All About Pocket Knives

Many years ago I purchased a large display knife that is shown in the middle of this picture. This knife was a Boker and was displayed at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The handles were ivory and carved deeply on one side was "Centennial Knife" and on the other side was carved people signing the Declaration of Independence. All in great detail.

This was in the early 1970's and as I was just starting in the knife business and I could not afford to keep this knife. Selling it back to the Boker Company allowed me capital to get ahead in the knife business.

My question is do any of you know the history of the company whose picture this is? L. Herder and Sons in Philadelphia.

Regards,

Rhett Stidham

It is my hopes to some day produce a book on the Cutlery operations related to those of Pennsylvania. This obviously fits into the cateory. The info I have so far is only that which is availabe in the Goins books and the small amount of research that I have done. I would be glad to share that with you. I would appreciate any info or photo's that you may have to include in that future project. The Herder company is somewhat confusing as to the knives from Germany and those made in the USA. I look forward to learning more together.

I worked in that very shop in the early 80's. It was on Sansom Street in Philadelphia - now a Cigar store is in that location.

Herders claimed to be the oldest, longest running cutler in the US, and their original grinding equipment found a home in the Smithsonian - except for a single Belgian hone which was given to me by the owner (originally for finishing straight razors, it puts a mirror finish on an edge).

For the same Centennial exhibition, they had a large Eagle shaped display of pearl handled kitchen knives which was in the window for many years - while I was there, they had me take the whole thing apart, clean it up and mount it with a new felt backing. Don't know where it wound up.

One of their specialty items was a knife for cutting reeds for wind instruments - basically a hollow ground Razor on a fixed handle. They also had a particular pattern "granny" parer that sold a ton.

Not long after I left the company, they were bought by Atlanta Cutlery.

welcome lummo and thanks for the great story. looking forward to more.

Welcome Lummo
Always good to see another Oregonian here!

Dale

Thanks for the welcome.

I've been here in the Switchblade State for about a year - Philly is my old home town.

Lummo wrote:Thanks for the welcome.

I've been here in the Switchblade State for about a year - Philly is my old home town.

I think Oregon needs a new license plate!! Welcome, Lummo !

Hey folks - an update, a recent visit to my old home town reveals that the same building is now a bar. Thank heavens the place next door - the Sansom Street Oyster House, a favorite stop when I'm back East - is still in business!

In the meantime I've been mostly carrying a CRKT Summa, a pretty little liner lock I got because that little pocket clip looked like a good idea.

Hi Lummo, thanks for resurrecting this old thread - which I missed the first time around, because I wasn't here yet. I spent a few hours in Philadelphia years ago on a layover at the train station - is it called "30th Street"? I have friends at one of our plants in Pennsauken, across the river, rough part of town where the trucks won't come in after dark. I suggested to the inventory clerk that they dump their scrap corrugate in the Schuylkill River but he said it was already shoaled up with dead bodies - I think he was joking. Anyway, it was a pleasure to read your posts about old Philadelphia and hear that you found at least one thing that hadn't changed. Not much has changed on the knife board except it has grown a lot and Jonet143 - Johnnie Fain - passed away - and we miss him every day...

Here's an old Herder..........A very nice knife.

Joe great knife & great picture.....are you going to the show at Mystic ?

Paul,
thanks for the comment. ........Mystic..........Yes! .......I'll try to be there. I probably will be there.........
Marlborough, Ma. too.

FRJ, that knife is a beauty.

Recently moved from Oregon to Vermont - learning to Fly fish while we're living here, which is a LOT trickier than catching Chinook on the Willamette was.

Recovering from full hip replacement surgery, just getting back to hiking and other outdoor activities that were off the menu for a few years before that.

So of course, I'm wearing my old Buck 110 - got it in my early teens, with a "Flickitt" I put on shortly before I started working for Herders. In a brand new sheath.


My favorite new toy, though, is a Council Tool felling axe, but that's a different forum...

Have fun and stay well.