All About Pocket Knives

Should anyone be interested let me know and I will post the rest. I just acquired a reproduced 1902 sears mail order catalogue. Some of the pages did not make it to print. This is the first couple pages of the knives. If you want more ask.
moss

Very interesting WB!
I think we need some new tableware at out house. Great prices!
It seems that matching spoons were not in vogue in 1902. You have to eat your soup with a fork!
I can see why my grandfather ate his peas with his knife. He could get more on the knife than the 3 tine fork.

It is interesting to see how food production has changed the shape of tableware. In 1902 most people probably made their own butter, as we did on the ranch where I grew up. Homemade butter isn't square, but would put in a butter crock or urn. More like a modern bowl. Without refrigeration it would be soft. You needed a wide knife to dip in the butter crock and get enough butter to butter your bread. There was no need for a sharp edge to cut a cube of refrigerated butter. A crock of unrefrigerated butter is more the consistency of mayonnaise than our butter today. It is also much more spreadable. The knives in those sets are designed to spread soft butter or homemade preserves on homemade bread. Yum!

The Christy Pattern Bread knife (forth pic) looks like a fix blade version of a Geo. Schrade Wire Jack. I wonder if they got the idea from Geo, or vice versa?

I want to order some of their pocket knives!
Dale

Hello Moss, Nice pages! I would be interested in seeing any pictures that you might have on old Sears and Roebuck Co. knives, of the slip joint type. I think I have one that was made around 1902.

Thanks Stockman

Hi Stockman:
The quality isn't much but here they are. Give the 178 image a couple of clicks and read that banner and the following statements in the middle of page.
moss

stockman,
The Mossy One likes those fixed blade knives so much, he probably hasn't noticed any folders...

Just kidding WB, keep those pages coming, as that is a very cool bit of cutlery history.

Bill

He was so fast to respond, he got me good. SIGH!

Fantastic catalog pictures Moss I can study these all day long while drooling over the pages.. Very much appreciated..

Sunburst

In 1902, I wonder who made their knives.??

Dale

How did you guys like that they have their own factory within another location!!! LT should know if it was in the schrade building.
On image 180 the second knife down the samson pruner looks an awfully lot like a camillus no 1 pruner I just saw yesterday.Maybe Camillus, they opened in 1902 didn't they.
moss

In 1902 Sears knives were made by the Napanoch knife company . Just outside of Ellenville. In 1908 the Sears line were made under the trademark name of Wilbert cutlery Co Chicago. The patterns from Nap were were self evident as the same as in the sears catalogues. In 1918 or 1919 I forget Nap sold to winchester. EC Simmons had taken over Walden knife in 1911. Then they merged with Winchester which produced knives there till around 23 when Walden knife closed. Winchester took the machinery and moved to New Haven. I would guess they were made in the Walden plant after 1919 until it closed under the Wilbert name. Empire also made knives for Wilbert ie ( Sears ). However Winchester and Empire were in CT so they are not applicable to the blurb ( article) in the catalogue I am still not sure when the catalogue posted was from it can be confusing I just used a 1923 to reference patterns which emulates Naps I own they still carry the Wilbert tang. . Some of those in the posted catalogues has patterns that are earlier. A couple look like NYK patterns which could have been the supplier earlier. Since early on they made and sold most of the knives made in the US of domestic manufacture.

Later on many companies made knives for Sears. However the Baers and Sears had a very close relationship. The Sears people sometimes used the Baers to consumate deals for them not only regarding knives but in one instance regarding transistor radios with Japan. As I relate this history it should be noted that this time line can be shown with the correct examples when Baer went to Japan he had knives made in pearl with the radio manufacturers chop mark to give him as a gift. So to show this all you need the Naps the later knives various examples of later manufacture and even one of the Pearl gift knives luckily I have them and hopefully this history will eventually be saved and displayed it is simply to much to post it is a book unto itself. Yes Baer was related to the people from Camillus and did relagate some later issues to them . He also had Imperial and Ulster as well as Kingston. He also had ties with everyone else he was so to speak the man. He also during WWII worked as the procurment agent for the US government ( He decided what contracts would be accepted.) A nice job to have for a knife manufacturer. Did you ever notice that after WWII Schrades line of leather wrapped knives ( as well as Sears which were Schrades contract ) did not always have the same sequence of plastic spacers in the handles. Well after the switch from Bayos to hunting versions they had a lot of spacers left so some times various runs had different colors sequences until they were used up. Yup the Bears were pretty sharp guys ( sharp get it ). Over the years various firms supplied Sears but if I had to guess I would say Schrade and the Baer influence pretty much were or, decided who, would make them. LT

LT;
Thanks for the insight, the posted catalogue is a reproduction of their 1902 book.
I do hope that you never tire of the litany of questions that you recieve.
It would be a bleak world if knowledge such as yours were not available
upon request. Thanks again,
W.B.

Thanks Moss, The pictures are great! I would love to have some of those catalogs. I have seen some on ebay but I have never used ebay to purchase anything. I think that I have the 4th knife down on pg. 179. To answer the question of Orvet I think Napanoch made knives for S. R. and Co. in 1900 to 1902. The knife I have is marked Napanoch Knife Co. N. Y. on the back of both tangs S. R. and Co. Chicago on front tangs. All steel with brass pins, neat old knife well worn, I posted pic's earlier on a sears forum. Other Co's could have made knives at the same time also. I know this Nap Sears is from the 1900-1902 era. Thanks again for the pages you posted Moss, it will be great reference material.

Stockman

Thanks LT for the answer. I thought it was probably Nap or NYK. I know you had told me about them in regards to a Wilbert I had. But, I couldn't remember all the details.

Talking to LT about knives is like reading Encyclopedia Britannica. You learn a lot of cool stuff, but it is a massive amount of data to store & organize in my little brain. LT is the Shock & Awe equivalent of knife information. Consequently I forget parts or don't get them properly connected & organized in my mind so that I can recall it when I need it.
Something that is becoming pretty standard as I get older.

Thanks for posting the catalog WB. This has turned out to be quite interesting.

Dale

Looking at image 180...it is very interesting to view the pattern referred to as a Texas Tooth Pick (second from bottom)...certainly not the pattern most of us associate with a Toothpick nowdays.

Thanks LT for filling in some blanks...and thanks again WB for bringing us the information.

Bill

To All:
If anyone wants to spend a few days with this catalogue, they are welcome to. I will pay the first media mail and so on and so forth til it gets back to me, Its not in perfect condition but its readable. Neat to see the old stuff. Buggies, buckboards, guns music instruments. Theres something over a thousand pages. One of the folks who referee this catagory could probably come up with a sticky or something with the info and then a PM could be sent between the next two people to interface. I would like it back someday, im in no hurry at all. Two months two years, the amount of readers will be the judge. Keep it as long as you NEED. Then forward to someone else.
moss

Here are a few Honk Falls and Napanochs. NOTE JOHN CUSHNER who had been an employee of Napanoch knife started making knives in the old Nap shop from around 21 to 29 they were obcviously similar patterns to the Naps and the Naps were the early Sears so I posted these for comparison to the catalogue pics. These knives are now courting truly premium prices. In fact i had a few more but even I will succumb to money if there is enough when they hit 1000 a piece i let 3 go. There are more around but golly see what greed will do. They were quite nice and one was a sunfish. Oh well enjoy the pics. LT

Mossdancer wrote:To All:
If anyone wants to spend a few days with this catalogue, they are welcome to. I will pay the first media mail and so on and so forth til it gets back to me, Its not in perfect condition but its readable. Neat to see the old stuff. Buggies, buckboards, guns music instruments. Theres something over a thousand pages. One of the folks who referee this catagory could probably come up with a sticky or something with the info and then a PM could be sent between the next two people to interface. I would like it back someday, im in no hurry at all. Two months two years, the amount of readers will be the judge. Keep it as long as you NEED. Then forward to someone else.
moss

Hi WB.
Thanks very much for offering to share your rare piece of cuttlery history. That is a fragile historical document. If I may be so bold, I suggest that you scan it into an electronic file. You can then send it via email to anyone interested or perhaps have it posted to the site for all to access without having to risk it being lost or damaged in the post. I did this with my Sheffield article. Just my 2p.

That is a smashing good idea s-k, well done!!

I'd love an electronic copy Mossy One Sir.

The Wolf (E)

Hello LT, those Naps and the HF are what keeps me looking. I love the old knives all of the good old companys, I started a little to late but once in a while I find a really good old knife. I enjoy seeing the old stuff you post and reading what you have to say about these old knives and there history.

Stockman

Here are some pics from a 1923 catalogue. If any one wishes they can compare the patterns with the actual pictures I posted. Notice the sunfish model I spoke of it is here at the then current price of 1.20. I also included some pics of the current bathing suits worn at that time some pretty hot stuff. That was pre Playboy and hustler so this catalogue and any french post cards someone might have brought home from france after WWI were about it for short heist ( prison jargon for dirty pictures, porn as it were ). The sears catalogue served to supply our nation with many things which through them could be purchased however they also served double duty in the out house. ( Although I can tell you the paper is a bit stiff.) For that reason I also included a pic of Sears himself a man who gave the country what it needed. I would have posted the pics of the underware ( oh yes and socks ) however I felt it too risque. LT

lt632ret wrote:I would have posted the pics of the underware ( oh yes and socks ) however I felt it too risque. LT

Were those the nappy headed socks, or did they only turn nappy after you had worn them for a few years?

Adults only

HEY HEY!!! This isn't a porn site ya know!!!





They are kinda cute though!!!