JackMaster Counter Displays

[Codger_64]

This past week, during Trent's great Imperial butcher and paring giveaway, I showed an old Jack-master Kamp King counter display from circa 1938.

There I was, minding my own business looking to find some old 1950's-1960's Sears Roebuck catalogs to fill out my research on the Sears knives from that period when I ran across this and tossed in a bid. Now I have to find a set of twelve mint Kamp Kings to fill the card.

Now I am feeling lazy today, so I am going to challenge you fine fellows to put your research skills into action. What years was this style of standee counter display card produced by Imperial and used by Imperial dealers? Did it hold the JM-716 with simulated pearl handles, JM-717 with assorted celluloid handles, JM-411 or N-615 simulated stag handles, N-415?

Check the logos. Any clues there? Find out when the pattern name first appeared. And pay attention to the slogans used....
Michael

Earlier than 1954. The two sheets shown above with the same display as mine are from... well... let's look at the trademarks on it.

The trademark KAMP KING (Serial Number 71433919) was applied for on July 13, 1940, registered on December 24, 1940, first use in commerce 1935-02-00.

The trademark JACK-MASTER (Serial Number 71411532) was applid for on October 12, 1938, registered on August 22, 1939, first use in commerce 1938-08-30.

The trademark HAMMER BRAND (Serial Number 71384896) was applied for on October 28, 1936, registered on March 23, 1937, first use in commerce 1882-05-00 (refers to the former owner of the mark, NYKC).

Of the three dates noted for each, the first use in commerce is the most important here, excepting on the renewal of HAMMER BRAND, where the application date is more important.

February, 1935
October, 1938
October 1936.

So 1938 is the earliest likely date the display was made. This conforms with the estimated dating of the Imperial catalog in which it appears.

Further, note the text on the display and catalog image. This seems to refer to the 1936 Stiehl patent for the Jackmaster construction:

or possibly Felix Mirando's improvement in 1939:

Now here is another, later display for the Kamp-Kings circa 1958-59.

Patent 2,479,855 is from August 1949.
Patent 2,476,995 is from July 1949.
Patent 2,689,400 is from 1954.

Notice on the illustration of the knife itself, the use of the improved safety can opener. It was patented (2,391,732) on Christmas day in 1945. It is a good marker to use in dating Kamp-Kings and other knives as pre-1946 or post-1945.

The proper knife assortment for this display consists of N-615, N-415 and N-413.

Michael

 

[Codger_64]

 

[Larry303]

How good is this info? To be able to see the original Patents and then follow with the actual advertising is astonishing to say the least. I always download all your info Codger and keep them in large and growing binders so they relate to my actual examples I have.
Your research is much appreciated,where else could we ever hope to find this all this info. Schrade books take toooo long to happen, if they ever materialize at all. Hoo Roo.

 

[Codger_64]

Thanks Larry. Judging from the over 60 views and only one response, I guess the Jackmasters aren't any more interesting as a research subject than the Imperial kitchen cutlery.

But, in my own opinion, the advent and rise of this cheap construction is worth examining as it helps to explain how the Mirandos and Fazzanos surplanted the big dogs on the block, Remington, Landers Frary & Clark and others and came to dominate the pocketknife market here in such a short time.

That a few companies survived the onslaught of inexpensive domestic knives leads us to examine how they accomplished that. Schrade Cut Co., like Dwight Divine, was definately on the decline and on the ropes when bought out by Albert Baer after his departure from Camillus. Camillus found itself in a quandry as well with the loss of some very major accounts such as Sears.

Baer, ever the consummate negotiator, found a way to ally with the cutlery powerhouse of Imperial Knife Company and split the market, then government contracts as the nation moved toward defense production. Baer even co-opted the production of other cutleries in order to meet huge defense contracts well beyond the ability of his own company, even combined with Imperial, to produce in the quantities and lead times agreed to.

Baer, after the war, even patented improvements to the Jackmaster line himself, such as the "Tu-Tone" knives which saw a good market response during the early 1950's.

I've said it before and it bears repeating, Imperial Schrade and it's holdings survived and thrived due directly to Albert Baer's ingenuity and direction. With his passing in 1997, the future of the empire was cast. As with many empires, manufacturing and National, when the founder's vision is lost, a decline begins.

Sears own prospects parallel that of Imperial Schrade closely. With the loss of General Wood, a succession of "grey men" looked to Wood's plans and policies for guidence. Sometimes they were successful in the short term, but with the progression of changing markets, they were unable to muster the answers needed to meet the new challenges.

Thus Sears is now merged with their historic nemisis, Kresge (K-Mart). Craftsman, forever a mainstay of their exclusive brands, can now be purchased in K-Mart stores and through jobbers like the rising star, Fastinal. No worthy replacement for the General emerged, as Robert Wood was groomed to replace Julius Rosenthal.

No worthy replacement for Albert Baer emerged, leaving the guidence of his empire to disinterested heirs and managers who, while adept at their craft, manufacturing, were not big enough or empowered enough to see the company into the new century.

All that is left for us is to pick through the detrius of history to attempt to understand how the company found success and how the artifacts, the knives and marketing, played their role.

Codger

 

[glennbad]

Michael,

You know that I love the Imperials, shell handles and all!

I, for one, appreciate the history lessons, and the hard work that goes into your research, although I do not always reply to these threads. The innovation and marketing of the past is fascinating to me.

Perhaps people tend to snub that which they think is "cheap" and mass-produced. The plain truth is that these products sold, and sold well, in times that were not always booming. If they were junk, they would not have sold well and would not have lasted all these years.

I love a nice bone-handled beauty just like the next guy, but I would put a mint Tu-Tone right up there at the top on style alone...

Thanks,
Glenn

 

[lrv]

Michaels story reminds me of the movie "Demolition Man" where the only restaurant left was Taco Bell...
Oh well..
Back to the library...
TTYL

 

[Codger_64]

A few more old counter displays...

 

[Codger_64]

 

[Codger_64]

I've been trying to pick up at least one example to go with each of these old Jackmaster counter displays.

My "new" JM37AC Kamp-King to go with the earliest display. Odd cell mix of pearl and black mosaic.

Michael

 

[Codger_64]

This is the latest "get", an odd circa 1954 Imperial counter display with spaces for Ulsters. I won't know until it arrives what patterns were included.

 

[Lion]

Thanks for posting this. Camp/Scout knives are my favorite pattern. And I have a fondness for old Imperials.

Leo

 

[Codger_64]

The Topsy display finally arrived today. It is dated 1948, but the same display is included in the Imperial 1959 catalog, so we can say it is circa 1948-59.

According to the 1959 catalog, the display would have included and assortment of four knives:
N-551KP simulated pearl
N-1255KP simulated pearl
N-724ST simulated stag
N-910AC assorted colors

The ad copy is always good reading:

Here is a scan of the actual display. Again, it was too large for the scanner so I had to paste two scans together and resize it.

Now to find examples of these knives and fill the card!

Michael

 

[Codger_64]

Here is the first "Midget" for the display card, the N-551KP E.O. jack with simulated pearl handles:

I might have overpaid for this one. Fifty cents in 1959 dollars is $3.52 today. I gave $4.24 for this one and it is less than new with the bead keychain missing. That would be sixty cents in 1959 currency.

Michael