140
- Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 1:43 pm
- Location: Ct.
Re: Small knife need info
Welcome here, Billie89.
Goin's Encyclopedia associates Brown Brothers to Union Cutlery
weather from Germany or Little Valley, N.Y. or Tideoute, Pa. or Olean N.Y.
A very prominent name in Cutlery in this country. The "black bros" stamp is lost to me.
Your little swell center knife is a tarnished gem with a tipped manicure blade.
I assume those are brass bolsters which will clean up and it has elegant Mother of Pearl covers.
Apparently your Grandmother used it and has given it its personal history. I hope you treasure it.
Sometimes referred to as a Tuxedo knife.
Joe
-
ea42
- Posts: 3194
- Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:23 pm
- Location: Wallkill, NY
Re: Small knife need info
Brown Brothers was based in Little Valley NY and imported and sold German made knives until around 1902 when they bought Tidioute Cutlery Co and began making their own. Black Brothers is probably one of the names used by the German cutlery company who made the knife. A lot of the old German cutlery companies stamped their America bound knives with a number of catchy tang stamps to lure buyers so it'd be hard to say who actually made the knife.
Eric
Eric
- New_Windsor_NY
- Gold Tier

- Posts: 14043
- Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 4:50 pm
- Location: I'm On The Far Right On The Left Coast In Commiefornia
Re: Small knife need info
Kid: "Wish we had time to bury them fellas."
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
Josey Wales: "To hell with them fellas. Buzzards got to eat, same as worms."
Clint Eastwood-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Skip
- Mumbleypeg
- Gold Tier

- Posts: 15705
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:28 am
- Location: Republic of Texas
Re: Small knife need info
The info Eric gave is a very high probability of being correct. German cutlers notoriously stamped “anglicized” names on their knives, hoping to enhance their appeal to U.S. customers. And (perhaps inadvertently) making it difficult to say who actually made it. At that time knives were simple tools (still are) and most folks just bought a knife because they liked the looks, or the price. Knife “collecting” didn’t become a popular hobby until around 1970, +/- a few years.
Welcome to AAPK.
Ken
Welcome to AAPK.
Ken
Member AKTI, TSRA, NRA.
If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.
https://www.akti.org/
If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.
https://www.akti.org/