Knives Can Talk On Ebay

The first Robeson knives were imported by Millard Robeson from England and Germany exclusively. This continued from 1979 until 1896 when Robeson began manufacturing knives in the United States. Since inception, the company has gone through several reorganizations & eventually ended up as a Queen Cutlery brand.
Potzrus
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by Potzrus »

Hi Charlie (your name sounds familiar) - here are some excerpts from a letter we had from a Grandson

My grandfather owned both Robeson Cutlery and Robeson Royal Rochester for many years. The Royal Rochester Division was sold to General Electric by my grandfather (Louis Weiss) and my uncle (Max Weiss)

I remember as a young boy my grandfather would take me with him to Perry New York to Robeson Cutlery. During World War 2 they produced Machetes for the military along with other items. I used to go to the Plant in Rochester all the time. As you know they made all types of small appliances etc.


I had lunch with my uncle and got some info. He told me that Grandpa (Louis Weiss) and Sol Frankel were partners in the acquisition of Robeson. He said this was in 1939 and that Louis wanted to put Max Weiss in as manager of the Perry plant but, Sol Frankel did not want Max involved in the Perry plant.He (Sol Frankel) thought Max was a 'playboy'...So my Grandfather made a deal with Frankel for lessor percentage of the Perry plant in return for all the manufacturing rights of the Robeson Royal Rochester plant. (This of course was much larger in terms of the financial consideration than the Perry plant) So in (approx.) 1940 Max became head of the Robeson Royal Rochester. In 1946-47 my Grandfather gave Max 49% of the corp and he retained 51% as chairman. Unfortunately my uncle does not remember the exact dates but feels they are pretty close.
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If you don't mind, I am sharing this info here, but would rather it stayed here. It was a private letter to us. I don't know if any of the families involved are still around - the grandson was in poor health at the time of this letter.

Glad to share what I can ::nod::
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by RalphAlsip »

edge213 wrote:
RalphAlsip wrote:
RobesonsRme.com wrote:BTW; the book is available to read online at Google Books. Just Google “Knives Can Talk”.
Charlie, is this the place to find the online book?
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6897446 ... s_can_talk!
I went to that site.
It says no ebook available.
Yeah, I found only a reference to the title and not content for the book. Likewise on books.google.com
https://books.google.com/books?id=yXxQG ... AHoECAAQAQ
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

Thanks Kathryn.

Looking at old letterheads from the late 19th and early 20th centuries from Rochester Stamping Works and Robeson Cutlery, it appeared that even when Millard, George, Irving and Robert Robeson were the principles in the two companies, that the cutlery business was a subsidiary concern to the Stamping Works.

There exists a photo of a Victorian home structure in Rochester that was the business offices of Rochester Stamping Works with a huge sign across the top of the front porch and a much smaller sigh on the wall that read, “Robeson Cutlery Co. / Second Floor”.

BTW; I am still an avid collector of anything related to The Terrier Cutlery Company, which Robeson operated as a second brand from 1910 to 1916.

I would be interested in anything you might have relating to that.

Charlie Noyes
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"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "

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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by Potzrus »

Charlie - I would love to see a photo of that home office with the sign overhead!

Unfortunately, I never even knew about the Terrier knife division, so I don't think I have anything in research.

It's fun talking about this - it brings back memories of John and my adventures into the history (and demise) of a great company.

Kathryn
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by edge213 »

Potzrus wrote:Charlie - I would love to see a photo of that home office with the sign overhead!

Unfortunately, I never even knew about the Terrier knife division, so I don't think I have anything in research.

It's fun talking about this - it brings back memories of John and my adventures into the history (and demise) of a great company.

Kathryn
I'm not Charlie, but here you go.
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by edge213 »

Another
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by Potzrus »

Oh, sorry! I guess I need to check my reading glasses. Thanks for the photo! :wink:
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

The men on the porch were the National sales staff at the time of the photo. They are identified on the back of the framed photo.

The photo sold on EBay some years ago for a princely sum, $700.00 or more. Pretty sure it went to a collector of Royal Rochester Ware. That particular area of ceramic/china collecting has an avid following.

I know the address of the building, but I’m pretty sure it is no longer there.

Charlie
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"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "

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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by Potzrus »

RobesonsRme.com wrote:Thanks. That’s a cropped photo, there is a more expansive one.

I’m not at home, so I cannot access my PC.

The men on the porch were the National sales staff at the time of the photo. They are identified on the back of the framed photo.

The photo sold on EBay some years ago for a princely sum, $700.00 or more. Pretty sure it went to a collector of Royal Rochester Ware. That particular area of ceramic/china collecting has an avid following.

I know the address of the building, but I’m pretty sure it is no longer there.

Charlie
Thanks! "ceramic/china collecting has an avid following" - I have filled an extra bedroom with our collection. I'm in the process of downsizing and having to pack it all up.

Sometime this weekend I'm going to post my one remaining piece of Robeson cutlery - it's a set of knife and fork in the original box and need help dating it and how to prepare it for sale (needs a little help).
RR collection 1.jpg
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

That building was located at 12 Saratoga Avenue.

I think I have used Google Street Scene before to find that, but it wasn’t there.

I have a Golden Pheasant coffee urn percolator, covered sugar and creamer. Still works. I don’t use it.

Charlie
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"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "

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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by knifeaholic »

Potzrus wrote:When you do, get in touch and I'll pass along the info.
--------------------------------------------------------


I have a copy of Tom's second book. I'll have to dig it out.

I bought the first one when it came out, it was a great book, I ended up passing it on to another collector a few years after I got it.
[/quote]


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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by knifeaholic »

Here is the second book:
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Steve Pfeiffer, author of Collecting Case Knives: Identification and Price Guide published by Krause Publications.
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by Potzrus »

Is it for sale? If so, send me a private message with the price and I will get the info to the buyer of the first book.

Thanks! ::tu::
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by knifeaholic »

Potzrus wrote:Is it for sale? If so, send me a private message with the price and I will get the info to the buyer of the first book.

Thanks! ::tu::
Yes, for sale. PM sent.
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by stumpstalker »

What I have is the 2nd Edition, copyright year 2000, of KNIVES CAN TALK, Tom Kalcevic's first book on Robeson knives.

How does Tom's second book, shown by Knifeaholic above, compare with the earlier one I have?
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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by RobesonsRme.com »

It is an expansive illustration of Robeson knives and collectibles.

Not much additional history, but an interesting display of what might be out there for the Robeson collector.

Years and years ago, I passed on a ShurEdge Cigar box. Have always regretted that, as I discovered later that it was definitely from The Robeson Cutlery Company, even though their name was nowhere on the box.

Even Tom Kalcevic never had one of those.

Charlie
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"...Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons ___but they are helpless against our prayers. "

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Re: Knives Can Talk On Ebay

Post by stumpstalker »

Charlie:

Thanks for explaining the differences between the first and second books.

As for the number of copies available to collectors, this is my understanding;

KNIVES CAN TALK -- the "first edition", basically a prototype: about 10 printed

KNIVES CAN TALK -- the "Second Edition", whose cover I post a photo of above: about 200 printed

ROBESON COLLECTABLES AND RARITIES –- about 200 printed.
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