Waterville Manufacturing / Waterville Cutlery Info

[woodwalker]

Thank you Joe! That is the best one I got. That and the little robe!

[woodwalker]

I seen yours!! Beautiful! I think they were made between 1865 and 1890. Love your too! Great company with lots of history!

[LongBlade]

I would like to share this Waterville 3 blade Senator with solid engraved aluminum handles (ie a skeleton knife with no outside liners) and a nickel silver liner between the 2 wells of the frame. Interestingly the master blade resides in one well and the other well has 2 pen blades on opposite ends. The master blade sports a cool match striker pull - see the master tang stamp photo where you can see pointy teeth of the long pull up close which seem to be struck at an angle. There are no half stops on any blade. Master blade has the straight line Waterville stamp and both pen blades have the arched stamp. The knife has a closed length of 3”.

This is my 3rd Waterville knife with engraved aluminum handles and all are different pen knife patterns. All 3 have the same pattern of engraving including the brass pin centered in the flower - as I noted somewhere before every aluminum handled knife I have seen has a consistent engraving pattern even among different knife makers – suggesting there may have been one jeweler that specialized in engraving these handles for the industry - and I often wonder if there was a handle scale/cover supplier which sold aluminum handle covers and had in-house expertise for this work – some speculate that these aluminum handles were outsourced to a jeweler for the engraving…. I don't think I ever saw an old Rogers or Salisbury Co advertisement that alludes to aluminum handles for sale - and I did post a few old advertisements from both companies at one time from The American Cutler on AAPK but need to find that thread...

Note in edit: Here's the ads and not much detail for any of the 4 companies supplying handle covers: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=45098&p=501957&hil ... ry#p501957 - Need to do some more searching now for an answer as to aluminum handles that were worth more than gold or silver back at that time

Here's the other 2 Waterville engraved aluminum handles as alluded to above and for reference:

[BWT]

Very nice Lee

[woodwalker]

I would like to share this Waterville 3 blade Senator with solid engraved aluminum handles (ie a skeleton knife with no outside liners) and a nickel silver liner between the 2 wells of the frame. Interestingly the master blade resides in one well and the other well has 2 pen blades on opposite ends. The master blade sports a cool match striker pull - see the master tang stamp photo where you can see pointy teeth of the long pull up close which seem to be struck at an angle. There are no half stops on any blade. Master blade has the straight line Waterville stamp and both pen blades have the arched stamp. The knife has a closed length of 3”.

This is my 3rd Waterville knife with engraved aluminum handles and all are different pen knife patterns. All 3 have the same pattern of engraving including the brass pin centered in the flower - as I noted somewhere before every aluminum handled knife I have seen has a consistent engraving pattern even among different knife makers – suggesting there may have been one jeweler that specialized in engraving these handles for the industry - and I often wonder if there was a handle scale/cover supplier which sold aluminum handle covers and had in-house expertise for this work – some speculate that these aluminum handles were outsourced to a jeweler for the engraving…. I don't think I ever saw an old Rogers or Salisbury Co advertisement that alludes to aluminum handles for sale - and I did post a few old advertisements from both companies at one time from The American Cutler on AAPK but need to find that thread...

Note in edit: Here's the ads and not much detail for any of the 4 companies supplying handle covers: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=45098&p=501957&hil ... ry#p501957 - Need to do some more searching now for an answer as to aluminum handles that were worth more than gold or silver back at that time

Closed Mark Side DSCN4268.JPG

Closed Pile Side DSCN4288.JPG

Blades Open DSCN4377 - Version 2.JPG

Tang Stamp Master Blade DSCN4380.JPG

Tang Stamp Pen Blade DSCN4454 3.JPG

Here's the other 2 Waterville engraved aluminum handles as alluded to above and for reference:

Blades Open DSCN5511.JPG

Blades Open DSCN8701.JPG

Very nice and nice deep mark too!!

[LongBlade]

Thanks Bill and woodwalker ....

[danno50]

Nice knives, Lee!

[LongBlade]

Thanks Dan ...

[FRJ]

That Waterville is a real beauty, Lee, and so are the others.

[Miller Bro's]

knife Lee

[LongBlade]

Thanks Joe and Dimitri ... much appreciated!

[KAW]

I'm really excited about this acquisition as it was from the Waterville Knife factory that 16 workers struck off on their own & started the New York Knife Co. in 1852, but I'm hoping someone can help me out with this one as it is a pattern I have not seen before. The handle appears curved like a Congress which is emphasized by the arched shield, but the bottom has a center swell to it. Is there a name to this style of jack?

There's a long convoluted history to this company that is spelled out at the beginning of this thread, but I did not come across any dates as to when this variation of tang stamp was used. Does anyone know the time period when the

Water−
−ville

tang was used? Any info would be greatly appreciated...

[LongBlade]

Sweet Ken - no doubt unusual ... Not sure if it is technically correct but I would call it a Norfolk Jack (since the Norfolk patterns I have seen that are generally pen knives are sort of a half swell-center pattern as is this knife

[danno50]

Very nice Ken! Levine calls the four blade version of this a "swell center congress or swayback". So maybe a swell center congress jack?

[Old Folder]

Here is my Pearl "Waterville" 3-3/8" Equal-End-Jack.
Master blade has the three line:
WATERVILLE
CUTLERY CO
CONN
Beautiful pearl handles, half stop blades. Tight and snappy.

[LongBlade]

Awesome Dan - Beautiful Waterville MOP Jack ... Not sure I ever met a Waterville I didn't like ...

[BWT]

That's a beautiful knife Dan, nothing not to like about that one

[Old Folder]

Thank you Lee
Thank you Bill

[woodwalker]

Beautiful knife Dan!! I only have one Waterville but it is absolutely my favorite knife! Great pickup. The pearl is just beautiful and fiery!!

[Old Folder]

Beautiful knife Dan!! I only have one Waterville but it is absolutely my favorite knife! Great pickup. The pearl is just beautiful and fiery!!

Thank you Sir
It's my one and only also. At least we have a piece of American cutlery history.

[KAW]

Sweet Ken - no doubt unusual ... Not sure if it is technically correct but I would call it a Norfolk Jack (since the Norfolk patterns I have seen that are generally pen knives are sort of a half swell-center pattern as is this knife

Thanks Lee & Dan (danno50) for the nice comments. I must admit... I have not heard (nor seen) of the Norfolk pattern.

Dan (Old Folder)... that is an awesome MoP!
I'm about to post on the "America's "Little Sheffield" thread a Dwight Devine & Sons' Ulster I just acquired that looks very similar to yours except it has 3 blades... got it at an antique show at the end of last month & it has stayed in my pocket ever since...

[Old Folder]

Sweet Ken - no doubt unusual ... Not sure if it is technically correct but I would call it a Norfolk Jack (since the Norfolk patterns I have seen that are generally pen knives are sort of a half swell-center pattern as is this knife

Thanks Lee & Dan (danno50) for the nice comments. I must admit... I have not heard )nor seen) of the Norfolk pattern.

Dan (Old Folder)... that is an awesome MoP!
I'm about to post on the "America's "Little Sheffield" thread a Dwight Devine & Sons' Ulster I just acquired that looks very similar to yours except it has 3 blades... got it at an antique show at the end of last month & it has stayed in my pocket ever since...

Thank you Ken
I just viewed your post within the "America's "Little Sheffield" thread.
You had a "VERY GOOD DAY".

[Meridian_Mike]

I just got this one from the guy that is selling off pieces of the Stidham estate.
I'm not sure if it is really a Waterville or a copy. The fit is POOR. I cleaned it up best I could and the blade will not lock open. I can see where the tang was hammered to make the blade in the closed position ride higher when closed. The blade in the open position will not lock. You can put a slight pressure on the blade and it jumps out of the lock bar. The scales look really good like they have very little wear. The scale jigging on one side doesn't match the other. A pieced together knife? SO..... what y'all think?

Before cleaning.....

I re-tipped the blade and then cleaned the blade more than I wanted to but such it is.
Cleaned up......

Mike

[BWT]

Looks good to me Mike, you saved it's life and now you have a good old knife

[Meridian_Mike]

Thanks Bill.

Mike