Hardware Store and Distributor Knives

[Ripster]

Mn Dave just posted a Kelley How Thomson knife in "knife finds of the day", reminding me that I had never shown this one.

That’s one beautiful piece there Ike . Found myself looking at your pics multiple times. That main with that frame and bone is just a perfect picture.
Hope things are treating you well down there .

[doglegg]

Sweet knife Ike.

[Miller Bro's]

Beautiful knife Ike

[rustyoldknife]

Mn Dave just posted a Kelley How Thomson knife in "knife finds of the day", reminding me that I had never shown this one.

That is a one really special knife, the bone is beautiful

[peanut740]

Ike

[edge213]

Mn Dave just posted a Kelley How Thomson knife in "knife finds of the day", reminding me that I had never shown this one.

Interesting knife

[Waukonda]

K & B Hdw / Cincinnati

Luv the bone on this one.

[Quick Steel]

That is a fine looking knife, Ike, which I had not heard of before. And, yes, the bone is very fine indeed.

[BWT]

Another beauty Ike

[peanut740]

Ike, that is a dandy!

[dlr110]

Ike that is an outstanding looking knife and I agree the handles are beautiful.

[Waukonda]

Thanks, Garry, Bill, Roger and David!

[Miller Bro's]

Nice old knife with a scarce tang stamp

[Mumbleypeg]

This wonderful thread got me to thinking, and with it being a lousy weather day here (low 20s, windy and sleeting ) I started a project. I’m making a list the more (or less) commonly seen cutlery stamps of hardware companies, be they retailers or distributors, their approximate dates of operation (courtesy of Goins’ or Levine’s). And based on research or best guess, who made knives for them. Please add or correct any errors or omissions you see.

Hardware firm, Dates of Operation, Stamps used, Maker
————————————————————- -—————————————— ————————————————- ———————————————
Ainslie-Martin Co. 1900-1922 — ????
AINSLIE-MARTIN CO.

DASCO 1922-1962 — Schrade
DASCO

Frankfurth Hardware Co. 1862-1960 — ?????
WM. FRANKFURTH HDW CO.

Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett 1855-1960 — New York Knife, Camillus
OUR VERY BEST
OVB
TRUE VALUE
REV-O-NOC
BLACK DIAMOND
HIBBARD
CRUSO
HIBSPEBAR

Montgomery Wards 1935-1950 — Utica, Camillus, Winchester
WARDS - USA
DURO-EDGE
POWR-KRAFT
LAKESIDE

Harris Brothers & Co. 1915-1926 — ?????
HARRIS BROS. & CO.

Belknap Hardware 1904-1985 — Valley Forge, Boker, Ulster, Schrade
JOHN PRIMBLE
BLUE GRASS
BELKNAP
PINE KNOT
BLUE RIBBON CUT. CO.

Canton Hardware Co. 1888-1938 — ????
KEEN EDGE CUTLERY CO.

McWhorter, Weaver, & Co. 1920-1939 — W.R. Case & Sons
WHITE HOUSE

Sears, Roebuck & Co. 1902-2010 — Napanoch, Camillus, Ulster, Schrade, Utica
WILBERT
SEARS
STA-SHARP
DUNLOP
KWIK KUT
HIGH CARBON STEEL
CRAFTSMAN
J.C. HIGGINS
T.T.C. (inside a diamond)

Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden Co. 1848-1964 — New York Knife
SPRINGBROOKE KNIFE CO.
CLEAN CUT
SEQUOIA
SUNSET
COMSTOCK
VOLKA
BRUNSWICK CUTLERY CO.


Fletcher Hardware Co. 1863-1913 — ?????
FLETCHER HARDWARE CO.

Kelly-How-Thomson Co. 1902-1947 — ??????
HICKORY

L.L. Bean 1937-Present — KABAR
L.L. BEAN

Maher & Grosh 1877-1963 — ????
MAHER & GROSH

Miller, Sloss & Scott — ????
MILLER, SLOSS & SCOTT
STILETTO

Simmons 1868-1960 — Walden Knife, Winchester, Camillus
KEEN KUTTER
CHIP A WAY
WINCHESTER
LACLEDE
BANNER
FIDELITY
SENATOR
HORNET
AMERICAN ACE
CLIMAX
BIG BOY
ARISTOCRAT
BERKSHIRE

Shapleigh 1843-1960 — Schrade, Camillus, Empire
DIAMOND EDGE
D-E
SHAPLEIGH’S
KEEN KUTTER
NORVEL- SHAPLEIGH
SIMMONS
BRIDGE

Gray & Dudley 1885-1927 — Tidioute Cutlery
WASHINGTON

Henry Gilbert & Son 1920-1940 — Schrade
GILBERT HARRISBURG

Kruse & Bahlman Hardware Co. 1858-1962 — ????
K & B
CUTSURE
CUT SURE K & B HDW. CO.

Pacific Hardware & Steel 1901-1918 — Utica, Napanoch
STILETTO
PACIFIC HDWE

C. M. McClung & Co. 1882-1960 — ??????
CUMBERLAND
KEENER EDGE

Moore-Handley Hardware Co. 1882-1962 — Camillus
CHAMPION
AMERICA’S BEST

Hackett-Gates-Hurty 1912-present? — Boker
HACKET-GATES-HURTY

Henkel & Joyce Hardware Co. 1900-1939 —
HENKLE & JOYCE HDWE CO.

Moore Maker Inc. 1975-present — Queen, Canal Street, Utica, Bear & Son, Böker, W.R. Case & Sons
MOORE MAKER

Trustworthy Hardware 1860-1964 — Ulster
TRUSTWORTHY

Marshall-Wells Hardware 1893-1963 — New York Knife
ZENITH
MARSHALL-WELLS HARDWARE CO.

Seattle Hardware Co. 1892-present? — ????
OCCIDENT

Wyeth Hardware Co. 1860-present? — Phoenix Knife Co., Utica
WYETH’S WARRANTED CUTLERY


Van Camp Hardware Co. 1888-1960 — Capitol Cutlery, Schrade
VAN CAMP
CAPITOL
BEN HUR
RAOLA
VANCO
V.C. CUT. CO. GERMANY
V CAMP GERMANY

Blish-Mize & Silliman Hardware 1871-present? — Utica, Camillus?
MOHAWK
BLISH-MIZE & SILLIMAN HDWE CO

Farwell-Ozman & Kirk Hardware 1881-1959 — ????
HENRY SEARS & SON 1865
GILT EDGE

W. Bingham Co. 1841-1948 — Empire
W.BINGHAM CO.
BBB
XLCR

Virginia-Carolina Hardware Co. 1920-1940 — ????
V.C. HDW CO

Wimberly & Thomas Hardware Co. 1900-1944 — ????
WIMBERLY & THOMAS HDW

Witte Hardware Co. 1865-present? — ????
WITTE HDWE CO.


Missing a lot, including many manufacturers that contracted to make knives for these hardware firms. If you know any of the missing cutlery manufacturing firms, any other related info please advise.

Ken

[djknife13]

Thanks Ken. This is a great post.___Dave

[dlr110]

Great work Ken, thanks.

[danno50]

Great list, Ken Thanks!
I know Goins says Simmons Hardware was from 1868 to 1960, however, he also says that Shapleigh bought Simmons in 1940?? Even though Shapleigh continued to use some of the Simmons brand names (Keen Kutter being the most well known), Simmons Hardware was gone in July of 1940. Goins is also wrong about the date that Simmons acquired controlling interest of Walden. He says 1911, but, it was actually 1902.
Also, Camillus made Keen Kutter stamped knives for both Simmons and Shapleigh.
I also believe you have one small typo: Shapleigh started in 1843, not 1943.

[Mumbleypeg]

Thank you all! Amazing what cabin fever does! Dan, your post is exactly what I’m hoping for as I know the list is not complete. My understanding is Goins’ dates are when the stamps were used, so it doesn’t always (but often does) coincide with dates the firm was in operation. But there are errors also. Amazed he did what he did pre-internet.

There is so much history to mine in the area of hardwares and cutlery. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to edit my post but as long as members make contributions I’ll try to update it. And as I find more information - there’s stuff still to be mined in this thread alone. After that it’ll have to be a copy and paste operation.

Keep ‘em coming!

Ken

[JohnR]

W.Bingham Cleveland OH 3 3/4" sheepsfoot jack, thanks to Roger Cunningham.

[rustyoldknife]

This wonderful thread got me to thinking, and with it being a lousy weather day here (low 20s, windy and sleeting ) I started a project. Im making a list the more commonly seen cutlery stamps of hardware companies, be they retailers or distributors, their approximate dates of operation (courtesy of Goins’ or Levine’s). And based on research or best guess, who made knives for them. Please add or correct any errors or omissions you see.


Ken

Great Post and wonderful new resource.

[Mumbleypeg]

W.Bingham Cleveland OH 3 3/4" sheepsfoot jack, thanks to Roger Cunningham.

Thanks John. I added Bingham to the list - now we need a resident expert here to identify who made knives for them.

Great Post and wonderful new resource.

Thank you. But I can’t take credit for anything but trying to consolidate and compile the information provided by others.

Ken

[Papa Bones]

This wonderful thread got me to thinking, and with it being a lousy weather day here (low 20s, windy and sleeting ) I started a project. I’m making a list the more (or less) commonly seen cutlery stamps of hardware companies, be they retailers or distributors, their approximate dates of operation (courtesy of Goins’ or Levine’s). And based on research or best guess, who made knives for them. Please add or correct any errors or omissions you see.

Missing a lot, including many manufacturers that contracted to make knives for these hardware firms. If you know any of the missing cutlery manufacturing firms, any other related info please advise.

Ken

Great job Ken. I appreciate this. Also, With Sears Roebuck & CO, should the T.T.C. Diamond brand be added? They were listed in the 1905 to 1910 Sears Catalogs.

[danno50]

Another beauty for your sheepsfoot jack collection, John! Looks like an Empire shield?

[Mumbleypeg]

Great job Ken. I appreciate this. Also, With Sears Roebuck & CO, should the T.T.C. Diamond brand be added? They were listed in the 1905 to 1910 Sears Catalogs.

Possibly. Do you know if it was a Sears house brand? I find. "T.T.C. (inside a diamond)" in Goins' but it doesn't give any info other than a date of 1908.

Several of these hardware firms offered knives other than their internal "house" brands. I'll add T.T.C. if it was a Sears brand name.

Ken

[Papa Bones]

Great job Ken. I appreciate this. Also, With Sears Roebuck & CO, should the T.T.C. Diamond brand be added? They were listed in the 1905 to 1910 Sears Catalogs.

Possibly. Do you know if it was a Sears house brand? I find. "T.T.C. (inside a diamond)" in Goins' but it doesn't give any info other than a date of 1908.

Several of these hardware firms offered knives other than their internal "house" brands.

Ken

I cannot say for positive if it was a house brand, but the only advertisements or catalog pages I've ever seen it in was Sears, mainly in the early 1900's. I have searched for years as to what "T.T.C." was an abbreviation for. But have found nothing. Some have wondered if it could have been Thompson Turner & CO. from England, but that was speculation. Here is a copy of a 1905 Sears Catalog page featuring them.