All About Pocket Knives

Washington Cutlery ---- 1898-1902
Lehrkind & Daevel Milwaukee ---- 1890-1910

This little gem has blades from two different companys. It is 3 7/16" closed.

Aluminum bolsters and a nickel silver wedge. No half stop on the main blade. Half stops on the secondaries.
Holding it just right you can see the Washington etch and the little hatchet. It's almost gone.

Thanks for looking.

Congrats Joe on getting that one! You outbid me on it. I've long had an interest in Washington Cutlery (and it's a whittler too!). Nice old knfe, and rare stamp too.

Ken

Thank you, Ken.
Sorry that one got away from you.

Thats a beauty Joe ... Nice score... Love the engraved aluminum bolsters and it amazing to me that they match exactly that seen on other knives across cutleries suggesting that there was one major source for all the companies - This is one of the bolsters on my Torrey (Worcester MA) Swell-Center 4 blade knife - note the same exact pattern of engraving ..

What is the connection between Wash'n. Cut. & L&D other than both businesses were in Milwaukee ?
kj

KJ - Not sure there is any definitive evidence out there unless somebody digs up some records to see if Washington Cutlery was bought out by L&D after there short existence... My guess is either L&D bought their parts and equipment after their closing - or cutlers jumped over to L&D and brought stamped Washington Cut blades with them... just a few possible explanations for a connection in view of Joe's OP knife

Very nice.

Could it not be that Washington Cutlery was a house brand of the hardware firm, much like John Primble of Belknap or Diamond Edge of Shapleigh or any of the other instances of that kind of marketing?

Look at Goins, page 295 and the Washington Cutlery Co. billhead shown there. Note the lower left hand corner and the legend, "Manufacturers of L & D Strop Dressing. Varsity Razor Strops".

Goins doesn't offer much on Lehrkind & Daevel, other than the dates, 1890 to 1910.

He states that Washington Cutlery was in business "until at least 1940" and they ceased pocketknife production in the early 1900's.

There was a business connection between the two. Who owned what is, I suppose, hope for debate or discovery.

It would be interesting to see a list of the officers or board members of Washington Cutlery.

Beautiful knife.

Charlie

Here's my Lehrkind & Daevel,with Washington etch.Most likely made by New York Knife Co.There was some discussion that the etch was to commemorate the 100 anniversary of G.W.'s death.

RobesonsRme.com wrote:Look at Goins, page 295 and the Washington Cutlery Co. billhead shown there. Note the lower left hand corner and the legend, "Manufacturers of L & D Strop Dressing. Varsity Razor Strops".

That indeed Charlie suggests that L&D made knives, blades, razors for Washington Cutlery - which indeed explains why Joe's knife has both stamps and thus the connection between the two as KJ asked ... I should have checked Goins as that information was an obvious explanation as well...

Was "Washington Cutlery" the name of a manufacturer or was it the name that L&D gave to a line of cutlery ? i.e. is there one manufacturer here or two ?
And, did L&D import knives from Germany ? The knife shown by Roger has somewhat of a German look to it.
When i asked the question about connection between Washington Cutlery and L & D, i thought the answer was known but it seems not the case. Another knife mystery.
kj

KJ - I think it is abit of a mystery -

So Levines (or Blades Guide) lists 2 Washington Cutlery Co

1) 1898-1940 (though pocket knives were supposedly discontinued in early 1900s) - and in addition sold “Village Blacksmith” butcher knives; Other info was they sold Washington Cutlery Co. and Cutgud (c1898- 1909) pocketknives... They were noted from Watertown, Milw. WI as a Wholesaler (& Mfr.?) - so not clear if they made knives and indeed they whether they were imported from Germany...

I should note at this point that Milwaukee has a fairly large German population - probably one of the reasons that city is known for beer and sausages ... but in terms of the German population it is possible knives were made there by German cutlers who immigrated in addition to imports from the company - this is speculation and not fact.

Charlie provided Goins info as well above..

2) - Other Washington Cutlery Company only had the following info: Anchor (picture), see Gray & Dudley Hardware Co. and Keith Simmons & Co. - there were no dates nor any other associated info as to location or Wholesaler or Mfg

As to L&D there was no listing or info in Levines or Blades Guides - Goins had little info provided other than 1890-1910.

So that is all I have and hope that helps - I don't have time to dig on the internet right now where further info may exist...

This link is to an article suggesting there was in fact a Washington Cutlery factory located in Milwaukee, which moved to Watertown WIsconsin around 1906. http://www.watertownhistory.org/Article ... ksmith.htm

There are several previous threads here about Washington Cutlery, its connection to the Milwaukee hardware firm Lehrkind & Daevel, and another, apparently unrelated Washington Cutlery stamping used by the hardware firm Gray & Dudley of Nashville, TN. viewtopic.php?f=35&t=50939&hilit=Washington+Milwaukee. Scroll worn to the bottom to see the post about Gray & Dudley, and that Washington Cutlery.

Ken

The thread linked to above is summarized by Dimitri in second to last post:
"In all likelihood Washington Cutlery Co. never actually made knives they were made on contract just like "Maher & Grosh Cutlery Co." Sounds good but they never made a single knife they bought them all from Miller bro's, Schrade and other real cutlery companies that were actually in the business of manufacturing the actual knives."
kj

kootenay joe wrote:The thread linked to above is summarized by Dimitri in second to last post:
"In all likelihood Washington Cutlery Co. never actually made knives they were made on contract just like "Maher & Grosh Cutlery Co." Sounds good but they never made a single knife they bought them all from Miller bro's, Schrade and other real cutlery companies that were actually in the business of manufacturing the actual knives."
kj

I would agree that Washington Cutlery may never have made pocket knives. However I believe the referenced article may be evidence they did at least make knives of the fixed blade type. In fact one of the pictures purported to have been of the inside of the factory shows what appears to be a worker attaching wooden handles to large fixed blade knives. A stack of blades without handles can be seen on the workbench. Another picture shows a "grinding and finishing" stone.

"......... it is expected that by the first of [next] week, everything will be running full blast. By tonight five of the ten grinding stones will be ready for action and . . . four trip-hammers ready to pound away . . ."

Ken

The picture and quoted text indicate that there was a Washington Cutlery Company that had knife manufacturing equipment, so not like Maher & Grosh. But as Ken points out evidence of manufacturing pocket knives is still lacking but now we know they did have a factory in which pocket knives could have been made.
Did L & D hardware own Washington Cutlery Co. so as to both make knives and maybe import knives, all to be sold in their hardware stores ?
kj

Thank you to every one contributing.

In the first link provided by Ken it states, about half way down page, that a Mr. G.H.Lehrkind was president of Washington Cutlery which made the Village Blacksmith brand. So there is that connection.

Hey Guys, Hope you dont mind me bringing back up this thread with a couple examples that I have on hand.
Washington Cutlery Co Teardrop w/ Propeller shield -- Was cleaned before I got it
Lehrkind & Daevel -- 3 3/4" Dogleg Jack

I really like this website which has alot of useful info on obscure stuff. Hope you guys check it out. https://sharprazorpalace.com/razors/103 ... zor-2.html

Someone posted that on Razors "King of Whiskers" was a brand of WR Case & Sons/Washington Cutlery/Lehrkind & Daevel. True or false, I dont know, Just thought it was interesting is all.
Kindest Regards
Mark

Thank you for posting your beautiful knives, Mark, and bringing back this year old thread.

Those are very interesting stamps and very desirable patterns.

And thanks for the link.

Thanks Mr. Joe I appreciate that Sir
Kindest Regards,
Mark