All About Pocket Knives

I thought since I had not posted for a while I would start a new thread regarding what to me is an interesting nuance in history. Newburgh NY is about 12 miles from where I live. While my childhood was rather chaotic. I always say I was not brought up but rather I was thrown up. I did live in Newburgh several times and consider it as part of my life. When I was around 4 we moved to Newburgh. My father opened a barber shop on William street which was a neighborhood unto itself. A jewish deli, Italian restaurants, Irish bars. Candy stores, a hardware store, A place where when you wanted a chicken for dinner they killed a live one for you ( now that was fresh) in fact a community unto itself as many neighborhoods were then. In 1952 Newburgh was named the All American city. Its shopping area Water Street ( along the banks of the Hudson river harbor ) brought people from all over. Unfortunately things change in the late 70tys Playboy did an article on Newburgh and it started out by saying that if walking down the streets of Newburgh during twilight the first thing you might notice could be a shiv in your back and your wallet being stolen. What has happened is really quite sad however I say all this simply as a prelude to my main reason for writing this.

Newburgh’s history is one of amazing patriotism. It was the home to Washingtons last home of the continental army. It was here that he turned down ( as an insult ) the idea of his being king also where he created the Purple heart medal. New Windsor ( which for all intents an purpose is a part of the greater Newburgh area ) Recently became the home of the national Purple heart museum. Washingtons headquarters is now in what in my day would have been called a slum and now is a called a Ghetto. Newburgh’s roll in all of our countrys call to arms is really a amazing history. In the Civil War the county militia was called the Orange Blossoms . It was the company Tom Bradley of New York knife served in. In the Spanish American war there was so much feeling that the community supported any mans family who volunteered for duty they originally were going forbid married men from joining until a local reverend said that it was not right to deprive a man of service to his country just because he was married and it was the duty of the community to care for his family in his absence and they did just that, with donations on a weekly basis. Yes indeed I am sure that would go over big today. ( whoops a bit of my sarcasm ). During the first world war the first US Militia called out was Newburgh . When peace loving President Wilson could no longer endure the German actions and made his “ When right outweighs peace we must fight for the rights of all “ speech it was expected that spies and anarchists would torch NYC as soon as our countrys intentions were clear. The Newburgh troops were the first in the country called up, there assignment was to protect the aqueducts which transports a half of billion gallons of water every day to NYC. It was in the middle of a blinding snow storm and it was a lengthy campaign. Some of the men who later fought in France said that the going in the catskills in winter was worse that the battlefields of Europe. Hard to imagine today but different in 1917.

Recently I acquired a volume of history regarding Newburgh in the World War it was written in 1924 so there was only one world war then. It tells of all these things The beginning of the John T Kenny( Killed in Action) VFW post to which I have been a social member since a teen ager. It also tells of Judson P Galloway the first newburgher (killed in action). It told there stories . It has several references in it relating to knives in one section it mentions German propaganda in which Walden NY is mentioned for a product of infamy being carried by many French Soldiers and found by the Germans when they were captured. The knife had one blade and an awl type instrument in effect it is what is called a seamans knife and the awl type thing is used for untying knots ( a marlin spike ) . The German propaganda article claimed that his devious weapon was used to poke out the eyes of capured and then tortured german soldiers. This was mentioned in the book to show the twisted form of propaganda being used by the Germans. The Germans must have like the idea for if you have ever seen a german para knife it also has a knot spike or I guess eye popper. The other reference to local cutlery was Joseph Joffre ( Then Marshall of France in 1917 ). Came to visit Newburgh He did so to confer with United States leaders as head of the French High Commission. Newburgh had been the home of Lafayette for some time during the revolution and in fact a porch that he gave a famous speech from is preserved in Washingtons headquarters. He and his visit were a major happening in Newburgh history. Now the interesting part of this is that the amount of time he had for this visit was quite limited so much so that he when visiting Washingtons headquarters did not have time to sign the visitors book and had to have it sent to france to sign later. He did however have time to make an official acceptance and speech when given several presentation knives made especially for him by the New York Knife company and presented by the ( then owner and president of NYK Mr Fuller).

One of the things that brought my interest to this book was that it contained a copy of a poem In Flanders Fields. Written by Lieut Col John D McCrae during the second battle of Ypres in 1915 of Montreal Canada ( Killed on duty in Flanders Jan 28 1918. When I was in second grade in the Broadway school in Newburgh. I was given the assignment of memorizing this poem and presenting it in the auditorium after the pledge of alligence. Rather a hefty assignment for a lad of 7 however, I do remember it as my first public presentation. ( glad I did not wet myself, perhapes I did I do not remember ). I actually do remember asking my teacher why this poem was important and she and my mother both told me that it was like a note reminding you not for forget something very important.

It is strange how while conditions and times change, the human condition continues, see if you can see any similarities in these words written so long ago and what is happening today.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row
That mark our place ; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amidst the guns below
We are the dead, short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved and were loved , and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you from falling hands, we throw
The torch. Be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.



To all those who have given and those in harms way always vigilant and protecting, you are not forgotten. LT

That was some history lesson, Rich!

I did not realize that Newburgh was such a "hub" in it's day. I did alot of work at the IBM plant near Beacon, and we used to go into Newburgh from time to time. It just seemed like some dried up river town. I wish I had dug a little deeper.

I think I had heard somewhere before about the propaganda with the knife (maybe from you). Quite interesting.

In keeping with the knife theme, here's a Schrade Walden with the Ted Williams etch...




Once again, thanks...

Glenn

thanks LT.

Just one more mention regarding this volume. While going through it I found this picture of the Nov 11 1918 armistice day parade the contingent passing was red cross. It gave me a strange sensation The street they are on is the main drag in Newburgh named Broadway, it was when constructed the widest main street in the USA. Perfect for parades. In the backround on the left is the Broadway elementary school ( where in 1952 or 3 ) I gave my quite forgetful rendition of Flanders Field. It should be noted that due to its architectural design this school also was noted in the encyclopedia and well known throughout the country. Now remember I used the term main drag. Well in the early 60 tys on Friday nights we used to drag race on this same street starting a few blocks further uptown and when the light changed would take off usually ending a block or two past the school then you would turn around and park in front of the school sitting on fenders and on the stone fence in front of the school. We would pass two warm beers secretly around ( to show how cool we were ) someone would always manage to swipe the 2 beers from home and bring them . We kept them hidden when the police would come by. Someone must have kept spitting in those beers because they lasted all night. I am sure we were very impressive to the girls. Usually we all chipped in a quarter to by a dollars worth of gas ( 3 gallons ) to get home. Now it has been 55 years since I gave my speech. the parade in the pic is 90 years old . My father passed at 80 and was not even born when the parade took place and none of this has even been a speck in times eye. Like I said a strange sensation. LT

Thanks Teach! I never enjoyed history in school, but I'm lovin' it now!!

In High School I hated History. It was the most boring subject in school.

Upon matriculating to college for a baccalaureate degree I found, to my chagrin, that I had to take nine credit hours of, “The History of Western Civilization.” I almost fell asleep in anticipated boredom. As it turned out, my professor was a passionate student of history, and therefore a passionate teacher of history.
I was disappointed when I finished my “Western Civ,” and could not fit any history into my schedule the next year.

It seems that any subject can be made boring, depending on the teacher’s attitude toward the subject.
Obviously, LT is passionate about the history of the knife companies of the Hudson Valley. This passion is reflected in his posts here. This is what keeps up on the edge of out seats, anticipating LT’s next history lesson!

Thanks LT!
Please keep the history coming!

Dale

Thanks Lt,

A great history lesson for us all.

CES[/img]

Thanks LT. I remember much of the Flander's Field poem from elementary school. Two of these knives are circa WW1 (Schatt & Morgan; Wostenholm) and the stag handle Hunter India knife is earlier... Victorian I believe. s-k

Great read LT! As a newcomer here,I'm struggling through to read as many posts as possible.My cousin has lived in Newburgh for a number of years and I bet he isn't even aware of this information.Thanks again for a most fascinating read.

As I have aged,history seems to take on a vastly more important part of my life.Something about in order to know where we are going,we have to remember where we have been.This usually occurs with an advance in years or some event usually known as a,"wakeup call".I have been a party to both.

To me the most fascinating part of knife collecting is researching a particular knife or it's maker.Sometimes we find out a lot more than we bargain for.

I acquired a pre-WWII German folding knife with rather ornate handles and advertising among other companies,Bayer as in aspirin.

Curious as to what the other companies were affiliated with(assuming they must have a common thread as they were together on the knife)I started searching the 'net.

I came upon one source that tied it all together.The companies were all a part of the huge industrial giant I.G.Farben. Among them was GAF(General Anilin and Film),BASF,and Agfa. Bayer was noted as not only the first to bring aspirin to the market.It was invented by someone in their employ as I remember.They were also the first to market heroin as a morphine substitute and it was introduced in children's cough syrup of all things.As an aside,it wasn't eliminated from cough syrup until 1971!

During the second world war,Bayer Pharmaceuticals also is credited with developing and marketing methadone;again as a morphine substitute.Interestingly it's real name is Dolophine and was named in honor of:you guessed it;Adolph Hitler!

Amazing what you can learn while trying to research a name on a knife!

Anyway this is getting too long winded;keep up the great posts.