Real Knife Lore: Augustus Vignos
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:13 pm
I was one of three members (Bill Wolfe and LT Langston) who started this forum, and I always thought it could be more than it was. My bad, never thought enough about it until those two left the site. But bringing up a name from way, way back in knife history a while ago in an email to one of you worthy AAPK members gave me an idea. How about looking at some of the real innovators, or characters, or infamous scoundrels that have made knives and knife collecting what it is today? So I sit here with virtual pen in hand, a pile of cyber foolscap before me and a stack of knife references and begin to lay this down.
Augustus Vignos... Ring a bell, anyone? And his company, Novelty Cutlery Company of Canton, Ohio. A veteran of the civil war, holding the rank of Major, he was short of stature and huge of ideas. He lost an arm during the battle of Gettysberg, a fact he played upon hugely in his company advertising. After the war, he was postmaster of Canton, but then he moved into knives... With a huge idea about how to market the new fangled picture handled pocketknives.
Now these things were easy to make, once celluloid was developed in 1872 by John Wesley Hyatt. The stuff was amazing, and there was so much entreprenuers could do with it. Especially since it could be made crystal clear. In Canton, Ohio, the brothers Landis found that they could put any image on paper and under clear celluloid and use it as a pocket knife handle. Eureka, as we used to say back in the day. They licensed the process to a couple of local men, Dr. Stuart Carnes who owned Canton Cutlery Company, and our Major Vignos, who started up Novelty Cutlery company. By all accounts, the two firms got along honorably and well.
But Major Vignos did more than just stick any picture or writing on a scrap of paper in a knife cell sandwich and peddle it. He took the idea to a massive step forward in knife marketing. He sold nationally, then internationally, directly to the buyers. No middle men, no wholesalers. The process of making those kinda knives was a bit more complicated. But selling straight from the factory to the customer saved him oodles of money. But the paperwork was bogging him down, so he took the great idea to yet another step: Local sales agents.
The Major's advertising began to shift from peddling knives to presenting business oppurtunies to others. Young boys, young men, older guys needing a second job answered those ads and became knife salesmen. Armed with a catalog and when he made enough money to afford them, samples as well, the sales force hit the road, hit the local businesses, hit friends and relatives. Anyone could own a personalized knife of their very own design! There were thousands of those agents, using a standized order form, and knowing just exactly how to get the right photos or whatever was needed for the customer's order. The agents took their commission off the top and so in effect, cost Novelty Cutlery Company nothing.
Major Vignos was a success, and expanded his business by making knives for other companies, like advertising specialty houses. Also, 'Novelty' became a branch of Vignos' Canton Knife Company in 1989. The Landis patent protected him and Dr. Carnes until it ran out in about 1912, but by that time, they had a huge headstart. But other knife companies did start turning out picture knives as soon as they could. Aerial Cutlery Company, Golden Rule, Lackawanna and Wabash Cutlery Company. Many thousands were made. The great idea really did have legs.
August Vignos died in 1925, control of his company passing to son Alfred. But the 'new idea' of picture knives was not new any longer, and we all know how fickle the public-- especially we knife buying public, can be. Add to that the increased competition of the several firms making the picture knives. But Novelty Cutlery managed to hold on until 1948 before it finally ceased doing business.
A few Novelty knives have passed through my hands. Like all picture knife brands, those featuring nude women or bathing beauties are the most valuable. So many of the picture knives from back in the day have completely faded away, literally. The Novelty Knife Company name still seems to be in use, I have seen such knives produced in Ireland and China. It is doubtful that the name was legally bought and paid for, perhaps any claim on it just expired, or there is no heir that cares.
BR Levine rates this brand as highly collectible. So does Roy Ritchie and Ron Stewart. I don't know what they fetch on ebay.
Anyway, the man was cool, and I have enjoyed learning more and writing about him. I hope you have as well. Here are some links you may find interesting.
Respected businessman and citizen:
http://www.justus.ca/versailles/Ohio/PD ... iption.pdf
War, see page 124:
http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Stark/St ... ioP650.htm
War, two thirds of the way down:
http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Stark/St ... XIP249.htm
"The 107th regiment, headed by Colonel Seraphim Meyers, included our German-American boys in numbers sufficient to cause the regiment to be dubbed 'The 107th Dutch.' It went to the front, its officers including the gallant Major Vignos."
Local color:
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/us ... -0008.html
"Another Augustus - Augustus Vignos- built the brick building on the northeast corner of the Square. Now used as a tavern, it still carries the big V at the top of the west wall."
Knife related:
http://www.justus.ca/versailles/Ohio/PD ... d-Misc.pdf
bibliography: BRLevine 4th ed. Standard Knife collectors guide, Richie and Stewart, Big Book of Pocket knives Stewart & Ritchie (photos 3 and 4)
Augustus Vignos... Ring a bell, anyone? And his company, Novelty Cutlery Company of Canton, Ohio. A veteran of the civil war, holding the rank of Major, he was short of stature and huge of ideas. He lost an arm during the battle of Gettysberg, a fact he played upon hugely in his company advertising. After the war, he was postmaster of Canton, but then he moved into knives... With a huge idea about how to market the new fangled picture handled pocketknives.
Now these things were easy to make, once celluloid was developed in 1872 by John Wesley Hyatt. The stuff was amazing, and there was so much entreprenuers could do with it. Especially since it could be made crystal clear. In Canton, Ohio, the brothers Landis found that they could put any image on paper and under clear celluloid and use it as a pocket knife handle. Eureka, as we used to say back in the day. They licensed the process to a couple of local men, Dr. Stuart Carnes who owned Canton Cutlery Company, and our Major Vignos, who started up Novelty Cutlery company. By all accounts, the two firms got along honorably and well.
But Major Vignos did more than just stick any picture or writing on a scrap of paper in a knife cell sandwich and peddle it. He took the idea to a massive step forward in knife marketing. He sold nationally, then internationally, directly to the buyers. No middle men, no wholesalers. The process of making those kinda knives was a bit more complicated. But selling straight from the factory to the customer saved him oodles of money. But the paperwork was bogging him down, so he took the great idea to yet another step: Local sales agents.
The Major's advertising began to shift from peddling knives to presenting business oppurtunies to others. Young boys, young men, older guys needing a second job answered those ads and became knife salesmen. Armed with a catalog and when he made enough money to afford them, samples as well, the sales force hit the road, hit the local businesses, hit friends and relatives. Anyone could own a personalized knife of their very own design! There were thousands of those agents, using a standized order form, and knowing just exactly how to get the right photos or whatever was needed for the customer's order. The agents took their commission off the top and so in effect, cost Novelty Cutlery Company nothing.
Major Vignos was a success, and expanded his business by making knives for other companies, like advertising specialty houses. Also, 'Novelty' became a branch of Vignos' Canton Knife Company in 1989. The Landis patent protected him and Dr. Carnes until it ran out in about 1912, but by that time, they had a huge headstart. But other knife companies did start turning out picture knives as soon as they could. Aerial Cutlery Company, Golden Rule, Lackawanna and Wabash Cutlery Company. Many thousands were made. The great idea really did have legs.
August Vignos died in 1925, control of his company passing to son Alfred. But the 'new idea' of picture knives was not new any longer, and we all know how fickle the public-- especially we knife buying public, can be. Add to that the increased competition of the several firms making the picture knives. But Novelty Cutlery managed to hold on until 1948 before it finally ceased doing business.
A few Novelty knives have passed through my hands. Like all picture knife brands, those featuring nude women or bathing beauties are the most valuable. So many of the picture knives from back in the day have completely faded away, literally. The Novelty Knife Company name still seems to be in use, I have seen such knives produced in Ireland and China. It is doubtful that the name was legally bought and paid for, perhaps any claim on it just expired, or there is no heir that cares.
BR Levine rates this brand as highly collectible. So does Roy Ritchie and Ron Stewart. I don't know what they fetch on ebay.
Anyway, the man was cool, and I have enjoyed learning more and writing about him. I hope you have as well. Here are some links you may find interesting.
Respected businessman and citizen:
http://www.justus.ca/versailles/Ohio/PD ... iption.pdf
War, see page 124:
http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Stark/St ... ioP650.htm
War, two thirds of the way down:
http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Stark/St ... XIP249.htm
"The 107th regiment, headed by Colonel Seraphim Meyers, included our German-American boys in numbers sufficient to cause the regiment to be dubbed 'The 107th Dutch.' It went to the front, its officers including the gallant Major Vignos."
Local color:
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/us ... -0008.html
"Another Augustus - Augustus Vignos- built the brick building on the northeast corner of the Square. Now used as a tavern, it still carries the big V at the top of the west wall."
Knife related:
http://www.justus.ca/versailles/Ohio/PD ... d-Misc.pdf
bibliography: BRLevine 4th ed. Standard Knife collectors guide, Richie and Stewart, Big Book of Pocket knives Stewart & Ritchie (photos 3 and 4)
I do like your choice of bone handles though 
