Maher & Grosh Prussia knife

[raincrowe]

I would like to feature ....a three and one half inch.. 4 bladed congress style knife...long bolsters... pick bone handles..and the blades have long pull and all marked ...Maher & Grosh Prussia...Doing some research I found Maher & Grosh is a wholesale hardware company in Toledo Ohio founded in 1877....I found a site here and saw several examples of very nice knives... but nothing on Prussia...
I would like to find more information... about the tang stamps...were is the Prussia cutlery company, the value, and age of this knife??
I will welcome all information!!
viewtopic.php?t=53771
https://maherandgrosh.com/about
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Prussia

[Quick Steel]

raincrow, I hope a true expert will come along to help you. I am not one. However, one thought occurs. Rather than a manufacturer, Prussia may refer to the place of origin, i.e. the state of Prussia which lost its independence in 1918 becoming part of Germany. If so, then your knife would be quite old. It looks to be in very decent condition. If my speculation is correct, it seems to me this knife would be of considerable value to a collector of Maher&Grosh.

[peanut740]

I haven't seen that stamp before, but I'm not surprised by it.M&G bought all their knives from someone.
I will assume the knife was made after 1890 and the start of WWI.I looked thru a few of my catalogs and didn't see a Congress that looked like it.I have several others I didn't have time to dig out.I did find a another knife with a similar bolster in catalog #20 which would be the late 1890's.
The knife has a bolster pin that shows like those on German Cutlery. It is made of a different metal than the bolster.

[kootenay joe]

O.P. knife is over 100 years old. It is in remarkably fine condition for a knife of this age. Very good find !
kj

[raincrowe]

I was thinking that the M&G knife had a John Primble style... therefore I dug out an example and found they were almost identical in the pattern although the John Primble 5514 Star is a much later knife it still has all the features but the short pull and branded on just one blade even the shield looks similar...Then I found the tang stamps on the post below that states....
John Primble.. India Steel Works... Prussia (1890-1914)...This is a theory but could this knife be made by Primble for M&G
Also I have a Schmidt & Ziegler 8134 (Bull) in this Congress style... Same Bolsters
Let me know what the experts think... I appreciate all the good information as this knife has been a mystery for a long time!!


viewtopic.php?t=910

[peanut740]

Primble was a Hardware brand,they did not make knives.They could have been made in the same factory, but that would be pure speculation.
Your Primble with the star was made by Boker,and as you say a much later knife.

[1967redrider]

*edit- just saw peanut's post.

I thought a Primble with a was made by Boker?

[kootenay joe]

This style of bolster has been used on the Congress pattern by many manufacturers. In vintage Solingen days there were companies that manufactured knife parts and sold them to many of the over 100 knife manufacturers. Thus you can see identical bolsters on knives made by different manufacturers.
kj

[raincrowe]

Yeah I've seen those bolsters on several different knives with different makers but the word Prussia I've never seen on any other knife
and the only reference is....the John Primble India steel Works Prussia (1890-1914)....This Primble knife with this stamp I've didn't
know existed until I saw your reference today...Is it possible that Maher & Grosh contracted with Primble to have these knives made
during this time period...Are they any other cities townships ect. named Prussia in the United States that made or had any dealing with cutlery??

[peanut740]

Some Henry Sears and Son pre 1900 knives had Prussia stamped on the bolster.
Maher & Grosh would have contracted directly with a manufacturer to make their knives.They were a big boy in the knife business at that time.

[peanut740]

Here's a couple of Prussia marks.Along with a John Primble India Steel Works Prussia.

[raincrowe]

Thank you I didn't have that information...that answers my question... I'm very grateful for you sharing your expertise on this knife
What book is that wouldn't mind checking it out?

[peanut740]

Goins' Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings.You can get a copy from Knife Magazine. It is the best reference there is for Cutlery Markings.
You are Welcome

[raincrowe]

Thank you.... I have heard good things about the that book surely check on it!