All About Pocket Knives

Meridian_Mike wrote:My contribution to this thread.....
She is not cleaned up yet but you can see...."KINGSTON.... USA" on the tang.
Blades are in pretty good shape.

kingston 1.jpg
kingston 2.jpg
kingston 3.jpg

Mike

New_Windsor_NY wrote:My newly acquired Kingston USA knife.

jxr1197 wrote:

New_Windsor_NY wrote:My newly acquired Kingston USA knife.

That is a cool little knife right there. I collect those deer heads and found a Kingston version not too long ago myself. You can find that exact knife as an Ulster, Imperial, Kingston and Keen Kutter. In an old thread, Codger identified the Kingston version (called a K50D) as a Sears order c.1959-1960. It wouldn't surprise me to find a Primble or Craftsman version out there too. The knife is an Ulster 50D in its original incarnation and there are also stockman versions out there as well - the Ulster 55D. During the pattern's run Ulster migrated away from that style of clip and began using a turkish clip for those patterns (the 55D with a turkish clip and Old Timer covers is the 58OT) so that right there doubles the number of 'needed' knives for any collector whose after these deer heads - of course I may be the only one, lol. Here's a pic of the variations:


Getting back on point with the topic, here are some more Kingstons. Aside from the little rope knives, these are all very common Ulster patterns:

jxr1197 wrote:

New_Windsor_NY wrote:My newly acquired Kingston USA knife.

That is a cool little knife right there. I collect those deer heads and found a Kingston version not too long ago myself. You can find that exact knife as an Ulster, Imperial, Kingston and Keen Kutter. In an old thread, Codger identified the Kingston version (called a K50D) as a Sears order c.1959-1960. It wouldn't surprise me to find a Primble or Craftsman version out there too. The knife is an Ulster 50D in its original incarnation and there are also stockman versions out there as well - the Ulster 55D. During the pattern's run Ulster migrated away from that style of clip and began using a turkish clip for those patterns (the 55D with a turkish clip and Old Timer covers is the 58OT) so that right there doubles the number of 'needed' knives for any collector whose after these deer heads - of course I may be the only one, lol. Here's a pic of the variations:
5055.jpg

Getting back on point with the topic, here are some more Kingstons. Aside from the little rope knives, these are all very common Ulster patterns:
kingstons.jpg

New_Windsor_NY wrote:I know this is NOT a "KINGSTON" knife. I bought this Imperial "deer head" this morning (see last posts, previous page). The blades "should" clean up nice, hopefully. The pictures are the seller's.

jxr1197 wrote:

New_Windsor_NY wrote:I know this is NOT a "KINGSTON" knife. I bought this Imperial "deer head" this morning (see last posts, previous page). The blades "should" clean up nice, hopefully. The pictures are the seller's.

Nice pick. That knife works for me on a few levels. I do love the deer heads and I also collect wonda edges, so win-win with that knife! It's a different set up than the 50D. What you got there is the D-400ST (shell handle) from Imperial's Kameo Carved collection. The ST was for 'stagged.' That pattern was also available in faux buffalo horn (KP suffix) or imitation pearl (KP) which is the standard toilet seat fare. I'm a crazy person so of course I have 5 of 'em:
D400s.jpg

A similar version was available as a jack called the S685ST but they went outside the box on this one using a steer head instead of a deer head:
685.jpg

Imperial's love affair with heads extended to their fixed blades:
fixed.jpg

And even the occasional hatchet:
hatchett.jpg

For me the real fun is in finding the deer head knives that Imperial made down in old Mexico:
tresciervos.jpg

This rabbit hole runs deep - lol.

Now getting back on the Kingston track, as far as I know the deer head you found is the only head pattern to cross over from Imperial to Kingston.

New_Windsor_NY wrote:VERY, VERY NICE COLLECTION!!! Thank you again for the information & education. As far as being crazy, it's all relative.

jxr1197 wrote:

New_Windsor_NY wrote:VERY, VERY NICE COLLECTION!!! Thank you again for the information & education. As far as being crazy, it's all relative.

Thanks . I appreciate that - and always glad for the opportunity to talk about weird, old knives.

doglegg wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 4:56 pm DSCN6918.JPGDSCN6914.JPGOC I have one exactly like yours lying here on my desk.

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 4:13 pm There.....

doglegg wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 4:56 pm OC.....

Ripster wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 5:23 pm OC.....

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 5:17 pm

doglegg wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 4:56 pm DSCN6918.JPGDSCN6914.JPGOC I have one exactly like yours lying here on my desk.

Do you know, were these issued about the time of the Korean War?

orvet wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:27 pm OK, this thread is 8 months old and no one has mentioned the obvious, there was in reality two companies who used the Kingston name.

1. KINGSTON USA- c 1915-1958 A trademark used by D. Divine & Ulster.


2. KINGSTON CUTLERY CO.- c 1945-1947 This was an association formed during WII by Ulster (purchased in 1941 by Albert Baer) and Imperial Knife Companies. The name was used through 1958 by Schrade-Walden. Albert Baer was a real entrepreneur and organizer in the cutlery business, especially in this time frame. In January1941 Albert in partner with his brother Henry (Uncle Henry) assumed control of Ulster Knife Co. During WWII Ulster formed a co-operative with Imperial Knife Co. and between the two factories they produced more than half of the knives purchased by the US Armed Forced during WWII.

a. After the WWII, (about 1946)*, a joint company was formed called Kingston Cutlery Company of Walden NY. In 1946 or 1947 this company purchased Schrade Cut Co. and renamed it Schrade-Walden.
*EDIT-12/11/10 Further research has revealed to me that The Kingston Company was formed about 1941 or 1942.

b. In 1947 Kingston was dissolved and Imperial Knife Associated Companies was formed. The Kingston name was used through about 1958.

c. The Ulster name was used until about 1973. At that time the Schrade-Walden tang stamps were changed to Schrade N.Y. USA. About 1985 the name of the Association was changed to Imperial Schrade Corp.



I think most of the knives posted here have been from the later Kingston Cutlery Co., (post 1941) though I imagine the tang stamps are probably similar.

a) Does anyone have some earlier Kingston knives?
b) Can you post some pics?
c) Does anyone know who to tell the difference between knives made by the two different Kingston companies?
d) Does anyone have any Kingstons that just look old and might be from the pre-WWII era?


Surely with over 4,000 members of AAPK, someone has an old Ulster or two in their collection!

Let’s see them!

Dale

Footnote- My source for the above information was “Goins’ Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings”, 1998. To find all the info you have to look up Imperial, Kingston, Schrade and Ulster and compile the data.

Clark23 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:00 am Hi there I am new to this and my first post, but I have seen this Kingston Page and would like to show my Kingston. I already seen one just like it, is there any information in what year it could be? I read Kingston ended in 58.