All About Pocket Knives

I was suprised to find no thread focusing on one of cutlery's giants, Walden Knife Co. So... here it is!

Here's a brief history, information gatherned and condensed from Goins.

Walden was started in 1870 by former employees of New York Knife Co disgruntled by their management. They left NYK and started the Walden Co-operative Knife Company with 18 employees. The Co-op didn't work out, but by 1881 with new management the company grew to 125 workers. The company continued to grow over the coming years, partially due to their production of automatic knives for George Schrade and the Press Button Knife Company, and by 1911 it had the largest output of knives in the world at the time. E.C. Simmons took control of the company in 1911 when they bought the controlling interest. The company produced their knives until 1922 when Simmons merged with Winchester, who then briefly took control until September of 1923 when the factory was sold to Schrade and the machinery was moved to New Haven, CT to Winchesters new plant where it was used to produce their knives, many of which were nearly identical to the preceding Waldens.

Here's my recent find which inspired the post, a tiny 2 1/2 inch pen.

Lets see your Walden knives and memorabilia!

Excellent thread!! I can't believe that I never knew about the Schrade/Pushbutton/Walden connection, and I'm a Schrade collector!! No wonder the bone looks so similar to Walden bone on those old hunters! That's an interesting pattern you've found, somewhat of a barehead serpentine jack, and yet another lost pattern. Congrtas on finding such a nice example!!

Did you know that by 1911 they had over 600 workers, and made more than 2,500 patterns of knives?!? (mostly for Simmons/Keen Kutter). Here are a few more Waldens, plus a Keen Kutter quill (produced 1905-1920) from the same period:

Eric

Nice rare pattern AKC, and a great start of a collection, Eric!!
Here's a Teardrop Jack in pretty decent shape;

Excellent thread! Really in the spirit of this forum. Thank you.

I recently sold a walden knife 1/2 doz box on ebay. Anyone here buy it?

A little 3 1/4" WALDEN KNIFE Co. N. Y. whittler, neat double pull

Super nice example Stockman!

GreatScout, dang! I completely missed that box, now I'm cranky

I DID snag a NYK Co. knife box recently though, has cool little metal corner guards on it.

Charlie, incredible jack as usual!

Eric

This page is from a 1924 Winchester-Simmons catalog.
You can see the relationship between Walden & Keen Kutter.

Dale

Here are my 2 Waldens to add to this thread. I like the shields that they used they seem larger than usual.

MrBlister,

Your knife was made by Walden.

George Schrade took his patent for an automatic knife to Walden Knife Co., who manufactured them under George Schrade's supervision. They formed a special division, and then a separate corporation, called Press Button Knife Co. These knives have the button in the bolster, and no safety.

George later sold his interest in Press Button to Walden knife Co., and with his brothers, started Schrade Cutlery Co. The Switches they manufactured are marked Schrade Cut.Co..

George eventally left Schrade Cut. Co., went to Germany for a couple of years, and when he returned to the USA, took his latest patent to Challenge. Challenge again formed a separate division, with George in charge. Their first knives were marked Challenge, and later Flylock. These knives have a slide button.

When Challenge went belly-up, George acquired some of their property and started the George Schrade Knife Co. Most of these automatics are stamped Presto.


When Albert Baer bought Schrade Cutlery Company in 1946, he renamed it Schrade Walden Cutlery Corporation. Schrade autos made from '46 - 1958 are stamped Schrade Walden.


That's the brief summary. Accuracy not guaranteed, and results may vary.

Fran

Sauconian wrote:
That's the brief summary. Accuracy not guaranteed, and results may vary.

Fran

Pretty good brief thumbnail historical sketch Fran!

Dale