All About Pocket Knives

Probably the first time I have posted in this part of the forum but I am looking for information on an old ELECTRIC stamped 3 1/4" Doctor's pattern. Someone has long ago repurposed the spatula to a blade, and there are some handle cracks.....but the knife seems well made and it's still tight with half stops and a great looking long pull on the main. I seem to remember that Electric Cut Co had some tie to Schrade, was there ever an ELECTRIC stamp used prior to the Cut Co version? Looks like the handles are bone to me. Anyway I usually don't pick up these older pieces but this one was too hard to resist....any info on it will be appreciated.

IM

The "Electric" mark was first used by Friedmann & Lauterjung in 1873. This was originally an import company in New York City. Electric Cutlery Company became its own corporation by 1889. In 1890 the firm was moved to Newark, NJ. In 1903 the firm purchased the New York Knife Company of Walden, NY. The firm manufactured knives in both cities, Newark had the Electric knives and Walden made NYKC and Hammer Brand knives. In 1910 the Newark branch was closed and the "Electric" trademark was moved to the Walden branch. The New York Knife Company continued to use the Electric trademark as their secondary line of knives along with the Hammer Brand trademark. In 1920 NYKC discontinued the Electric trademark.

Since your knife is not stamped with either "Newark" or "Walden" this means it dates between 1873 and 1889. Cool old knife, by the way!

Nice old knife Trevor.

Great information Dave and signatures.

Yep Dave, you got it right. Great old knife!!

Thanks so much guys, I was confident that the wealth of knowledge here would know, appreciate the replies.

IM

Nice find Trevor. It's hard to pass up an oldie like that for sure.

That one could tell some stories.

peanut740 wrote:That one could tell some stories.

I would agree with that statement;that is one beautiful old knife!
I find it strange that the spatula was sharpened in that manner as they are normally very thin and flexible and of little use in cutting anything.Two possible explanations are:
1)It was sharpened to slice very thin pieces of tissue for microscopic examination or:
2)It was worn flat from years of counting and separating pills on a hard surface.
It is hard to tell but that almost looks like stag that has been worn smooth from years of handling.Whatever the case I wouldn't have hesitated a second in buying that one if I had seen it for sale. To paraphrase a line from the movie,"O Brother where art thou?"....."That knife has got,'bona fides' ".