All About Pocket Knives

I have acquired a small white pocket knife with Ku Klux Klan embossed in black old English lettering. Can anyone tell me anything about this knife?

To gather info on the knife itself, we would need a pic of it open and of the stamp at the base of the blade. Looks like a cheap advertisement style knife, they were sold in bulk and printing shops could put whatever you wanted in there to advertise. It’s a part of our history I guess, but NOT ONE I’d WANT.

My camera sucks and I can't zoom in far enough without it distorting. I'm pretty sure it says frost.

And it's not something I am attached to. Even as a novelty I think it has stigma and controversy surrounding the subject matter.

If it's a Frost Cutlery knife I seriously doubt that either the handles, or the printing are original. I don't believe that Jim Frost, or his later partner James Parker would produce knives with racist themes. They were big names in the knife business back in the 1970's through 1990's and would have had a lot to lose.

It is not uncommon for people to take knives and have them re-handled or printed with racist themes for resale to certain types (racists). Such modifications are often professionally done so they look factory original. There are other brands that have been modified in such ways. Case XX is one in particular. Sometimes they include fake factory branded display boxes.

I'd say the knife has zero value in it's current condition. I would sand the handles down with some sandpaper to remove the printing so that at least you have a useable pocketknife that doesn't say "I'm a racist".


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I find it works best to back your camera away (even a foot or 2) and then use the zoom to get focus. Even a partially descent pic might offer better insights for you.

Best thing to do with that knife is destroy it.

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 7:50 pm Best thing to do with that knife is destroy it.

I agree

PRprincess wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 5:11 am I.....

I am posting the pocket knife pictured below for future
reference and information. The pocket knife pictured is
NOT mine. The pictures of the pocket knife below are
NOT mine. The description of the pocket knife below is
NOT mine. The pictures of the pocket knife below and
the description are from the book pictured below.
The book IS mine. It is a 1999 edition.
If you Google KKK pocket knife (images), you'll see quite a few.
I did find a KKK pocket knife like the KKK pocket knife in the
original post. It is the VERY LAST picture. It was made in CHINA.
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

Its interesting just for the provocation it creates, and saying this doesn't make someone a bad person.

New York Knife Co. as well and many other pre-WWII companies made knives of the same pattern as posted above by New Windsor, all with waterfall handles and birds eye rivets and made for about any fraternal or secret organization imaginable. All these knives are part of history and collectible in my view. The NYK KKK knife above is quite rare. I don't belong to any secret or fraternal organization and certainty promote any policies of the Klan.

Years ago, I owned a NYK KKK knife very similar to the knife posted above but it was a secret KKK knife with no mention of the Klan in print. The mark side of the knife had a cross bracketed very much like New Windsor's knife. In each corner of the cross was a letter, A, Y, A, K and on the pile side of the knife was the same bracketed cross with the letters A, K, I, A. The object of the knife was for a Klansman to show it to another person and get a nod or yes in response.

Handing the knife to another Klansman mark side up would pose the abbreviated question, Are You A Klansman? A receiving Klansman would then turn the knife over and respond with a nod or yes, A Klansman I Am. In effect it was a secret, secret society knife. The only one of it's kind I have ever seen. I don't agree with the policies but it is part of history and I value such old items for that alone. Newer knives like the OP knife are of no interest to me and if it were mine I would destroy it.

These are similar to Nazi knives in my opinion; some are into collecting them and some aren't. Whether you collect them or not, you can't rewrite history. But you can learn from it and not make the same mistake twice.

Here is just a VERY SMALL representation of the Ku Klux Klan pocket
knives that came up when I did just a basic, simple, Google search.
There were MANY, MANY, MANY, more images available.
I MAKE NO JUDGEMENT ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF THESE ITEMS.
Below, They Are NOT My Item(s), And They Are NOT My Picture(s).
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

Jim Parker, at a knife show in Chattanooga, had boxes of KKK embossed Barlow pattern pocketknives with both black and white handles.

They were German made, but I forget the maker’s mark.

Don’t know who had them made, but Jim was selling them.

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Wed Jul 30, 2025 1:37 pm Jim.....

I'm NOT sure but the maker could possibly have been
HY. KAUFMANN & SONS, SOLINGEN, GERMANY.

Here’s a search of AAPK’s archives of previous posts and pictures on the topic. Nearly 20 years worth in fact. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... mit=Search



Ken

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 7:50 pm Best thing to do with that knife is destroy it.

^^^+10

for myself I would destory the knife,

I managed a cutlery store in the 1980s. Although I never purchased any, I remember seeing multiple catalogs offering KKK knives for sale with the Taylor brand name on them.

“I'm NOT sure but the maker could possibly have been
HY. KAUFMANN & SONS, SOLINGEN, GERMANY.“

And that is exactly correct.

Thank you.

Charlie

RobesonsRme.com wrote: ↑Thu Jul 31, 2025 1:29 pm “I'm NOT sure but the maker could possibly have been
HY. KAUFMANN & SONS, SOLINGEN, GERMANY.“

And that is exactly correct.

Thank you.

Charlie

You're welcome.

I inherited the knife from a distant family member. It's not something that I support or denounce. To be real honest I've never put much thought into the subject. The klan was not something that was active in my neck of the wood or during my lifetime that I know of. I will not destroy it because despite what any of us think of this matter to some it is their beliefs and deep rooted within their family tree. With that being said I will remind you that if your going to preach about right and wrong and good vs evil because of the nature of content on the knife then your no better than the clan hating colored and I suggest maybe one should consider their own words and judgement first before condemning and judging another .

I do believe that says frost as I stated before.

I know nothing about your knife . I see this is your first posting welcome to A.A.P.K. . Would I buy a knife produced today with the K.K .K . Logo no .Would I keep a knife passed down from a family member or buy a knife with K.K.K . Logo produced from An American company such as New York knife co made Almost 100 years ago Yes . For the sake of sentimental value and Historical preservation .