All About Pocket Knives

Excelsior Cutlery Co.
Northfield, Connecticut, 1884-1905.
A trademark use by Northfield Knife Co.

Excelsior Cutlery New York
A trademark used by Northfield Knife Co.

A very nice little knife. 3" closed.

Good looking older knife, can look at those all day, thanks for sharing!!! Bill

Very nice, Joe. Love the bolsters.

Joe,is that possibly an earlier Escelsior from Torrington Ct.1880-84.Before the mark was picked up by Northfield?I have a couple of originals,I will have to check the stamps.

Thank you, Bill, Cave and Roger.

Roger, according to Goins, the Excelsior from Torrington was stamped Excelsior Knife Co.

That's one of the very few sub-3" knives I've seen that actually interested me. Cool pattern on an old knife.

Very nice Joe! You have so many nice old ones. I like a thinner knife.

Thank you SMH and woodwalker.

Cool old knife Joe with lovely handles and unique bolsters .... I would think it was perhaps a tuxedo pattern as a guess... The Excelsior Cutlery Company stamp is also rare in my mind - there was a Excelsior Cutlery Co New York but Goins comment that it was a trademark of Northfield may be misleading as I have not read any evidence of Northfield having a shop in New York, and there was a Excelsior Cutlery Company Worcester MA... Phil P's book on New England Cutleries had no info at all on a Excelsior Cutlery Co stamp ... However in David Anthony's book there was a reference to Northfield using Excelsior Cutlery Company as a stamp from 1884-1890 (after the purchase of Excelsior by Northfield and all their equipment being moved to the Northfield shop)... interestingly David Anthony wrote based on his research that Northfield used Excelsior Cutlery Company so that folks who didn't like Northfield knives may purchase the Excelsior stamp not knowing the origin of the knives was in the same shop... When I first looked at the knife the bolster pins reminded me very much of a German made knife as often I associate those knives with iron bolster pins which are darker in contrast to the bolster ... However I should say that I am finding out there are even Sheffield examples (not many) where iron bolster pins were used and some early American knives also used iron bolsters (not the norm though).. Nonetheless a cool knife and stamp ...

Thanks Lee.
Goins notes that there was a Excelsior Cutlery New York. Not Excelsior Cutlery Co.
So no implication of a company. Perhaps another option for buyers.

Goins only mentions razors associated with Excelsior Cutlery Co. in Worcester, Mass.
It's certainly possible that they made folders though.

Agreed Joe... sorry perhaps it didn’t come across that way as I only mentioned them because Goin’s comment for Excelsior New York was a trademark of the Northfield Cutlery (misleading as I don’t think they were connected to Northfield) and under Worcester he noted razors but as you said perhaps there were folders as well (maybe like Torrey which also was predominantly razors) - both of those must be very rare stamps - just speculation so unless we dig up some other info I for one do not know the real answer. However given Anthony’s info I am guessing and betting your knife was made by the Northfield shop between 1884-1890 which is very cool!!

My daughter's Excelsior....tat

Nice knife Joe.

Here's a knife box that is interesting, Goins has the same box pictured in his book except that one is marked Torrington Ct.

Ooohh, that is very nice, Dimitri. Beautiful condition.
Thanks for showing that and congratulations on a very nice label.

Great box Dimitri and no doubt a rare & interesting piece of ephemera ....

Thanks guys, glad you like it