The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

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Another Knife Collector
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The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by Another Knife Collector »

I recently picked up my first Southington made knife and after some searching I was able to find some great posts about them around, but couldn't find any definitive thread about the company.

The company was organized in Southington, Connecticut in October 1867 with Amon Bradley as president. Wheaton Plumb became superintendent of the company in 1868 having previously worked for Waterville Knife Co and the Co-operative Knife Company. By the 1870's the successful company had begun to expand to manufacturing a number of hardware items and tools, eventually ending the production of pocket knives in 1905 to concentrate elsewhere and becoming Southington Hardware Company in 1908.

My knife is a small genuine tortoise shell handle congress marked:

SOUTH-
INGTON
CUT CO

Now let's see yours!
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LongBlade
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by LongBlade »

Sweet Southington knife!!! ::tu:: I'll get some photos of my few Southingtons and post them soon...
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Lee
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FRJ
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by FRJ »

What an elegant little Congress that is.

Here's three of mine.
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Joe
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wlf
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by wlf »

And mine
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I buy roosters combs and farmers..........................................................jack knives [/b]

GEC SFOs and others at LICK CREEK CUTLERY- www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wlf

May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
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LongBlade
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by LongBlade »

Gorgeous knives Joe - an ivory (?) handled quill, nice jack and a wharncliffe whittler too ::tu::

WLF - that is one nice Farmer's jack with sweet jigged bone ::tu:: ... is that second blade a coping blade?

Here's a few of mine -

Southington smooth bone jack:
Southington Jack Closed DSCN4570A.jpg
Southington Blades  DSCN4588A.jpg
Southington Jack Tang Stamp DSCN4593A.jpg
Southington "Stabber" - 4" closed and one big blade, about 1/8" thick and double swedge... if I am right the "stabber" was considered a poor man's dirk but quite frankly probably was used as a hunter as well... check out that huge spring as well - snaps like a bear trap :D
Southington Stabber Closed DSCN4597A.jpg
Southington Stabber Blade DSCN4612A.jpg
Southington Stabber Spring DSCN4622A.jpg
A few things I have noticed with Southington knives - lots of their blades had a double swedge and the tang stamps were either straight line or curved... also lots of them were barehead just from my own observations which are probably somewhat limited compared to others...

Southington - another good old quality CT maker 8) .....
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FRJ
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by FRJ »

Great looking knives, Lee. Really nice.

The tang on the jack looks rough although still has a very readable stamp.

Beautiful Farmers Jack, Lyle.
Joe
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LongBlade
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by LongBlade »

Thanks Joe.... that jack is what I call "as found condition" - just as I like them :D .... funny I have seen more often than not worn and rough tang stamps on Southingtons, and have only seen a few (if that many) where the whole tang stamp was completely legible... think the old Southington craftsmen really made those blades tight in the pivots based on the wearing of the stamps :)
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by wlf »

LB it's a spey,typical shape and one of the characteristics identifying early farmers jacks.
I buy roosters combs and farmers..........................................................jack knives [/b]

GEC SFOs and others at LICK CREEK CUTLERY- www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wlf

May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by knife7knut »

I have a couple smaller ones but this is my favorite. The stamp is a bit unusual in that it is done in two lines.
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LongBlade
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by LongBlade »

Nice knife k7Knut!! And an old lockback as well ::tu:: - lovely jigged bone on that one as too!! I have seen both straight-line stamps and the curved stamps as well for Southington - I know Another Knife Collector's was also a straight line stamp such as yours when I enlarged the photo - not sure about Joe's knives posted but mine had the curved stamp on both... as with some other knives I guess hard to date them based on the stamps... but I always wonder if both stamps were available (for this maker and others as well where multiple stamps existed) and they used what they felt best fit the tang... Nothing new to you guys but other makers were more easily dated based on the stamps to a certain degree (Remington as just one example)...

WLF - I must have been half asleep while drinking my coffee looking at your farmer's jack - don't know why coping blade came to my mind ::dang:: especially on a farmer's jack ::shrug:: ... guess I thought I was seeing a squared off corner :lol: ... but no doubt probably the nicest farmer's jack I have ever seen ::tu::
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by FRJ »

This old thread should be put back in service.
Another Knife Collector started it off with good information and a beautiful knife. ::tu::

Here is a fine little (3 5/16") equal end jack with Ebony covers and half stop on both blades.
Except for that crack above the shield and some blade loss, this knife is a good as the day it left the bench.
What a honey!

Thanks for looking.
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by JAMESC41001 »

Boy that’s nice ::tu::
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LongBlade
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by LongBlade »

Nice Southington Joe ::tu:: ::tu:: ...
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by edge213 »

Great knife.
David
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FRJ
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by FRJ »

Thank you, James and Lee and David. ::tu::
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by JohnR »

Nice knife Joe, Southington is another of those old companies that made very high quality knives. They are not easy to find in good condition.
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by FRJ »

It is very true, John.
I'm always glad to find one.
Thanks for the nice comment. ::tu::
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by wlf »

Clear stamp Joe. ::tu:: ::tu::
I buy roosters combs and farmers..........................................................jack knives [/b]

GEC SFOs and others at LICK CREEK CUTLERY- www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wlf

May the Father and Son bless
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by JACK OF ALL TIRADES »

FRJ wrote:This old thread should be put back in service.
Another Knife Collector started it off with good information and a beautiful knife. ::tu::

Here is a fine little (3 5/16") equal end jack with Ebony covers and half stop on both blades.
Except for that crack above the shield and some blade loss, this knife is a good as the day it left the bench.
What a honey!

Thanks for looking.
This town is busy with plazas now and a popular gunstore and Smith. I have knever seen this brand and that one is kneat. As good as knew.
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by JohnR »

These are the only 2 Southington's I have, both unusual, one is a large jack with bone on one side and stag on the other with 2 different tang stamps and the other is a baby Barlow that unfortunately was cleaned but still a very nice knife, the last pic shows it in comparison to a standard Barlow and a 14 TC Barlow which is a small one.
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by FRJ »

John, that is pretty cool old Southington jack, saved from one week to the next. :D

That little Barlow is a great knife. ::tu::

Thanks, John.
Joe
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by JohnR »

FRJ wrote:John, that is pretty cool old Southington jack, saved from one week to the next. :D

That little Barlow is a great knife. ::tu::

Thanks, John.
Thanks Joe, appreciate it. I found that Jack at a junker flea market in PA, quite a surprise to come across that. The Barlow fooled me as I bought it online and was expecting a full size Barlow with The SC Co bolster stamp, imagine my surprise when that little knife came out of the box, have never come across another like it.
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by wlf »

Nice one Joe.
I buy roosters combs and farmers..........................................................jack knives [/b]

GEC SFOs and others at LICK CREEK CUTLERY- www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wlf

May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by FRJ »

Thanks, Lyle. ::tu::
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Re: The Southington Cutlery Company, Let's See Yours

Post by wlf »

Missed your nice little collection John. You have amassed quite an overall antique collection.
I buy roosters combs and farmers..........................................................jack knives [/b]

GEC SFOs and others at LICK CREEK CUTLERY- www.allaboutpocketknives.com/wlf

May the Father and Son bless
Lyle
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