All About Pocket Knives

Posted: **Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:55 pm**

This is a knife I hadn’t seen before I bought one. It’s a Franklin Firefighter (FF1LTD). There were two runs of this knife, the first was a ‘92/’93 edition and the second was 2002/2003. The lasered wooden box contains a NS SC507 hot stamped with an old timey horse drawn fire engine scene. The red vac tray also holds a money clip fire cross and an engravable plaque. The first run in ’92 was an order for 300 units (although they used a 4 digit serial 0001…) but that may have gone up, I’m not sure. I don’t have info on the size of the 2002 order but my example is serial 047 so I assume it was under 1000. This wasn’t a cheap SFO. In ’92 it wholesaled at about $58 per unit which adjusts to roughly $107 in 2020. The buyer was an outfit called PA Bingo (in Lebanon PA), a business that sold charitable gaming supplies. They would sell these to Fire Departments who would use them in fund raising activities – raffles, etc.

Posted: **Sun Sep 13, 2020 8:32 pm**

jxr1197 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:55 pm This is a knife.....

Absolutely gorgeous Jason. A great acquisition.

Posted: **Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:10 pm**

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 8:32 pm Absolutely gorgeous Jason. A great acquisition.

Thanks Skip

Posted: **Sun Sep 13, 2020 11:13 pm**

Cool commerative set, first time I've seen one of these.

Posted: **Mon Sep 14, 2020 11:19 pm**

That's a very nice example of this knife. Congrats!

Posted: **Tue Sep 15, 2020 4:49 am**

jxr1197 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:55 pm ...an old timey horse drawn fire engine scene...

Great detailed info on the production numbers and dates. I just remembered some more trivia for you.

That's an "Enterprise Steamer" being pulled by those horses. It has a storied and preserved history in Walden, NY. It was also featured on a Walden Fire Dept. "Enterprise Steamer" SFO celebrating their 125th anniversary with the steamer in 1997.

Here are two links to the Walden, NY Fire Dept. website regarding the old steam pumper:

https://www.waldenfd.org/cms/content/companies

https://www.waldenfd.org/cms/index.php? ... itemId=257

The following quote is from a defunct website:

"Enterprise #2 Steam Engine from Walden New York is a Button Steam Engine, circa 1872. Two horses were used to pull this engine. It was built in 1872 in Waterford, NY, by a prominent manufacturer of fire equipment. This was the fire apparatus of Walden's Steamer Company No. 2. The steamer remained in service in Walden until as late as 1935.

American LaFrance Company purchased Button and Co. They re-built this steamer in 1907. In the rear of the steamer is a firebox, which contained kindling wood. This wood was lit by using a boiler torch. This small fire produced sufficient heat to turn a small water supply into steam, which operated the steam engine. This stem engine operated a pump that drew water in from the left side of the steamer through the hard suction hose which drafted water from a pond or stream. On the right side of the pump are the discharge outlets, which could discharge water over 200 feet.

A steamer operator had to watch his pressures using the gauges on the machine, because without proper supervision and operation a few of these machines have been known to blow up.

Soon into the 20th century Walden Fire Dept purchased motorized fire equipment and retired the Enterprise Steamer. They stored this machine in the Walden Fire House for years and used it for fire parades and other events.

It is now on loan by the Walden Fire Department, Walden New York to our museum."

Posted: **Tue Sep 15, 2020 2:52 pm**

bladecollectorr wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 4:49 am
jxr1197 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:55 pm ...an old timey horse drawn fire engine scene...
Great detailed info on the production numbers and dates. I just remembered some more trivia for you.

That's an "Enterprise Steamer" being pulled by those horses. It has a storied and preserved history in Walden, NY. It was also featured on a Walden Fire Dept. "Enterprise Steamer" SFO celebrating their 125th anniversary with the steamer in 1997.

walden_antiquesteamer.JPG

01a.JPG02.JPG05.JPG09.JPG10.JPGScan-110212-00013.JPG

Here are two links to the Walden, NY Fire Dept. website regarding the old steam pumper:

https://www.waldenfd.org/cms/content/companies

https://www.waldenfd.org/cms/index.php? ... itemId=257

The following quote is from a defunct website:

"Enterprise #2 Steam Engine from Walden New York is a Button Steam Engine, circa 1872. Two horses were used to pull this engine. It was built in 1872 in Waterford, NY, by a prominent manufacturer of fire equipment. This was the fire apparatus of Walden's Steamer Company No. 2. The steamer remained in service in Walden until as late as 1935.

American LaFrance Company purchased Button and Co. They re-built this steamer in 1907. In the rear of the steamer is a firebox, which contained kindling wood. This wood was lit by using a boiler torch. This small fire produced sufficient heat to turn a small water supply into steam, which operated the steam engine. This stem engine operated a pump that drew water in from the left side of the steamer through the hard suction hose which drafted water from a pond or stream. On the right side of the pump are the discharge outlets, which could discharge water over 200 feet.

A steamer operator had to watch his pressures using the gauges on the machine, because without proper supervision and operation a few of these machines have been known to blow up.

Soon into the 20th century Walden Fire Dept purchased motorized fire equipment and retired the Enterprise Steamer. They stored this machine in the Walden Fire House for years and used it for fire parades and other events.

It is now on loan by the Walden Fire Department, Walden New York to our museum."

Interesting, thanks for posting.

Posted: **Tue Sep 15, 2020 6:57 pm**

bladecollectorr wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 4:49 am A steamer operator had to watch his pressures using the gauges on the machine, because without proper supervision and operation a few of these machines have been known to blow up.

There was an incident 20 years ago at a county fair where a steam engine tractor exploded and killed a bunch of people. Internal combustion was a big improvement.

Fantastic info you dug up and beautiful knife! In looking closely at both of these knives I can see the boiler on both of them. In the case of my knife I'm thinking it's a little off theme. In Franklin's day they were putting out fires with the bucket brigade.

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