American Knife Co. Winsted CT 1919-1948

[knife7knut]

Went to the Wolverine Knife Collectors Club show last weekend and while I didn't have the ten million or so that I would have needed to pick up all the knives I wanted I did find this little gem for $15.
Made by the American Knife Co. of Winsted Ct it is my first acquisition of a knife by this company;in fact the first one I have ever seen.Some spider webbing on the blades which cleaned up pretty decently and the faux pearl handles(aka mother of toilet seat)just showing the slightest hint of curling on one end,I thought it a pretty good deal.
Speaking of the handles there is also a name engraved on one of them:someone named Esther Palmer. I thought this a bit unusual as you don't usually associate a woman with a scout/utility pattern knife;something more like a small pearl or ivory handled pen knife or perhaps a silver fruit knife would be more likely.
The company name itself doesn't seem to have a whole lot of information on it in either Goins or Levine's books. Levine's book(at least the 1985 version which I believe is the 2nd edition)lists it from 1919 to 1955 and a rating of high. Goins lists the dates as 1919-1948 and shows a small history of the company. It was re-named the Kendal Mfg. Co. in 1948 and in the same year the name was changed again to Bukar Mfg. Co. In 1955 the Great Flood hit Connecticut and the entire business was washed away. Supposedly the cost to re-build it wasn't justified and they went out of business.
So here now I present my little gem of a knife. Please feel free to post any that you might have or any additional information

[danno50]

Nice knife, Ray! I have no more info to add, however, here is a thread that has a couple more of them.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=53105&hilit=American+Knife+Co

[FRJ]

That's a real beauty there, Ray, and a great stamp.

There is also a similar thread in Knife Lore.

[knife7knut]

Nice knife, Ray! I have no more info to add, however, here is a thread that has a couple more of them.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=53105&hilit=American+Knife+Co

Thanks for the reference Dan! I had forgotten that I had posted in that thread. Must be the C.R.S. creeping up on me!

[LongBlade]

Nice knife Ray ...

Dan noted the link to the other thread in Knife Lore which is great for reference as well ... But in short the company was started by disgruntled Empire cutlers... One interesting thing I have now seen on multiple American Knife Winsted knives is that they rarely stamped anything but the master blade... at first I thought there was an issue with my knife below as the master was stamped but not the pen - now I know it probably was never stamped... Are all your blades stamped Ray?? I think my knife has Rogers bone as well...

Anyway fish jacks are not easy to find and the CT company was right up my alley ... This knife is in the other thread too... PS - not a great pic of mine imho - since I started using a light box which cuts out all reflections it is so much better - I will get better photos when I am able with the new setup...

[doglegg]

Nice knife Ray ...

Dan noted the link to the other thread in Knife Lore which is great for reference as well ... But in short the company was started by disgruntled Empire cutlers... One interesting thing I have now seen on multiple American Knife Winsted knives is that they rarely stamped anything but the master blade... at first I thought there was an issue with my knife below as the master was stamped but not the pen - now I know it probably was never stamped... Are all your blades stamped Ray?? I think my knife has Rogers bone as well...

Anyway fish jacks are not easy to find and the CT company was right up my alley ... This knife is in the other thread too... PS - not a great pic of mine imho - since I started using a light box which cuts out all reflections it is so much better - I will get better photos when I am able with the new setup...

Am Kn Co Fish Jack1.jpg

I am not a jack person but that one catches my eye. And that beautiful wood behind it.

[LongBlade]

I am not a jack person but that one catches my eye. And that beautiful wood behind it.

Thanks doglegg .... you don't see many fish jacks..

As an aside to the wood and I don't want to derail this thread - actually the wood behind the knife is burl that my brother-in-law gave me - he along with some friends lease 500 acres up in the Adirondacks in upstate NY - the owner of the land is a paper company that comes and logs wood and they allow him to take trees that were left behind because they didn't meet their requirements (such as those with burl) - he takes the wood (cedar, oak etc) to his friend with a lumber mill who slices them for free for my bro-n-law - and the burl is for making wooden frames and accenting other pieces that he makes - burl is much more expensive when used correctly ... and large pieces of burl are big bucks ... funny thing is burl from my understanding is a result of health issues in the tree when growing - in the 65 acres around my house I see a few trees with those swollen bulging trunks etc - that is the burl ... but we don't log my property ... but if a tree comes down and it happens from storms etc, then I will snag them ...

[doglegg]

I am not a jack person but that one catches my eye. And that beautiful wood behind it.

Thanks doglegg .... you don't see many fish jacks..

As an aside to the wood and I don't want to derail this thread - actually the wood behind the knife is burl that my brother-in-law gave me - he along with some friends lease 500 acres up in the Adirondacks in upstate NY - the owner of the land is a paper company that comes and logs wood and they allow him to take trees that were left behind because they didn't meet their requirements (such as those with burl) - he takes the wood (cedar, oak etc) to his friend with a lumber mill who slices them for free for my bro-n-law - and the burl is for making wooden frames and accenting other pieces that he makes - burl is much more expensive when used correctly ... and large pieces of burl are big bucks ... funny thing is burl from my understanding is a result of health issues in the tree when growing - in the 65 acres around my house I see a few trees with those swollen bulging trunks etc - that is the burl ... but we don't log my property ... but if a tree comes down and it happens from storms etc, then I will snag them ...

There is a fellow who makes carving knives,(Deep Woods Ventures) that puts handles on some of his knives out of burl. I have one and it is a beauty. Thanks for the info.

[knife7knut]

That fish jack is outstanding and rare! I only have one of that pattern and it was given to me by my sister-in-law who got it from her grandfather. It is a Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware St. Louis Missouri that was made in Germany and has horn handles.
My American Winsted is only stamped on the master blade.

[LongBlade]

Thanks Ray and quite a nice fish jack yourself ... I had heard it was a rare pattern and other than yours have not seen another... maybe we should start a thread and see if anybody else has one ...

Also thanks for confirming the tang stamp is only on the master - which confirms to me now after seeing at least 8 (maybe a few more) American Knife Co Winsted knives that they only stamped their master blades - I guess a time saving measure .. Notably an important point for others who ever buy American Knife Co Winsted knives and may have some hesitation with only the master blade stamped...

[JohnR]

Ray, Lee, nice knives from a company that is hard to find. I have a barlow in my collection that I'm not sure comes from the same company or not, apparently the American name was used by more than one company, what do you all think?

[PCwizard]

Wow nice clean knife for the age. Great find Ray

[LongBlade]

John - nice Am Kn Barlow ... I do think it was the same company (and you are right as many different companies used that name but only one was from Winsted)... The stamps I have seen were arched and included American Knife Co as well but that is not to say that other stamps for them don't exist - they certainly may and I just have never seen another... certainly looks like the real deal to me and interestingly the pen is not stamped which is just like the others - very cool score

[FRJ]

That's a great knife you have there, John. I think that is a legit Winsted stamp.
I hope so because I have one just like it on the other American Knife Co. Winsted thread.

[danno50]

Great fish knives, Lee and Ray! Very nice old barlow, John!

[LongBlade]

Thanks Dan ....

BTW - The straight tang stamp is no doubt for real - found another one online and never did notice that Joe had already posted a similar one in the other thread ... I'm curious what Goins has in his reference as I haven't looked yet in terms of the arched and straight stamp variations...