All About Pocket Knives

I thought that I'd get the immediate family together for a portrait. No "cousins", just ALLEN CUTLERY COMPANY knives.
Not bad considering I obtained my first one only nine months ago. You may ask, why do I collect ALLEN CUTLERY COMPANY knives? The company was located in a city in Orange County, New York called Newburgh. If you look at the map pictured below, follow the Hudson River (the blue line) from the top, going south and on the left side, the west side, you'll see the city of Newburgh. What is right below Newburgh? Yup, my home town, New Windsor, New York. You can also see Walden, Ellenville, Kingston, etc., etc. That is why I collect ALLEN CUTLERY COMPANY knives. It's the only cutlery company Newburgh ever had, as far as I know, and it only existed 1917-1925. Click on any picture to ENLARGE.

Today's trek to the post office produced this knife. A single blade jack pocket knife, tang stamped GEO SCHRADE, PAT APD FOR. It measures 3 1/8" closed. It is a "cousin" of the ALLEN CUTLERY COMPANY, NEWBURGH, N.Y. and also a "cousin" of the EAGLE KNIFE CO. It is in EXCELLENT condition and I didn't have to do anything to it. These are MY pictures.

I just bought this Allen Cutlery Company, Newburgh, N.Y. pocket knife (1917-1925). It's the elusive No. 20, the Ni--er Chaser. Not my term, that's what it's called (see the ad below). This will be my second knife in this pattern. I'll clean it up when I receive it and post pictures in the appropriate location(s). You can click on the picture of the ad to ENLARGE it.

This ALLEN CUTLERY COMPANY, NEWBURGH, N.Y. (1917-1925), pocket knife arrived today. This is my second one of this particular pattern, No.20, that I've been able to obtain. No tang stamps, but both stamps are on the handle. I gave it a very minor, gentle cleaning. The "before" pictures are posted right above this one. These are the pictures I took. Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

It's been just about a year since I obtained my first Allen Cutlery Company pocket knife and just about two months now since I added an Allen Cutlery Company pocket knife to my modest collection. Well today the "drought" has finally ended. This one "should" arrive within a few days. I'll clean it up, take some pictures and post them in the appropriate location(s).

Hi Skip,

Cool knives! Sorry I hadn't seen these before or I would have added them to my "Radar" of knives that I look for.
And Yep, that's pretty close to your home town. Who wouldn't be interested in knives made that close to home?

TPK wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:38 pm Hi Skip,

Cool knives! Sorry I hadn't seen these before or I would have added them to my "Radar" of knives that I look for.
And Yep, that's pretty close to your home town. Who wouldn't be interested in knives made that close to home?

Thank you Tom. You have a better chance of spotting Elvis Presley than finding one of these knives. There is one on eBay right now, but I have an unresolved issue with the seller. Plus he/she is asking a ridiculous amount of money for it.

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:47 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:38 pm Hi Skip,

Cool knives! Sorry I hadn't seen these before or I would have added them to my "Radar" of knives that I look for.
And Yep, that's pretty close to your home town. Who wouldn't be interested in knives made that close to home?

Thank you Tom. You have a better chance of spotting Elvis Presley than finding one of these knives. There is one on eBay right now, but I have an unresolved issue with the seller. Plus he/she is asking a ridiculous amount of money for it.

Ok, I give up already! If they are hard to find there, chances are close to Zero I'll find any here. Too bad, they look pretty cool.

TPK wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:04 pm

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:47 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:38 pm Hi Skip,

Cool knives! Sorry I hadn't seen these before or I would have added them to my "Radar" of knives that I look for.
And Yep, that's pretty close to your home town. Who wouldn't be interested in knives made that close to home?

Thank you Tom. You have a better chance of spotting Elvis Presley than finding one of these knives. There is one on eBay right now, but I have an unresolved issue with the seller. Plus he/she is asking a ridiculous amount of money for it.

Ok, I give up already! If they are hard to find there, chances are close to Zero I'll find any here. Too bad, they look pretty cool.

No problem. What's even more frustrating than the scarcity of these knives (actually I'm glad they're scarce), is that NOBODY can tell me where the factory was located. I've tried the Newburgh Chamber Of Commerce and the Newburgh Historical Society, with no success.

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:13 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:04 pm

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:47 pm

Thank you Tom. You have a better chance of spotting Elvis Presley than finding one of these knives. There is one on eBay right now, but I have an unresolved issue with the seller. Plus he/she is asking a ridiculous amount of money for it.

Ok, I give up already! If they are hard to find there, chances are close to Zero I'll find any here. Too bad, they look pretty cool.

No problem. What's even more frustrating than the scarcity of these knives (actually I'm glad they're scarce), is that NOBODY can tell me where the factory was located. I've tried the Newburgh Chamber Of Commerce and the Newburgh Historical Society, with no success.

Have you tried books, libraries, newpaper artikels? Stuff like that. Surely someone has to know. Search for books about the town or county history maybe.

TPK wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:31 pm

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:13 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:04 pm

Ok, I give up already! If they are hard to find there, chances are close to Zero I'll find any here. Too bad, they look pretty cool.

No problem. What's even more frustrating than the scarcity of these knives (actually I'm glad they're scarce), is that NOBODY can tell me where the factory was located. I've tried the Newburgh Chamber Of Commerce and the Newburgh Historical Society, with no success.

Have you tried books, libraries, newpaper artikels? Stuff like that. Surely someone has to know. Search for books about the town or county history maybe.

If I still lived back there or if I went back to visit for a vacation (not since 2010), I might've investigated a little more thoroughly. But I'm 3000+ miles away and I have a very, very, very limited amount of patience for research. Occasionally, I'll take a stab at it, but always come up with the same results. FRUSTRATION, ANGER and a massive, throbbing HEADACHE.

Found this with minor investigating.

This ALLEN CUTLERY CO. NEWBURGH N.Y. (1917-1925), 2 blade, jack pocket knife arrived today.
It received a minor cleaning. I took some pictures and here it is. The bottom picture is of an ad
that shows the knife patterns that the company offered. Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

Skip, I enjoy your posts on Allen Cutlery and your quest to learn more of this company, for which there is, apparently, little information. You are amassing a nice little collection.
I made a few trips in and out of Newburgh to visit one of our "sister" plants near Harriman. That airport had a really short runway 20 years ago, maybe still does, which meant a screeching halt upon landing.

Waukonda wrote: ↑Sun Mar 01, 2020 2:49 pm Skip, I enjoy your posts on Allen Cutlery and your quest to learn more of this company, for which there is, apparently, little information. You are amassing a nice little collection.
I made a few trips in and out of Newburgh to visit one of our "sister" plants near Harriman. That airport had a really short runway 20 years ago, maybe still does, which meant a screeching halt upon landing.

Thank you Ike. It is tough locating info on this company. I sometimes enjoy doing the research and finding a tidbit or two. If you're referring to Stewart AFB, I don't know if they expanded the runway(s) or not. From 1979 to 1999, I flew back to N.Y. For my visits. I only used Stewart a couple of times. Usually I used JFK, LaGuardia or Newark airports. From 2000 to 2010, I drove back to N.Y. for my visits. Haven't gone back since.

Benjamin Allen Obituary - The Newburgh News (New York) - March 24, 1930
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

***** Update *****
By putting a couple of clues together, I'm fairly certain that ALLEN CUTLERY CO., NEWBURGH N.Y., was located on Wisner Ave in the "West End" area of Newburgh. In the Benjamin Allen obituary, posted above (2nd part), it says "The company was located in its own factory in the West End, Newburgh...." and in the article/obituary posted here (from The Newburgh News (New York) - March 21, 1931), it says, "....the knife works were being conducted on Wisner avenue...." Walden doesn't have a Wisner Avenue and Newburgh, as far as I know, only had the one cutlery company. Wisner Avenue isn't a very long street. I've driven on it MANY times. There are only a few locations where the factory could've been located. I've included a couple of recent maps, which show Wisner Avenue and the surrounding area. I still want to find the exact address/location.
To be continued....

When this was first listed, it was for approximately $90. That listing quickly came down and the price went up to $149. That was some time ago. That listing ($149) came down a few minutes ago. This is the new listing, absolutely incredible and positively ridiculous.

Well, I was proven correct about Allen Cutlery Company, Newburgh N.Y., being located on Wisner Avenue (see the first two posts on this page). I still don't have an exact address, but I am finding more clues. The two articles below are from two Newburgh N.Y., March 1933, newspapers.
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

Tonight I bought this knife. Another GEO SCHRADE - PAT APD FOR, single blade pocket knife. It has copper colored, pebble textured handles. This knife style/pattern is a "cousin" of the ALLEN CUTLERY COMPANY, NEWBURGH, N.Y. and also a "cousin" of the EAGLE KNIFE CO. These don't pop up that often. When I receive it, I'll check it over. It doesn't look like it's going to need any serious cleaning. I'll take some pictures and post them in the appropriate location(s).

Here is the one I already have (page #4).
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7445&start=45#p777347

Wow! Skip... just caught up on the last three pages. You have amassed a great collection knives & research to represent the company and its history. Now I feel I have to make a scouting trip to Wisner Ave. to see if I can figure out if the factory building still exists... of course, they're predicting a snow storm tomorrow! I have to admit... the all metal knives never had much appeal for me, but now knowing the NYK connection along with qualifying as a Hudson Valley knife manufacturer, I feel compelled to obtain an example.

KAW wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 12:18 am Wow! Skip... just caught up on the last three pages. You have amassed a great collection knives & research to represent the company and it history. Now I feel I have to make a scouting trip to Wisner Ave. to see if I can figure out if the factory building still exists... of course, they're predicting a snow storm tomorrow! I have to admit... the all metal knives never had much appeal for me, but now knowing the NYK connection along with qualifying as a Hudson Valley knife manufacturer, I feel compelled to obtain an example.

Thank you Ken. It was really starting to bother me that the location of the Allen Cutlery Company was unknown. I tried contacting the Newburgh Historical Society, I didn't even get a response. So I went through newspaper, after newspaper, after newspaper and came up with the aforementioned results. I'm still trying to narrow down the location/address. The last time I was in Newburgh was in the summer of 2010. There were still factories and businesses operating on Wisner Avenue.
I would REALLY like to see a picture of the plant itself. I also am searching through old postcards of Newburgh. Maybe I'll get lucky..........

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:50 pm When this was first listed, it was for approximately $90. That listing quickly came down and the price went up to $149. That was some time ago. That listing ($149) came down a few minutes ago. This is the new listing, absolutely incredible and positively ridiculous.

I've notice it seems to be the new trend in pricing strategies on eBay... when no one shows any interest in the item you're selling at the price you're asking... the raise the price... makes perfectly reasonable, logical sense (to them anyway)... I'm currently watching an item where the seller has started his auction @ $99.99 four times in a row & its about to end soon with no takers again... but I suspect he will list it again at the same starting bid as if the 5th time will be the charm! Anyone who has ever attended an auction house knows the auctioneer will keep lowering the starting bid until there's interest to start the bidding.

Skip... Just found this news clip In the Oct., 1925 issue (pg.27) of the American Cutler journals I have mentioned
in the "Knives in the news" thread... Thought it may be of interest...

here's another clip from the Sep., 1920 issue of the same journal that adds yet a couple more pieces to the puzzle...
It appears the factory was not just a single building but a complex of structures.