All About Pocket Knives

Just picked up this nice condition with etch, 9512 Craftsman utility knife.

I'm curious if anyone knows which company was making these for Sears?

Thanks!

I'm thinking it may have been Colonial. It sorta looks like a Colonial I have stashed around here somewhere.

Ray

I don't think Colonial ever had a contract with Sears.
kj

Screams Imperial to me.

I had read yesterday, that early 9512's with synthetic stag/bone handles made in the 30's & 40's were made by Dunlap, another name brand that Camillus used. This one clearly has red handles... so, I'm wondering who was making these in the later years.

It appears to be the Craftsman version of the Schrade Walden 906, "Army Officer" knife circa 1957 – 1963.
Schrade is the only one I know who had the folding beer can opener on a knife.

orvet wrote:It appears to be the Craftsman version of the Schrade Walden 906, "Army Officer" knife circa 1957 – 1963.
Schrade is the only one I know who had the folding beer can opener on a knife.

Dale,
I think you hit it!!
Here's the photo of that can opener on this knife....

I think it is S-W but i have seen an old Imperial with the same type of can opener. Is there a patent # on it ? might tell us who first used this unusual design opener.
kj

Dale is correct. Man, You gotta be "Old School" to open a beer can with that

kootenay joe wrote:I think it is S-W but i have seen an old Imperial with the same type of can opener. Is there a patent # on it ? might tell us who first used this unusual design opener.
kj

Took a minute to find it... but YES! there is a patent #. 2,698,480 Filed in 1953 and granted in 1955.

Imperial Knife Co.
https://www.google.com/patents/US2698480

Here's a 1956 Sears catalog cut showing the 9512

supratentorial, thanks for sharing that Sears catalog page!

I was just re-reading up on the acquisitions and corporate roll-ups, between Imperial and Schrade Cut Co, to the eventual SCCo, nee S-W, rolling into Imperial in 1946.

So the patent # I listed above for the can opener makes sense, based on how SCCo (then Schrade-Walden) was part of the Imperial Knife Associated Co's.

Suprat., finding the correct page in old Sears catalogs is not easy, but the info obtained is so significant. As is the patent #.
Much of knife knowledge is actually speculation but here, with dated catalogs & patent info. we have proof that this multiblade Craftsman is a Schrade-Walden/Imperial knife. As S-W made this same knife sold with their own S-W branding, it is safe to say that the O.P. knife is a S-W.
Schrade, Camillus & Imperial all shared some of their knife making but i think this did not happen until early 1980's, so before this O.P. knife. If this 'sharing date' is wrong please correct. It was in early 1980's that Albert Baer bought Imperial to add to his ownership of Schrade & Camillus. When he owned all 3, sharing of work assured everyone kept busy in all 3 businesses.
kj

Edit to add: this was a Very Expensive knife: $4.89 in 1956 was a lot of money. The other knives shown cost $1-$2, so this 9512 was definitely top of the line at that time.

Pure speculation on my part but I would guess it was manufactured in Imperials Ireland factory.....I've seen those red covers on low-end Scout/Utility knives.

You guys are great! All of you!

I'm still the new guy... still learning... but this is the part of the hobby here at AAPK, that endears it to me. It's like reading a great mystery novel, with parsed out clues. We take some educated guesses, track down a few leads, re-read the cutlery history (which is convoluted!) and speculate how this knife came into being.

kj, you are right! back in 1956, $4.89 was a LOT of money for something. Converted to today's currency value, it is $43.96.

Tom, I would not discount for a second, your educated guess. It wouldn't surprise me in the least, that some sort of arrangement like this existed.

Here is an Imperial with the same can opener.
Tang stamp:
IMPERIAL
PROV. R.I. USA (the USA is vertical)
1956-1988

Stamped on the can opener is "BEVERAGE CAN OPENER"
P.2,698,480

It has she'll handles that were originally celluloid wrapped, now painted red.

Right on Edge. I have one too (but not Hot Pink !) but so far have not located it.
kj

Quote from earlier post: "Pure speculation on my part but I would guess it was manufactured in Imperials Ireland factory.....I've seen those red covers on low-end Scout/Utility knives"

The earliest i can find of Schrade/Imperial knives coming from Ireland is 1988. If you can post to a flyer showing an earlier date, Please Do !
Also the O.P. knife is not a "low-end Scout/Utility knives". I think it more likely is a top quality knife of that era (1950's). The vast majority of Craftsman knives are not low end. The Sta-Sharp line for example is pimped out Camillus, not at all shoddy.
kj

According to the highlights of Imperial listed in their 50th anniversary celebration;
In “1947 Imperial Knife Associated Cos., Inc., was formed, and all interests of the Baer, Fazzano, and Mirando groups became subsidiaries of the new parent company.”

You notice Camillus is not mentioned in this because at this point in time Albert Baer personally held stock in Camillus but did not own it nor did he at this time, (to the best of my knowledge), even have controlling interest.

The Imperial 50th anniversary celebration was in 1966, there is no mention of any factory in Ireland in their list of European holdings.
In 1978 Albert Baer later bought the Jowika factory in Listowel Ireland.

By 1983 Albert Baer purchased all the remaining stock of Imperial Knife Associated Cos. became a privately held corporation with Albert Baer being the sole owner.

In 1985 Albert Baer change the name of Imperial Knife Associated Cos. to Imperial Schrade Corporation.

I know in talking with Tom Williams that Camillus and Albert Baer’s ownership of Camillus, was not a topic of open conversation.
On the occasions when he did go to the Camillus factory it was usually very hush-hush and he was often referred to as, “Mr. B.” and not by his full name. This was well after 1983 and Albert’s sole ownership of Imperial Knife Associated Cos.

I am not sure exactly why his ownership was kept so quiet, my speculation would be because Camillus made knives for many of Schrade's competitors. If those competitors new that Albert owned Schrade as well as Camillus they might be reticent to purchase knives from Camillus which essentially puts money in the pocket of their competitors. This is my speculation and not something Tom told me.

Addendum:
It may very well be that Albert Baer purchase the Jowika factory in Ireland with his own money, or with money from Camillus, not monies from Imperial Knife Associated Cos.. His holdings in Camillus were apart from his holdings in IKAC. He had begun purchasing stock in Camillus when he worked for Adolph Kastor. He continued to buy Camillus stock until he purchased the remaining stock from the Wallace and Kastor families in 1973.

Dale, thanks for this review of ownership history. A refresher is good as i find it easy to get the dates mixed up.
Regarding Schrade knives made in Ireland, as Albert B. bought the factory in Ireland in 1978 means that some made in Ireland Schrades might have been made before the 1988 date i found. However it is much later than O.P. knife.
kj

Roland,
It may be the earliest evidence you can find of items imported from Ireland to the US from the Imperial factory in Listowel Ireland is 1988. I have never looked for items specifically produced in Ireland in the Schrade catalogs so I certainly wouldn’t dispute you.

kootenay joe wrote: Regarding Schrade knives made in Ireland, as Albert B. bought the factory in Ireland in 1978 means that some made in Ireland Schrades might have been made before the 1988 date i found. However it is much later than O.P. knife.
kj

You are absolutely correct; the 906 pattern was discontinued from the Schrade catalogs 15 years prior to Albert Baer purchasing the Listowel factory.

I begin to wonder if Albert Baer purchased the factory in 1978 and didn’t bring any knives into this country until 1988, what did he do with his production for 10 years? I reviewed some more of my historical notes and I think an understanding of the position IKAC occupied in the world market at that time is helpful in answering that question.

IKAC was an international company and they were well diversified, diverse enough to help develop the grinding and finishing process for rotor and stator blades used by General Electric for military jet engines. Imperial was a major supplier of military items during the Korean War. They also developed a good market and distribution network in Europe.

In 1960 Gerlinol Co. of Solingen Germany was formed for the manufacture of household cutlery for the Common Market.

In 1961 Richards Imperial of Sheffield was formed for distribution in the UK.

In 1965 Imperial acquired a major interest in Durol, the leading manufacturer of household cutlery and kitchen tools in France.

In 1966 Imperial and JA Henckel’s of Solingen Germany formed J.A. Henckel-Imperial GmbH of Solingen for the manufacture and distribution of cutlery and related items.


IKAC already had European manufacturing and distribution networks in place 10 to 15 years before Albert Baer purchased the Jowika factory in Listowel. It could well be that his initial productions from the Listowel factory were distributed in Europe until the factory could be retooled and workers trained to produce the sort of products he felt would be acceptable to the American consumer.
I don’t know when Albert started bringing products from the Listowel factory into the US, but it is possible that he used that factory initially to provide goods for the European market. Logistically it makes sense because it would certainly decrease the cost of shipping and probably help with tariffs on non-European Common Market goods.
This is of course supposition on my part but lacking evidence otherwise it does make sense.

kootenay joe wrote:Right on Edge. I have one too (but not Hot Pink !) but so far have not located it.
kj

Come on man!!! It's RED!!

Found It !
Here is my Schrade-Walden 906 Stainless, the exact same knife as the O.P. Craftsman 9512.
Both knives were made in the same factory, most likely Schrade-Walden unless they were a contract knife.
kj

Very interesting kj!

The only difference I see, is they substituted the cork screw for the Philips head.