Northfield

[FRJ]

Well, that knife has elevated this thread by leaps and bounds. What a beautiful Northfield. I'm so glad you have it.
Thank you, Kathy.

[trail]

Somehow I missed this thread the first time around so knifegirl, thanks for posting that Northfield and bringing it back to the front. FRJ, fantastic evocative pictures and prose, I can't get enough of looking at the old stonework in among the leaves of fall.

[knifegirl888]

Joe,

I actually woke up on Sunday morning thinking about the knife. It's such a fine piece. I almost couldn't believe it was for sale at a price within our reach when Bret showed it to me. I showed it to Ken Daniels from GEC after we had bought it. He looked it over with his loupe. I said to him, is it ok? He said "Will you sell it to me?" I said, NOPE! He told me that he wouldn't have offered to buy it if it wasn't right.

Trail,

I agree with you! Joe started such a cool thread!

[FRJ]

Thank you, trail, for your very nice comments, and Kathy as well.
I love going up there. Being right there, there is so much more to see.
It is a special place for me. Thanks again; .....it's nice to see the old thread back up.

[theblindog]

wow...very interesting reading. thank you for sharing!

[FRJ]

Glad you liked it.

[cattaraugus57]

great story Joe, thanks for it!

[FRJ]

Thanks, it was my pleasure.

[vikingdog]

Hi Joe, I'm reading David Anthony's book about Great Eastern Cutlery and on page 10 he mentions some houses built by the Northfield company as temporary housing for new employees. He said they are still in existence today and are called The Five Knife Shop Homes by the local folks. Have you seen them in your travels?

They were all identical when they were built but have probably changed a lot over the many years.

[FRJ]

Hi Mike,
isn't that a great book? Yes, I think I know which homes are refered to in the book.
I haven't asked folks up there because I don't want to step on any toes. It's a very small New England community.
I have been wanting to get more pictures from Northfield so if I can get away from home for a while I will try.

[vikingdog]

Cool. If you can't get a picture of the houses just post what info you can about them? And anything else of interest you come upon.

Yes, I'm really enjoying the book.

[FRJ]

Well, I took a spin up to Northfield today. To be honest with you I have to imagin that these houses are the ones in question. I think it's them. They are all in a row. The sign is at THE intersection of the little town.
In Harvey Platts book (which I also highly recommend), The Knife Makers Who Went West, he has a photograph of Charles W. Platts Home in Northfield. I scaned the picture and added the photograph I took today. Ya gotta love this stuff!!!
H. Platts introduces Northfield Knives in the book to tell a bigger story of Western Knives.

[knifegirl888]

Joe,

Terrific pictures! Thanks so much for sharing them with us! It's really great stuff...

[vikingdog]

Wow Joe, great job! That is so cool that you did this for us. I think you've got the right houses. The two pictures of the Platts house are amazing. This is really fine thread you've got going.

[FRJ]

Kathy and Mike,
thank you two for your input. It's a real relief to get out and do some of this interesting stuff.
I'm glad you enjoy it. I sure do. Northfield knives are so interesting. I hope to do more.

Thanks again.

[FRJ]

I recently got my first Northfield. A quill. It's a sweety.

[knifegirl888]

Joe,

That's a terrific looking quill! Thanks so much for sharing!

Kathy

[paulsvintage]

thanks joe pictures very nice

[bonehead]

All,

Northfield is perhaps 2nd to my all time favorite to NYKC. Only problem is they are without a doubt more rare, or at least tucked away in many folks collections. I have a total of (2) pieces. Here is my other that I don't believe I've posted before. A Jack with somekind of celluloid handles?? Maybe Waterfall? Anyway, I like to pull these out for admiration while reading David's Book. It can really bring one back. I memory serves me correctly this one was priced right at around $45.00

Alan

[vikingdog]

Beautiful knife Joe! Congratulations. Are the scales wood or horn? How long is the knife?

[Miller Bro's]

Nice old knives

They are pretty hard to find, and when you do they are usually small pen knives.

Very hard to find full size jacks and bone handle ones

[FRJ]

Thanks, everyone for your comments and pictures.

Very nice knife Alan.

Paul and Mike, thank you. Mike, the knife is 2 7/8" long, and I am sure the handles are horn. I have strong magnifaction and I see a grain running in the scale. I assume that means horn. It's not plastic of some kind and it's not bone, so.....

Dimitri, they made sooo many knives. I know they got used up, but to the extent that we can hardly even have a look at them. That's not right. Some bodys got a big stash and I think it's you Dimitri. That "Miller Bro's" ploy is startin to fall apart.
Comon', cough up them Northfields!

[vikingdog]

Joe, I've got a ratty looking old Northfield here. I'll try to get a photo of it.

[zed6309]

Ive only just read this and its amazing bit of history thanks for posting you can almost see the glow of metal

[FRJ]

Paul, here is some history. Great Eastern Cutlery, by David Anthony.

I haven't scratched the surface of Northfield here, and in some of my assumptions, (by not reading history) I was just wrong on some points.

Looking forward to it Mike. Thanks