Cutlery Boxes Anyone ?

Sauconian · Post by **Sauconian** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 4:23 pm

I got this recently, and after looking it over have decided it must be older than I thought. It was handmade.

The cardboard for both top & bottom was notched at the corners, the sides folded up and secured with glued paper tabs of irregular size and shape. The sides were then wrapped with gloss paper which was folded over the top/ bottom, and the edges covered with another retangular piece of paper. The other edges of the gloss paper were folded over to the inside of each box half, snipped, and glued. A label was then applied to the top. This must have been made before box making machinery came into common use.

Anyone have any thoughts about the possible age ?

I collect the knives of this maker, but like a kid at Christmas, I think I'm happier with this box than the 'toys' that came in it.

I owe a big thank you to two members here who helped me to acquire it.

Fran

upnorth · Post by **upnorth** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:25 pm

Great piece for your Wolfertz collection Fran! Looks in good shape.
Is the last recorded date of cutlery making by C.F.Wolfertz & Co. 1944 as Goins says? If so, I think a box like that could be as late as 1944. Before he died, my cousin managed Mautner and Sons in Buffalo. Among many other things, they made small boxes for jewelry. Die cut, and glued up by hand, as late as the mid-1980s.

ea42 · Post by **ea42** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:00 pm

Fran,

Nice!

A better guage of the age of the box might be to find out how long Wardlow was in business, so far I've narrowed it down to pre-1915, but I'm still looking.

Sauconian · Post by **Sauconian** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:02 pm

Thanks for that information Charlie.

The box shows more signs of age in person than in photos, but would have been in extremely remarkable condition for pre- 20th. c.

42-44 seems about right for them to have ceased, but I'm not sure if that was for sales of cutlery or just manufacturing. They did continue at least into the 1970's as houseware suppliers. I've tried to start at the begining, and work forward, but information is hard to come by.

1862 certainly seems correct for the beginings of the firm as even the label on the box attests, but I'm having doubts about all of Goins information. According to the 2cd edition, Wolfertz & Co. was organized in 1862. He then lists Wolfertz & Waldman as the predecessor of Wolfertz & Co., and dates that firm to 1873 ! The fact that Wolfertz was listed first, and Charles F. Wolfertz was apparently living at the location of that business would suggest to me that C.F. was the principle of that firm, which was a retail establishment. They dealt in cutlery, skates, guns, sporting goods, and fancy hardware.

If you have a later edition of Goins, with different information, I'd appreciate a scan. Still, the man did a remarkable job for all he included.

Sauconian · Post by **Sauconian** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:09 pm

Eric ...you are a genius ! Might have taken me forever to think of that. Collaboration on research always goes much faster than doing it alone.

SK sent me that same picture, and their address, but no date as to when they might have gone out of business. If they did.

Fran

ea42 · Post by **ea42** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:22 pm

Fran, I have info from Levine's that says Wolfertz was organized in 1862 (at which time they used dog power to drive the wheels!

) and manufactured knives until the early 1920's, after which they became a distributor, probably along the lines of HS&B. The firm dropped its cutlery line in 1944 in favor of home furnishings. Since the box states "manufactured by", I'd think it would be at least pre-1930.

As far as Wardlow, I know the tariffs, along with pay scales, etc, by 1914, had completely decimated the cutlery industry in England. I'm wondering if the steel industry was affected as well.

Eric