All About Pocket Knives

On June 24th David A Swinden passed away he was 83. He was without a doubt the most knowledgeable individual on earth regarding Schrade and the knife industry in the world. Dave began his career with Schrade in 1948 in Walden NY where he was born and raised. While still in high school he applied for an after school job. He was hired for a specific duty and accepted the position. The original Schrade factory began in 1903 and had 5000 windows which had seldom or never been cleaned. Daves job was to wash all those windows. So day after day whenever school was out that is what he did. As time went on he learned to be a master machinist. the old fashioned way as a hands on apprentice then he became a key player in the cutlery industry as a master cutler. In the early 1950tys his career was interupted with a tour in Korea, after which he returned to the firm. Over a 50 year span the kid who was hired to clean windows went on to become the president of Imperial Schrade knife. I do not know how many patents that he held for processing and manufacturing however his contributions to these techniques and procedures were monumental to the industry. I enjoyed talking to Dave more than any other person in the world. I would just silently listen as he spoke and if you know me keeping me quiet is unusual. His first hand knowledge was mesmerizing. I once had a knife which had some puzzling aspects which I had researched for about 100 hours off and on. I still could not find the answers I was looking for. One day I was at the Schrade factory and Dave and I were walking across the factory floor I realized that I had the knife in my pocket . I handed it to Dave as we walked he looked at it and just started talking about it and problems that it had caused and why it was as it was and in general without me really even asking answered all the questions that I could not solve with 100 hours of research, by the time we reached our destination across the factory. After retiring in 1998 from Schrade dave became a hands on mentor at Canal street Cutlery in Ellenville. I remember that they were making a knife that had jimping on the spine of the backspring. They make a machine for that purpose but it is quite expensive ( many thousands). I was in Canal Street one day and i saw this strange looking homemade machine with hand made wooden parts hooked up to a motor. Dave had made a jimping machine when asked he explained that in the old days as a machinist it was up to you to produce what was needed as inexpensively as possible. I could expound on a lot of Dave Swinden storys In particular I enjoyed when he spoke of being the plant manager and his direct dealings with Henry and Albert Baer. It clarified a lot of things to me that will never be found any where else. Above all Dave was a gentleman he would tell the employees that if they wanted something in particular don't steal it just ask him and he would give it to you. Years ago they ( Schrade had the Prince Albert Promotion ) on a can of prince Albert tobacco were 3 Knives made by Schrade ( actually 3 patterns of OT knives marked ULSTER ) You would have a coupon in the Prince Albert can. Your would send the coupon and a couple of dollars and they would send you a knife. 20 years after the promotion was over Daves secretary came over to him and showed him a coupon with a couple of dollars that someone sent to get a knife. To show you the kind of guy Dave was he sent the person a brand new knife with a note saying that he was sorry the knife in the coupon was no longer made and he hoped the one he was sending would suffice. That is what made Schrade the company with a heart that it was and that was the kind of man Dave was. that is also why Schrade was a good neighbor in the community. There are still a couple of old timers left perhapes a hand ful none really that go back as far a Dave did. He tied the beginnings from those he knew when he started to the very end. So long Mr Swinden ( DAVE as he insisted everyone should call him ). To me it has been like knowing a legend. LT

Thank you for sharing that wonderful story. I'm sorry for your loss but hopefully you have a lifetime of memories.

I am sorry to hear of Dave' passing.
Thanks for sharing the info with us LT.

Rest in Peace Dave!

Thank you for sharing that with us LT. I have heard Dave Swinden's name mentioned many times but have never heard anything that wasn't positive associated with his name. I'm sure he'll be greatly missed at Canal Street.

Thnks for sharing this info about him!
Sorry for your loss as a firend and the industry as well.

Deepest sympathies.

Thanks for everything Dave! RIP our knife friend.

Thank you for the story of the man. He obviously meant a lot to you and the industry.

This is sad news to read, indeed. I suppose this happens eventually, we like to think that these important pillars of the industry will be around forever. What a huge loss for the knife community, the knowledge and history he must have had from his years. I know how much Dave meant to you, Rich, sorry for this loss.

Glenn

Thank you so much for posting this info and the story. This is the type of material that should be put into a book.

Rich,

Thank you for the information. I knew of Dave's death because he worked at Canal Street and I keep in touch with those folks often. I also wanted to add to this! Dave's Daughter, Jean, who worked at Canal Street also recently passed over Memorial Day Weekend. Tough times for the Swinden Family as well as some great losses to the knife industry. Keep the family in your prayers!

Tom

I did not mention Jeanie only because I was trying to involve his wonderful family as little as possible, since I am sure they have enough problems to sort out. When I posted about Daves passing I felt that I wanted to give a eulogy not an obituary. I simply wanted to give Dave what I felt was the recognition and respect he so highly deserved. However since it was mentioned, Jeanie was a great friend and a wonderful person I think of her everyday. She always had a smile and I always felt was the pulse of Canal Street to say she is missed is not enough. You are absolutely correct that this is a sorrow filled time for them and Jeanie should be mentioned. I am sure that even though Dave was ill for a fairly long time, Jeanies passing and his grief added to his pain. LT

LT, thank you for posting a fine tribute to a great man. I was fortunate enough to have been able to sit down and converse with Dave from time to time. I loved listening to his stories. He would talk about the move from walden too ellenville, when the drove overloaded trucks over the mountain. Or how he would rig huge pieces of equipment into tight space. Albert and Henry would give him near impossible problems and jobs to figure out. Once he told me of a knife company he would visit in his younger days called the Orange knife company. I had one of their knives in my collection and decided to give it to him. I was a little surprised when he accepted it, just knowing the quite unassuming person he was. One day I saw him cleaning up an 897uh which he walked over and have to me. He knew im a huge uncle Henry collector. I have many knives of coarse but this one will be with me forever. He did not have many knives himself, he gave most of them away after schrade closed. This event effected him very deeply. Fortunately Wally Gardiner gave him and others a place to not only carry on but make some truely astounding knives in the old ulster/schrade factory. Wally has been able to do this in some of the toughest economic times this country has seen. Anyone who knows anything about U.S cutlery and its history needs to buy a canal street knife. Nothing is forever.

I can understand why Dave would have wanted an orange cut . Daves father was affialiated with them and during WWII worked at a government factory in Poughkeepsie NY. He would sell these Gents knives to other workers. Orange was a small company with machinery salvaged from Walden Knife after they closed. Perhapes also some NYK machines. It was actually a small garage and just a couple of exemployees. I lived across the street about a block away. Dave lived on the same side of the street as me a block in the other direction although it was many years apart and we did not know each other. That little building is I believe still there. Here are some pics of assorted Orange Cut Gents knives for those who might not know what knives are being discussed..

Nice group LT. Great pic. Stories like this really illustrate how big a loss Dave's passing is for the knife community. Dave's invention of the swinden pin and machine was a revolution in knife production. And a big reason, I believe schrade was able to be competitive into the 21st century.

I am saddened to hear of his passing.

Although I never met the man I feel his mark left in my cherished Schrades.
My thoughts and prayers for him and his family.