All About Pocket Knives

Since I began, the focus of my collection has been on the knife manufacturers of the Hudson Valley region of New York... but my interests in the last couple of years has expanded into Connecticut... due in part to such connections as the Waterville Cutlery / New York Knife. I discovered the Naugatuck River Valley has a lot of history of knife makers in such towns as Thomaston, Waterville, Winsted, etc... some of it I have learned from this forum, but usually under thread about this particular manufacturer or that one. Does anyone have a list as to who they all were?

In the meantime, I'll post a couple of folders I recently acquired... both just happen to be hawkbills... not by intent... but probably more than just coincidence in that they seem to go for lesser $$$ than other patterns. I have been frustrated by how much more $$$ the Conn knives go for compared to the HV knives.



a Thomaston Knife Co., Conn 4" hawkbill that appears to be unused... I apologize for the photo really does not do the knife justice, but I love the red hue & grain of the wood handle. Would anyone be able to tell what kind of wood it is?



...then there is a Northfield behemoth 4⅝" hawkbill with amazing stag handles. I wonder if this could be on of their earlier products based on the "crude" construction? There's quite abit of space between the spring & both liners... the amount of exposed pin holding the stag... the form of the end cap + the style of the bolster... to me anyway... seems to have the appearance of a civil war era knife. Please correct me if I'm wrong & if I'm close in my guess, please let me know that too.

Nice thread, Ken, for a very important group of manufacturers in American cutlery history.
I wouldn't know who they were but I believe Longblade, aka Lee, had a list of Connecticut cutlers that was quite extensive.
I vaguely recall 63 cutlers in Connecticut at different times. If that's correct I'll do a back flip off my porch.
I hope to contribute to this thread as I can.
As I said before, your knives are beautiful. I think of Rosewood when I see that Thomaston.
Are the bolsters and the liners on the Northfield integral? Too bad they got that spring pin so close to the edge.
My understanding is that the spring pin moves and it always wants to pop something back there. But not always.

Actually, I quickly found a dandy little Waterville.

Good thread, Ken, and nice old knives!
Lovely Waterville, Joe!
Here us a Naugatuck Cutlery Co.

KAW wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2020 11:39 pm Since I began, the focus of my collection has been on the knife manufacturers of the Hudson Valley region of New York... but my interests have in the last couple of years has expanded into Connecticut... due in part to such connections as the Waterville Cutlery / New York Knife. I discovered the Naugatuck River Valley has a lot of history of knife makers in such towns as Thomaston, Waterville, Winsted, etc... some of it I have learned from this forum, but usually under thread about this particular manufacturer or that one. Does anyone have a list as to who they all were?

In the meantime, I'll post a couple of folders I recently acquired... both just happen to be hawkbills... not by intent... but probably more than just coincidence in that they seem to go for lesser $$$ than other patterns. I have been frustrated by how much more $$$ the Conn knives go for compared to the HV knives.

a Thomaston Knife Co., Conn 4" hawkbill that appears to be unused... I apologize for the photo really does not do the knife justice, but I love the red hue & grain of the wood handle. Would anyone be able to tell what kind of wood it is?

...then there is a Northfield behemoth 4⅝" hawkbill with amazing stag handles. I wonder if this could be on of their earlier products based on the "crude" construction? There's quite abit of space between the spring & both liners... the amount of exposed pin holding the stag... the form of the end cap + the style of the bolster... to me anyway... seems to have the appearance of a civil war era knife. Please correct me if I'm wrong & if I'm close in my guess, please let me know that too.

Here's a nice list of Waterville information:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=42699

Thank you, Dan.
That is a fine knife you have.
I haven't seen too many Naugatuck knives but yours is the best looking one I have seen.
That is really nice!

Joe... I knew this subject would get your attention!
& I bet you a fair number of those manufactures are represent among your grand collection.
Because of the NYK connection, Waterville is one of the makers I'm very interested in & hope to add more to my collection.
That is a sweet looking knife... what would you call that anyway?... a center swell tuxedo gentleman's whittler?
Also, I sure do hope for Lee to join in...
Dan... all I can say is "WOW"!!!... that's the perfect knife to start this thread off with.
Skip... thanks for adding the timeline... most appropriate to have here...

That timeline helped me date this Waterville Manufacturing quill pen knife to between 1847 — 1855.
That is contemporary to when a faction of the workforce departed to create New York Knife Co.... which just blows my mind...
which in turn make this a real treasured piece of history for me!
Tang stamp: Waterville (in an arch) / MFG CO (Sorry that the photo does not clearly show the stamp)

FRJ wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:53 am Are the bolsters and the liners on the Northfield integral?

Joe... Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "integral"?

2 from Conn a Holley from Lakeville and a Challenge from Bridgeport. Ken, did we want to just do the Naugatuck Valley or all of Conn as Challenge was a major knife company in Conn but the were not in the Valley.

Nice knives---I only have a couple knives from that area you don't see that many around Michigan. I have some Yale's I will look for and try to get pic's of...haven't posted pic's in years so it may take awhile does anyone have info on Yale stamped knives ?

KAW wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:06 am Joe... Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "integral"?

Are the bolsters and liners milled from one piece of steel? Not separate.

Thanks Joe and Ken.
Lovely quill knife, Ken!
Nice Holley, John, and that Challenge Wharncliffe whittler is fantastic!

I have this one- Conn. cutlery co. Naugatuck. It's been posted here before. Lotta off-road miles but I like it. Thanks
Bruce

Some great looking knives showing up, please continue

I may throw a couple in here, but man, you guys have set a high standard!

FRJ wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:42 pm

KAW wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:06 am Joe... Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by "integral"?

Are the bolsters and liners milled from one piece of steel? Not separate.

Why yes they are... I had missed that detail. I take it that is a 19th century technique of construction?

Thanks Dan... I'm just fascinated by the history behind it.

Bruce... another neat old hawkbill with some real nice stag.

Waukonda wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:34 pm I may throw a couple in here, ...

Please do...

Sorry John... didn't mean to exclude you in my prior post....
I have to totally agree with Dan... those are two awesome knives...
While my interest focuses more on this region, I'm not opposed to see knives from all around Connecticut...

and I guess I'll be the first to diverse...

I have been trying to find more about this Collins & Co. / Hartford / Conn. whose factory is actually in Collinsville along the Farmington River known more for their axes. A main building of the complex is now a neat antique shop & another is now a local history museum. First... I am wondering if the "1864" stamped on the pile side refers to a year or a pattern number. Also, the staff at the museum had questioned if the jigged bone scaled are original to the knife. If anyone can tell more about this knife... I'm all ears...

I'm enjoying the knife show! I just have this Conn. Cutlery stabber jack that I've posted before.

What an unusual old knife Ken!!! Hope someone can fill in the blanks a little. Love it.
Sorry to skip over you Mike. Those old Stabber Jacks evoke visions of a derby hat and a dark alley.

That is a great looking sheath knife, Ken.
And no guard. Do we always have to have a guard? I don't think so.
If those aren't the original scales they were replaced a long time ago.
I think those are the original scales with a nice pinned bar shield. Just my opinion.

That is a beautiful folder, Mike. In such good condition.

Here's an old Thomaston trapper.

Here are a few Connecticut knives.
#1 American Knife Co. Plymouth CT with folding brass ruler.
#2American Knife Co. Winsted CT utility knife(not the same company as #1)
#3American Knife Co. Plymouth CT single blade jack.
#4 American Shear & Knife co.sleeveboard jack with ebony handles.
#5 American Shear & Knife Co. sleeveboard jack with bone handles.
#6 Three Empire knives.
#7 Geo.Schrade Bridgeport CT wire jack fish knife.
#8Griffon Cutlery Bridgeport CT pen knife.
#9 A pair of Holley metal handled knives.
#10 A Humason & Beckley folding hunter.

A few more.
#1 Jewelry & Cutlery Novelty Co. Meriden CT key knife.
#2 A pair of L.F.&C New Britain CT metal handled knives.
#3 A Meriden Brittanica Cutlery Co. skeleton knife in unfinished form.
#4 A Miller Brothers palette knife.
#5 A Northfield lockback hunter.
#6 A Southington Cutlery Co. lockback.
#7 A Waterville Cutlery sleeveboard jack
#8 A tiny Waterville Cutelry pen knife.

KAW wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:51 am Joe... I knew this subject would get your attention!
& I bet you a fair number of those manufactures represent among your grand collection.
Because of the NYK connection, Waterville is one of the makers I'm very interested in & hope to add more to my collection.
That sweet looking knife... what would you call that anyway?... a center swell tuxedo gentleman's whittler?
Also, I sure do hope for Lee to join in...
Dan... all I can say is "WOW"!!!... that's the perfect knife to start this thread off with.
Skip... thanks for adding the timeline... most appropriate to have here...

That timeline helped me date this Waterville Manufacturing quill pen knife to between 1847 — 1855.
That is contemporary to when a faction of the workforce departed to create New York Knife Co.... which just blows my mind...
which in turn make this a real treasured piece of history for me!
Tang stamp: Waterville (in an arch) / MFG CO (Sorry that the photo does not clearly show the stamp)

Here I am Ken - been staying away from the computer for a few days... Lots of nice knives above all ... but not all Naugatuck Valley cutleries...

Ken - The Naugatuck Valley is one of my favorite areas of CT for cutleries but… The Naugatuck Valley really only included those cutleries within the Naugatuck Valley basin as defined in CT – around the Naugatuck River and tributaries that used water power… The Naugatuck Valley was not the location of the majority of CT makers (when there were more than 85 cutleries in the late 1800s) but included many around the city of Waterbury and surrounding towns (egs Thomaston (which was originally Plymouth), Naugatuck, Woodbury, Hotchkissville and others) which includes cutleries such as Waterville, Thomaston, Northfield, American Shear and Knife etc – basically the area considered the central Naugatuck Valley.. To me that is the Naugatuck Valley area referred to within the realm of cutlery factories or shops though a few lesser known cutleries were in towns such as Derby and Shelton in the lower valley and perhaps a few in the northern valley... The central valley was very industrial due to the water power access and based on history the Naugatuck Valley was the first area for the production of pocket knives – Lyman Bradley and Waterville Cutlery have both been credited as the first though most believe Lyman Bradley was the first and he went on to work at other Naugatuck cutleries (I believe Waterville) – and though Holley started around the same time frame in mid 1840s (one of the early stamps was Holley and Merwin (HOME) it was not actually the Naugatuck Valley… Holley is really on the far western edge of the valley on a technical basis so I don’t Holley consider a Naugatuck Valley cutlery - and I don't think others consider it Naugatuck... also Miller Bros,Challenge, LF&C, Remington etc (actually the majority) are not Naugatuck Valley cutleries…

Notably Ben Timme, a good friend, wrote an article on a few Naugatuck Valley cutleries that was published in the June 2012 issue of Knife World - good info and worth the read if you are interested in those cutleries (some of which are very rare makers to find for various reasons)… There is also a The New England Cutleries by Phil Pankiewicz which is basic info and a cursory review on a variety of cutleries..

Collins is mostly axes (best-known for axes) and machetes… not sure of their production of fixed blades at all – and certainly have never seen one other than yours (and I think it may be the same one I saw on eBay at one time but I hesitated because I was not sure it is original ( ) … Older looking handles but I would say 1900s but I can’t verify the authenticity of the knife as I have never seen another… No guard is abit strange imo as well... (NOTE IN POST-EDIT: Collins made a rather large fixed blade knife in the 1940s called a Collins #18 with a guard - totally different knife than above and not a machete - a monster of a blade and knife, and I believe made for WWII.)..

If interested in CT try and find a copy of “A history of the cutlery industry in the Connecticut Valley”, by Martha Taber - a thesis from Smith College (Northampton MA) in 1955 which is a great reference for various aspects of the cutleries but it is not a knife guide – economy, marketing, unions etc etc but worth a read if you are interested in knives from the CT River Valley which also includes Massachusetts…

Anyway – Here’s just a very few of mine for now which fit here though were posted in other threads as well (as were most of my knives from this area).. I will post them again here as I get time ..

Lee, wonderful knives and great information Thanks my friend!!

Lee, thanks for posting that great, informative reading, and as usual, posting some pics of great knives.

However, one thing about your post does disappoint me. I don't see that magic number of 63 showing up in the discussion of number of cutlery firms. Sooo....no backflips from Joe

Lovely old pruner, Bruce, nice worn stag!
I like that fixed blade, Ken! Looks sleek with no guard. As Joe stated, I also think the handles look original.
Beautiful stabber jack, Mike! With no kick, is there a stopper, or block, on the back spring to contact the tang and keep the edge from hitting the back spring when closing?
Very nice old trapper, Joe, great bone!
As always, Ray, great showing of old Connecticut knives!
Lee, some great information and lovely knives! I dug out my June 2012 issue of Knife World and am about to sit down and reread the article.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments on the Conn. Cutlery stabber jack, which does have the Naugatuck stamp. Dan, it doesn't have anything in there for that. Looks like it's hitting on the very back of the blade. Still very snappy in its old age.