Of artifacts and grails.
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 3:00 pm
It would be difficult for me to show all of the artifacts I have collected relating to the Hudson Valley cutlery industry as well as the general history of the knife industry in general. I suppose since presently we have had some setbacks in establishing a museum I should consider at least passing on some of the information regarding these items. Time is perhapes my most valuable possession and frankly since I have spent so many years for family, state and country I treasure what I have left. None the less every so often a small bit of history peeks from the sand and shows itself to those who are constantly looking ( like an astronomer searching the skys ) . I have quite a bit of this history I have always felt that the entire story is not just in the knives for to have a true understanding of them you must try to discern the history of them the people who made them and why they came to be.
The small village of Walden NY (where I am sure you are aware three of these companys Schrade, Walden and NYKnife at one time produced up to 80 percent of all the knives being sold in this country around the late 18 hundreds and early 19 hundreds.) There were several hardware stores. The largest being Deckers over the years I have garnered several items from this ( then well known store) . I have mentioned before that they would have a couple of large jars filled with seconds from these companys and some of my older acquantences remember stopping in on the way from school and buying a knife with there allowances ( the seconds went from a dime jar to a quarter jar. ) That was for regular pocket knives including the switchblades. The big folding hunters might go as high as 50 cents. I could ramble on and show several marked items which they would contract and put there name on like tools ( saws ect ).
Now back then many of the places and sections of this area were made into post cards . There was an old photo shop in town which was dismantled in the sixtys which supplied most of these pictures ( again if I start to ramble this posting will be 50 pages long. so I cannot dwell to long and must get to the point ). When the photo shop was cleaned out thousands of glass plates were taken to the dump and destroyed. A few were saved by locals who had access most of these were local pictures of houses people ect as would be expected. Some however were of cutlery interest and a couple have become icons to collectors.
These icons were not saved as glass plates ( long since destroyed) but rather as the postcards. Among the most famous of these in fact the grail is a well known post card of a display from all three factorys Schrade, Walden, and New York Knife which were all in operation during this period. So figure pre 1924. The original picture was on a promotional poster for decker hardware. Years ago I did manage through someone I knew to get a copy of the poster and make a copy. The picture shows the knives from all three companies and claims a then value of over 1000 dollars. A total which is less than the one armed mans knife in the Walden section would bring now. Strangly I have never gotten the post card I have in one case bid 75 dollars for it and lost. I do know several people who have them. Last week on ebay an 8X10 computer photo of this picture was on ebay. I bid well over 50 dollars for it and lost to another collector. I did contact the seller and offered to pay what the winner paid if they would generate a copy for me. They agreed and it turned out that they lived in Walden and they asked if I wanted to pick it up. It turned out that we knew many of the same people in common. ( Strangly many of the items I find are not from this Walden area you would think they would be ). When I arrived we began talking and these people who are my senior were quite knowledgable regarding this history. We had an enjoyable visit. They explained that the photo was made from the original plate which the lady of the house had accidently saved while working as secretary to a lawyer who was next door to the photo shop when it was being cleaned out she had managed to save about a dozen pieces ( of the thousands that were there ) and this happened to be one of them. Can you guess where this is going? Well I do not have the post card (yet ) however I do have the plate. Some people in fact most think I an crazy when I tell them what I spend for stuff like this but when you have a fixation for this study what choice do you have it is like a drug. It does sound crazy but holding that plate in my hand and knowing the history and how improbable it was for me to have it was better than a piece of ( whoops excuse me ) a shot of crown royal. Well for better or worse whatever the price as Bobby Bare ( an old country singer ) used to say I got it boy and that makes me the winner? I have posted pics. I do not know if other shots were taken of this window however this is an original and I doubt if there were others that they exist but who knows. This becomes another of an unknown number of points of this history that will probably pass when I do. I hope you find this post interesting. LT
The small village of Walden NY (where I am sure you are aware three of these companys Schrade, Walden and NYKnife at one time produced up to 80 percent of all the knives being sold in this country around the late 18 hundreds and early 19 hundreds.) There were several hardware stores. The largest being Deckers over the years I have garnered several items from this ( then well known store) . I have mentioned before that they would have a couple of large jars filled with seconds from these companys and some of my older acquantences remember stopping in on the way from school and buying a knife with there allowances ( the seconds went from a dime jar to a quarter jar. ) That was for regular pocket knives including the switchblades. The big folding hunters might go as high as 50 cents. I could ramble on and show several marked items which they would contract and put there name on like tools ( saws ect ).
Now back then many of the places and sections of this area were made into post cards . There was an old photo shop in town which was dismantled in the sixtys which supplied most of these pictures ( again if I start to ramble this posting will be 50 pages long. so I cannot dwell to long and must get to the point ). When the photo shop was cleaned out thousands of glass plates were taken to the dump and destroyed. A few were saved by locals who had access most of these were local pictures of houses people ect as would be expected. Some however were of cutlery interest and a couple have become icons to collectors.
These icons were not saved as glass plates ( long since destroyed) but rather as the postcards. Among the most famous of these in fact the grail is a well known post card of a display from all three factorys Schrade, Walden, and New York Knife which were all in operation during this period. So figure pre 1924. The original picture was on a promotional poster for decker hardware. Years ago I did manage through someone I knew to get a copy of the poster and make a copy. The picture shows the knives from all three companies and claims a then value of over 1000 dollars. A total which is less than the one armed mans knife in the Walden section would bring now. Strangly I have never gotten the post card I have in one case bid 75 dollars for it and lost. I do know several people who have them. Last week on ebay an 8X10 computer photo of this picture was on ebay. I bid well over 50 dollars for it and lost to another collector. I did contact the seller and offered to pay what the winner paid if they would generate a copy for me. They agreed and it turned out that they lived in Walden and they asked if I wanted to pick it up. It turned out that we knew many of the same people in common. ( Strangly many of the items I find are not from this Walden area you would think they would be ). When I arrived we began talking and these people who are my senior were quite knowledgable regarding this history. We had an enjoyable visit. They explained that the photo was made from the original plate which the lady of the house had accidently saved while working as secretary to a lawyer who was next door to the photo shop when it was being cleaned out she had managed to save about a dozen pieces ( of the thousands that were there ) and this happened to be one of them. Can you guess where this is going? Well I do not have the post card (yet ) however I do have the plate. Some people in fact most think I an crazy when I tell them what I spend for stuff like this but when you have a fixation for this study what choice do you have it is like a drug. It does sound crazy but holding that plate in my hand and knowing the history and how improbable it was for me to have it was better than a piece of ( whoops excuse me ) a shot of crown royal. Well for better or worse whatever the price as Bobby Bare ( an old country singer ) used to say I got it boy and that makes me the winner? I have posted pics. I do not know if other shots were taken of this window however this is an original and I doubt if there were others that they exist but who knows. This becomes another of an unknown number of points of this history that will probably pass when I do. I hope you find this post interesting. LT
I watched that auction, but of course couldn't tell you had bid, but wondered if you didn't already have the negative. ( Wouldn't have surprized me if you had the boards out in the garage. ) 
