Northfield

[paulsvintage]

Beautiful old barehead jack Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!! Northfields and many old trademarks are more and more scarce.Slim.

Thanks Slim ! it takes a long time to add another one to your collection

[FRJ]

That is a beautiful knife, Paul. Thanks for showing it here.
How long is it?

[paulsvintage]

That is a beautiful knife, Paul. Thanks for showing it here.
How long is it?

Joe Thanks. its 2 3/4 inches

[PA Knives]

Absolute first for me. Only knife company pistol I ever saw. I know of the CASE pistols is all.

32 Caliber

More pics soon if you want

[Miller Bro's]

I would like to see more pictures David

[FRJ]

I would like to see more pictures too, please.
That is remarkable. Thanks.

[PA Knives]

Pics as promised of Northfield Knife Company, vest or pocket pistol. Barrel is about 2 3/4" long. Not rock solid tight, but all the pieces are there. It is NOT cracked. That piece comes out on the side to access the hammer etc. My question is this! Not being a gun buff anymore, I wasn't sure what it was worth. I think it is worth more to a knife collector than a gun collector. Being it should not be fired. So in all seriousness, if you saw this at a knife/gun show, and you had the funds, what would you comfortably pay for it? I am curious cause I think I may have given to much. I was caught up in the moment and seeing something completely different. Condition is good at best.

I know an original Northfield knife, (which I own several) in good condition would sell for a nice sum.

32 Caliber, Made by the ROME Novelty/Gun Company, Rome NY 1877-1888

[Sauconian]

"Absolute first for me. Only knife company pistol I ever saw. I know of the CASE pistols is all."

Your memory is slipping David ! What about that C.F.Wolfertz I heard about a day too late ?

I think I would have gone $250 for your Northfield. A Wolfertz.......???????

Fran

[PA Knives]

Fran

You're absolutely right. I completely forgot about the Wolfie gun. I bet it is of the same history. Hard now that I am getting old. LOL!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for jogging my memory Fran.

You the man.

[RobesonsRme.com]

I'm with Fran, $250.00 for the Northfield.

Now, if I came across a similar revolver marked, "ROBESON CUTLERY CO. ROCHESTER, N.Y.", I'd probably pay whatever it took.

Charlie Noyes

[PA Knives]

Actually I find the two respones interesting. It's not the gun, its the stamping, if your "in to" a certain branding, you tend to open your wallet more!!!!!! Makes sense. I am not a Northfield collector, although I own a couple.

If this said Tidioute on it, I would have paid $500 or more, no question. Guess I answered my own thoughts. I heard about a Tidioute Union Cutlery Shotgun. Never saw it, but boy I wouldn't bought it in a heart beat.

[RobesonsRme.com]

so, what do you all think these cutlery company marked revolvers and shotguns were all about?

Were they made and marketed to the general public?

Were they carried by security personnel? The little Northfield seems inadequate to the task, but the aforementioned Tidioute shotgun seems a likely fit for a security guard.

I understand that Case marked revolvers are known to exist, too. Were they of a calibre suitable for security purposes?

Or were they all just gimmick guns to try and make a little money?

Charlie

[PA Knives]

I think the Northfield was just an attempt to market some other items. We know Northfield sold shears but imported them rather than make them themselves. The guns were cheaply made and no doubt sold for small money at the time. The market appears to have been flooded with similar guns from that late 1800's era.

The CASE guns have a different history. I understand that the CASE BROS were raising such a ruckus in Little Valley that the Police Department was tired of their antics. In response to calm the Police, CASE BROS, bought them service revolvers. Now, I don't know this for a fact. The last I heard, those sell for BIG $$$$$$$$

Some speculate that these guns were for the workers as a gift or possible as an incentive. No records that I know of though.

I think due to the amount sold, it was just a side line for Northfield as it was for some others.

All in all, I feel it is a wonderful find and that I am lucky to own it. Rare, well maybe, valuable, I think so, fun, MOST DEFINATELY.

[PA Knives]

One last thing I have to say. When I post something Like this I have been continually disappointed in the lack of responses, but a good friend enlightened me to the fact that not everyone is crazy about vintage knife stuff like me. So to those that comment and appreciate the history of cutlery, THANK YOU and to those that ignor it and choose to delight over a modern knife, I say "look at the roots of knife and you will understand it better".

Just me venting my frustration over the lack of appreciation of vintage knives.

[jerryd6818]

Being a 'gun nut' from birth but not being able to afford to scratch that itch very often, I lived vicariously through others. An impression I've gained over the years from my reading - Which comes nowhere near making me an expert on the subject. More like an opinionated amateur. Anyway, disclaimers aside, I have the impression the .32 caliber was a fairly popular round around the turn of the twentieth century. Mostly as a hide away gun or pocket pistol.

David - I can't speak for anyone but myself, but while I appreciate some of the old knives, they don't make me leak down my leg. Maybe consider it this way. If there were more guys like me that aren't enthusiastic about Case knives or old knives, you have that much less competition in the market place. When I go to the dinner table and someone turns up their nose at something I really like, I say, "Good. That's just that much more for me."

[Ramrod]

PA,

There are plenty of us just watching from the sidelines, with nothing substantive to add, but oooo's and ahhhhh"s.
Any Idea who might have made it?
I would have paid 200. Im not into collecting guns , so I guess I would have been buying the stamp.
Mark

[PA Knives]

I use to collect guns but gave that up 30 years ago. I bought it for the stamp for sure.

ROME GUN/Novelty company made it in Rome NY. Big gun production area if you look at nearby towns etc.

I love finding related items like this. I feel it is an untapped collectors market. Paperwork, boxes, signs etc. hard to find but GREAT when you do.

[Miller Bro's]

Very nice David Thanks for showing it

[grins000]

Being relatively new here, I just ran across this post, I just recd my first northfield, a 55 in autumn gold, this has been great reading. Thanks all, although after the fact, for all the posts and info.

[Mason]

A while back I purchased a great book called
“The Knife Makers Who Went West” , by Harvey Platts.
The book is primarily about Western Knives, but Platts gives the reader some interesting early history of his family.
For me the most interesting person was his great grandfather, Charles W. Platts .It’s his, and my proximity of living that are so interesting to me, among many other things.
C. W. Platts worked at American Knife Co. in Reynolds Bridge, which is now Thomaston Ct. Later he moved to Northfield, Ct. where he was superintendent of the knife shop.
Platts describes, with pictures, some of the goings on at Northfield Knife Co. He briefly describes it’s decline and the fact that, in 1926 the buildings and the land was sold to the state and that the buildings were torn down. He mentioned that there were eight large stone blocks, with a mortise chiseled into them to accommodate the base of an anvil that were used to “hot hand forge” blades. He said, in 1978, that the stone blocks “still remain” in two rows at the original site!
I have since learned that I live 6.8 miles from that original site and the blocks of stone are indeed still there. Just seven actually. And so much more. Laid up foundation after laid up foundation are still evident. I can’t imagine the work, man work and mule or horse work it took to accomplish this beautiful foundation. And then built a very smart three story wood frame building (and many others) on all this work that verily arises from the stream bed. Also, there is still parts of the two foot steel riveted pipe that was used to get water to the water wheel to turn the guts of machinery that in six decades produced several million hand made, award winning, pocket knives. I love going up there!!!

I just read through this revived thread and thanks for posting these wonderful pictures and great information. Good fortune to live so close to these historic places.

[TripleF]

I love this vintage knife history!

Thanks for starting this thread a few years ago Joe!

[FRJ]

The last time I posted in this thread was Dec. 15, 2011. I missed some great stuff here. I'm sorry I wasn't interacting. I regret that very much. Thank you for everyone contributing.
David, that reolver is great old artifact. A late thank you for the pictures.

Grins, thanks for bringing this thread to the surface again. I think you'll find your knife to be quite modern.

Scott, your welcome. Glad you like the old stuff steeped in history.
Thanks to David Anthony, and people like him who inform and teach us.

Again, thanks to you all.

[Sauconian]

I know I must have posted these before elsewhere but... a relic with nice old ivory, and a better knife with a slightly short blade.

Fran

[knifegirl888]

Cool knives, Fran. That ivory one looks to have a really old stamp...

[FRJ]

A great pair of knives, Fran.
I agree with Kathy, that jack looks really old.