A. Kastor and Bros. NY special anniversary knife?
-
58chevy348
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:13 am
A. Kastor and Bros. NY special anniversary knife?
I'm intrigued with this knife. Looking for other opinions--the knife is engraved "80th Birthday, Adolph W. Kastor." This is an A. Kastor & Bros. New York knife. Could this have been engraved this way to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the company? Has anyone ever seen one of these knives? Thanks for looking!
-
kootenay joe
- Posts: 13373
- Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 5:36 pm
- Location: West Kootenays, B.C.
Re: A. Kastor and Bros. NY special anniversary knife?
I have not seen that knife before. I read that as 80th birthday of Adolph Kastor.
kj
kj
-
58chevy348
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:13 am
Re: A. Kastor and Bros. NY special anniversary knife?
Didn't think of that. I guess it does sound more like a reference to his birthday. I've been trying to research some of the history of this company but info seems limited.
-
58chevy348
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:13 am
Re: A. Kastor and Bros. NY special anniversary knife?
I found the following information online. According to this, the knife would have been made in 1936 when Mr. Kastor was 80 years old. I'm wondering if it may have been made to commemorate the founder's birthday in limited quantities--possibly even made to be given to employees or attendees of a birthday celebration. "Adolph Kastor
The 14-year-old Adolph Kastor (1856–1946), son of a Jewish family from Wattenheim, Germany, immigrated to New York in 1870[1] where he started to work for his uncle Aaron Kastor in his hardware supply business, Bodenheim, Meyer & Company. He was first put in charge of cow chains but gradually worked his way up to the firearms and cutlery department.
In 1873, Bodenheim, Meyer & Company lost one of its founders and restructured as Meyer & Kastor. Due to poor sales figures, Meyer & Kastor had to close doors in September 1876. Only a few weeks later, Adolph Kastor started his own company, Adolph Kastor & Bros. on Canal Street in New York City, where he imported and distributed German-made knives.[2]
In 1897, when the Dingley Tariff was enacted, the knives became too expensive to import. The only solution Kastor saw was to manufacture knives domestically. Eventually, his search led him to Charles Sherwood and his small knife manufacturing business in Camillus."
The 14-year-old Adolph Kastor (1856–1946), son of a Jewish family from Wattenheim, Germany, immigrated to New York in 1870[1] where he started to work for his uncle Aaron Kastor in his hardware supply business, Bodenheim, Meyer & Company. He was first put in charge of cow chains but gradually worked his way up to the firearms and cutlery department.
In 1873, Bodenheim, Meyer & Company lost one of its founders and restructured as Meyer & Kastor. Due to poor sales figures, Meyer & Kastor had to close doors in September 1876. Only a few weeks later, Adolph Kastor started his own company, Adolph Kastor & Bros. on Canal Street in New York City, where he imported and distributed German-made knives.[2]
In 1897, when the Dingley Tariff was enacted, the knives became too expensive to import. The only solution Kastor saw was to manufacture knives domestically. Eventually, his search led him to Charles Sherwood and his small knife manufacturing business in Camillus."