American Hone Company

[PA Knives]

Good Morning Gang!

I thought that this forum would be the best place to post this information. My recent trip "in a blizzard" to the Ka-Bar headquarters in Olean, NY was eventful to say the least. I was allowed to go through the collection of knives and razors in the special historical area. This was quite a treat to say the least. As I was looking at each and every one and the excitment grew I opened a razor and found the stamp "American Hone Company" I commented to John Stitt, (Vice President) that I hadn't heard of that name before and asked what it was? He didn't know. later that day I took photo's of the original meeting minutes of the Union Razor Co. during the actual transistion period from Tidioute to Olean. In the minutes they referred to the "Amercian Hone Company" locating in Olean. HUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!! I called the Little Valley NY clerk of Courts "we are on a first name basis now!!" and asked if they had articles of incorporation for this company from 1912? YES, signed by the two brothers WR and RE along with Dad JW BROWN. Disolved in 1928 was also stamped on the papers. Now I decided to see if any one else had them listed. None of the Razor sites listed them, so I searched ebay. As luck would have it, a box that is clearly identified as the Amercian Razor Hone Company of Olean, NY was listed. The seller didn't know much about it and even commented that it was from the 1940's WRONG. But that's OK becuase no one bid on it but me. See the attached photo for your pleasure. I would like to know if any one else has a pic or information on this company. This is the third small incorporation related to the Browns and Union that I have found. I don't beleive that any knives were made but who knows. This is similar to the "Tidioute Razor Strop Co." that I found too. It seems that the Browns would quickly form a corporation to cover themselves legally with any business venture that they had. Uniquely enough, the minutes mention the American Hone Company locating in Olean, but not Union. Union's incorporation papers are dated 1918, NOT 1912 when they left Tidioute. This is just a taste of what my book will reveal.

Have a great day and I truly love this thread.

[smiling-knife]

Great find PA. Sorry i don't know anything about that company. I'm really looking forward to reading your book. Do you know when it will be available? Thanks s-k

[LRV]

I found a bit in the other forum. You might have seen it already.
ttyl
Larry

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... p?t=312488

[El Lobo]

Hey pa,

Great find!!

We've been waiting for you to visit over here...we even made sure it said Pennsylvania cutlers in the description, just for you.

Bill

P. S.
WELL DONE, LARRY... ...VERY SPEEDY.

[PA Knives]

HEY!

Thanks for the invite, and yes I did notice that Pennsylvania was listed. I appreciate that. I also appreciate the link to the bladeforum site. I found that to be interesting. I guess between the stories it makes some more sense. I do wonder why it took so long for the Union name to appear on corporate papers in Olean. I just can't get enough of this kind of research. Has anyone else every seen an Amercian hone knife or razor?

Like I said, they have a razor and I bought the box that is pictured. I paid a whopping $6 for it. I would have paid considerable more than that. Of course the seller didn't know what they had, but I do NOW.
::blah:: ::blah:: ::blah::

I look forward to many more indepth discussion on this part of the forum

[lt632ret]

Hello it is good to know you perhapes if you have the time you might be able to clear up an enigma of mine which may be something you are familiar with. Recently I purchased a fairly large collection in it were some rare tangs usually I am familar with whatever turns up however once in a while something new will appear. At this point it does not happen often ( kind of like some other factors in my life that used to come up I mean appear with more freguency ). This knife kind of borders on the edge of where I concentrate my main studies and it would it seems borders on yours. Port Jervis NY is about 35 miles west of me it is not considered the Hudson valley but is certainly not far from it. It borders the Delaware river which if you go across a small bridge ( actually the bridge makes one town with two names,) puts you in Matamoras PA. The knife I found is a 2 bladed jack smoothbone in poor condition. The large blade is marked CORBEN GUNMAKER PORT JERVIS ( I believe the first letter is a C however I am not totally sure. The other blade is marked DASHVILLE NY CUTLERY Again first letter seems to be a D. I dimly seem to remember an article in Knifeworld which may have have been on a similar knife ( knives are about all I do remember ). However with the amount of knifeworlds I have the thought of finding it ( if it ever existed ) is laughable. I am acttaching some pics which are not great but due to the condition quite difficult to get any better. I have sought out DASHVILLE cutlery to no avail. So I figured perhapes you or someone else might have some info. By the way a dandy post. I would love to take that tour did they have there old automatics in the group? LT PS Now where did you say that drawer of old automatics were oh yes and what kind of security do they have er just kidding sort of.

[PA Knives]

HI!

I will get back to you on the knife you posted. I am going to look at an old file jacket I have. Hopefully will help? But I want to tell you about the Grizzly auto he showed me in the back room of the Ka-Bar visitors center. The VP is flipping this big boy open and closed and commenting on other auto in the drawers. I then mentioned "do you know what knife your playing with is worth?" NO, what do you think. I said at least $3,000 as it is mint. WOW!!! I guess I shouldn't be playing with this then should I? No you shouldn't, but you could let me play with it a while

This cabinet was chucked full of GREAT stuff.

[jonet143]

found something about george kay. of sheffield, who operated a cutlery in esopus, west of dashfield falls, n.y. from 1860 to 1882. says he invented the fork and knife combo used by the union soldiers. moved factory to walden in 1882. i don't know if this relates but.......

[PA Knives]

jonet143,

man your fast, you beat me to this one. hope this helps it632rt out. Seems like a good possiblity.

[lt632ret]

I am sure it does, now just to figure out where if he moved to Walden then I must have something on it good looking out don't stop . A long time since anyone has said that to me. That knife and fork used by the union troops was at least in part supplied by NYK. So that may be part of the connection but by 1880 Walden knife was also in operation. The Esopus meets with the wallkill and emptys into the Hudson but it starts up in the mountains west of the Hudson from one of the watersheds. Interesting I will enjoy researching it let me know should you find anything . and thankyou. PS when they created the watershed perhapes they flooded Dashville and that is why I do not recognize it . Oh well just guessing at this point still it is a lead, again thankyou

Here are a few Kabars including a griz and baby griz from my collection.

PS Look what I just found DASHVILLE RD ESOPUS so it would seem that this can mean only one thing ROAD TRIP. I will be going to Esopus if they have a Dashville Road in the town someone should know something. I will let you know. Hi Ho Hi Ho to Esopus I will go. LT

[lt632ret]

Have located Dashville and apparently have added a genuine Hudson Valley knife to the mix. Its location certainly qualifys now I will take that trip and hopefully there is a library or whatever to check for the site. then there is Kingston the county seat ( also the first capital of NYS until you english guys burned it all up and made us country folk move our capital to Albany far enough up the road actually the Hudson so that you guys got bored and turned around before you got there. ). Oh yes lest I for get UP THE REBELS DOWN THE BRITS. Just kidding . Actually I had an English friend who always used to say that the British knew all americans were crazy when they started throwing perfectly good tea into Boston Harbor. CHEERS. LT PS There is a town on the West side of the Hudson called Marlboro it sits fairly high but the hillside runs right down to the hudson. If you have nothing to do some day you can bring a metal detector with you and go over that hill and take back some of the cannonballs you left behind . We kept trying to tell you guys when it comes to cannons it is windage and elevation. As with many things in life you have to get it UP high enough for it to do anything meaningfull.

[El Lobo]

Hi LT,

Try this link.....

http://www.ecommerce.marist.edu/foy/esopus/esop03.htm

.....then click on "The Factory Lot" for a little more information about George Kay and the knife factory, that eventually ended up in Walden.

Maybe, johnnie ( ) was on to something?

Bill

[lt632ret]

It would appear that with all your help we are all on to something. Living here I was aware of some of ths history. I recently was the guest speaker at a Kiwanis of Kingston luncheon ( I kept a sharp eye out for the English since it was in Kingston ) . The gentleman who invited me to speak had read about my exhibit at the Resnick museum in Ellenville. He is on the executive board of the Hudson river maritime museum in Kingston and after a free meal and my small offering of the cutlery history of the area he was kind enough to open up and give me a personal tour of the museum. Much of this history is conserved in the museum, the Hudson being the artery which served as the catalyst and enabled much of what transpired. By the way should you ever visit the Kingston water front area in Summer it has become quite a nice place to spend a day at an outdoor cafe sucking down Clams on the half shell and sampling some of the excellent beers now offered from several mini brewerys in the area. The museum itself is well worth the trip and if you can schedule it to take a ride on one of the sight seeing boats which go past poughkeepsie, Newburgh the Hudson Highlands, Bannermans Island ( on which the largest dealer in army surplus had built a resurected european castle and stored army and military surplus . Mostly gone now but they still have tours to the island. ( check out an old Bannermans catalogue sometime. they are quite sought after and just amazing they sold buttons for a nickle that collectors now pay hundreds for weapons and stuff you could just buy and now must go to a musuem to look at. ) Then the ride takes you to my favorite view in the world WEST POINT ( where my heart is and always will be ) seen from the hudson it is better than viagra. Of course if you are in the area stop in and see me. In any event I started this now travelogue explaining the museum is where I had seen a lot of this history. Marist is not far from me and I guess I should have thought of this site ( in fact a friend of mine is a incharge of one of the depts of the college) truthfully my skills at finding these resources is limited by my lack of computer acumen. I do thank you all now I have to find out where this firm fits into Walden which I feel remiss in not already knowing. but an occasional find like this is good for the humility and I also find it enjoyable. Neat knife I found eh. Again proving that the strengh of knowledge lies in the sum of all the parts which is what we together are. thankyou all. LT

[PA Knives]

So,

We helped uncover info for Walden, but what about the original post. Any thoughts on American Hone Company??????? Surely I am not the only one that knows of this company? This is quite an investigative team we have here. Nice job all the way around.

[jonet143]

pa, i have looked but found nothing. perhaps they were a small co. bought by union? did they only make hones or strops? i will keep looking.

[lt632ret]

Sorry I inadvertantly usurped your post. I have nothing on them. LT PS right now.

[Mossdancer]

Hello;
Did not take time to read other than Intro. Looks pretty good.
wb

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/archi ... 12488.html

[jonet143]

mystery solved. great work wb!

[orvet]

It never ceases to amaze me where a thread can go with a bunch of knife collectors.
Looks like there are not one but two new companies to keep on the look out for. Plus a great road trip for LT.
It is amazing the amount of info we have right here in out forum.

LT,
Have a great road trip & bring back an interesting story or two!

Dale

[lt632ret]

Heck it is 30 minutes away. couple good watering holes on the way. LT

[El Lobo]

WB,

That's the same thread Larry offered up earlier in this thread. Doesn't tell the whole story...but it's a good start for sure.

Bill

[jonet143]

just goes to show. read every post all the way through.

[LRV]

Never worry about duplicate posts... A lot of us cant remember past yesterday anyways.

TTYL
Larry

[Mossdancer]

Hey; What can I say, As usual had my head where the sun don't shine.
wb

[El Lobo]

What I meant to say was....."Great minds think alike."

Didn't mean to sound like an A**hole.



bill