Waterville Manufacturing / Waterville Cutlery Info

[FRJ]

Two nice solid Watervilles Joe .... It was indeed Waterville Sunday last week ...

Indeed it was and I never saw so many mint Watervilles.
Thanks Lee.

[danno50]

Lovely old knives, Ike!
Two great knives, Joe! Those NCCA shows look like good ones. I enjoy looking at the photos they post on their website.

[1fartsmella]

This is one of the Waterville knives I picked up at the Marlboro show. 3 1/2" closed sheep foot jack knife. Used, but not abused condition.

[edge213]

This is one of the Waterville knives I picked up at the Marlboro show. 3 1/2" closed sheep foot jack knife. Used, but not abused condition.

Great knife. Love the shield too!

[LongBlade]

That was a nice one Barry .. I remember looking at it at some point .. interesting jack with a sheep foot and a spey blade... wonder if that was marketed or made for the farm or garden?

[FRJ]

A unique and beautiful knife, Barry. Great score.

I got this nice old jack that has been around the block. It's really a great knife. 3 3/4" closed.

[1fartsmella]

Joe, gotta love the "wiggly" shield.
Lee, A jack with sheep foot & spay blades was made for a farmer. Don't know how much "marketing" was done back in the day.
Yes, it was a unique opportunity to be in the right place, at the right time. To be able to purchase knives from this fine collection of antique New England cutlery. Shoulder to shoulder with your knife show buddies, everybody got some fine collectable "keepers". This will be one of those... "Remember that show?" To pick this kind of collection is a rare find.

[BWT]

Very nice Barry and Joe, I don't have any patterns like that from any maker but they are nice especially because of the maker. I have a couple of Watervilles that I will take photos of later today and post.

[LongBlade]

Joe, gotta love the "wiggly" shield.
Lee, A jack with sheep foot & spay blades was made for a farmer. Don't know how much "marketing" was done back in the day.
Yes, it was a unique opportunity to be in the right place, at the right time. To be able to purchase knives from this fine collection of antique New England cutlery. Shoulder to shoulder with your knife show buddies, everybody got some fine collectable "keepers". This will be one of those... "Remember that show?" To pick this kind of collection is a rare find.

Funny that the "wiggly" shield was seen on so many Watervilles in all sizes - I associate that shield with Waterville though not sure other companies used it as well - certainly not to the degree that Waterville used them on knives..

Farm knife sounds right given the blades... marketing in the earlier 1800s was probably through catalogs or displays but early 1900s issues of the American Cutler or Iron Age no doubt had advertisements of many cutleries - certainly not marketing as we know it today... I was using the term loosely ...

Now that my computer is back I will get photos of my Watervilles (and a few others) from that memorable show ....

[FRJ]

Now that my computer is back I will get photos of my Watervilles (and a few others) from that memorable show ....

[BWT]

The pearl is 2 1/2 and the bone 2 3/4, the only two I’ve ever found locally here.

[LongBlade]

Both great knives Bill ...

Here's a group shot of my Watervilles from the NCCA Show ... No doubt Waterville being one of my favorite CT makers had me in knife hunting heaven and it was fun enjoying it with all the guys there as Barry mentioned .. I promise to post photos of each Waterville knife individually to show the blades etc but spent some time this afternoon taking photos of a different knife that has me intrigued and will be posting it in a new thread ...

[JAMESC41001]

Can’t wait to get a better look at those Lee. Can you elaborate on the collection that became available? How many knives were there? Was it all Waterville Knives? I don’t own any but have always admired them. They kind of tell a story just looking at them. Looks like they are going to good homes.

[BWT]

You’re on a roll with the Watervilles Lee. Good looking group will be waiting for more photos!!

[LongBlade]

Thanks Jay and Bill ... As I said before Waterville is one of my favorites and one of the larger sub-collections of mine ..

Can’t wait to get a better look at those Lee. Can you elaborate on the collection that became available? How many knives were there? Was it all Waterville Knives? I don’t own any but have always admired them. They kind of tell a story just looking at them. Looks like they are going to good homes.

Jay - There was alot of knives other than Waterville and some other desirable companies such as Empire - I picked up a nice jigged bone Empire pen too - but the Waterville knives were the most numerous among the 2 tables displayed... In all honesty I never got through all the knives on the 2 tables even though I was there for most of the morning but do know what other friends were finding there .. I started running short on cash and also took off to look around - but I found that Jenner & Knewstub Sportsman's knife (which was the icing on the cake )... Not sure who was the original owner of all the knives though I understand he may have lived in Waterbury which may explain the rather nice collection...

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Here is the MOP Waterville Gentleman's knife with a closed length of 3". Quite a nice knife with coined nickel silver liners, engraved aluminum bolsters and a serpentine shield (seen it called serpentine but really don't know if there is a name for it other than "wiggly" ... The knife had a curved pair of scissors with a nail nick (cuticle scissors), small pen blade and a manicure file. Each blade had a cut-out in MOP handle which also is in perfect shape.. Solid, snappy all the way around - even the scissors!! This is my 4th or 5th knife from Waterville with either engraved aluminum handles or bolsters - interesting and I have seen more aluminum knives from Waterville than any other maker but that just may be a perception - I have others from other companies and the notable part is all have a similar engraving pattern suggesting there was one source for all the companies (maybe a jeweler or knife handle company? .... Last photo is a Waterville pocket slip which was a bonus and just so happened to fit this knife perfectly.. anyway thanks for looking and more to come in the near future as I get photos done!!

[galvanic1882]

That is one cool knife, love how thick it is and the little pouch tops it off.

I really miss the shows back east!

[LongBlade]

That is one cool knife, love how thick it is and the little pouch tops it off.

I really miss the shows back east!

Thanks Mike ...

You should come back and visit with us for the Mystic Show ...

[JAMESC41001]

Lee, how did you know that was the knife I most wanted to see. Is it possible the aluminum bolsters were stamped or pressed with a die?? This was around the time the old world Sheffield cutlers we’re paired up with new world production techniques. Interesting time I think. Great little knife. Took some skill to make those scissors as well. Very cool

[LongBlade]

Thanks Jay ... That small one did have eye-catching appeal .. I think you are right that that the aluminum engraving was done with a press and die - and though they had separate dies for whole handles and bolsters the engraving pattern matches in the great majority I have seen - question remains whether they did them in-house or contracted them - or maybe both .. Given that aluminum was more precious than gold or silver is the background for why jewelers may have done the work - as in sterling handles...

[FRJ]

Great knives Bill and Lee.

Lee, that little manicure pearl has every thing going for it. Great find.

[BWT]

Thanks Joe

[LongBlade]

Thanks Joe ...

[LongBlade]

This Waterville is a 3 blade Senator - 3 & 3/8" closed. A double spring with the master blade on one side and the pen and manicure blade on opposing ends of the other backspring. I have an aluminum 3 blade Senator made by Waterville as well but this one in MOP rivals the size of a jack knife in terms of overall girth and length of the knife - no doubt this master blade would be the same size as that in a similar sized jack knife. This knife is in very lightly used condition, blades do not appear to have ever been sharpened and MOP in great shape. Knife was no doubt handled and some tarnish/age spots are apparent on the blades - still some polish seen in handle well too. The etch is in good shape but the part of the blade which was handled more often over the last 100 years or so lightened the first few letters abit. The etch from the lighting was not apparent with all blades open so added a closeup of master blade etch. The blade etch (F. J Buchanan) is not a company. I searched "FJ Buchanan and Waterbury" which is where Waterville was located. Interestingly there was a dentist by the name of FJ Buchanan in 1903 who lived in Waterbury according to archived records. Perhaps this was the original owner of the knife and being from Waterbury had Waterville Cut Co produce a personalized etch on the master blade for him - there was no shield on this knife.. anyway just a guess but a definite possibility. Thanks for looking - more to come as I get time...

[FRJ]

a beautiful pearl Waterville, Lee, with a very obvious etch. Nice catch!

[Waukonda]

That is an impressive knife Lee, as was the Cattleman's posted earlier. Impressive also, was the piecing together of the possible history of the knife.