Codger_64
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In 1943, Albert Baer (owner of Ulster Knife Company which he purchased in 1941) organized Kingston Cutlery Company (an old Ulster trademark), a joint venture with Imperial to make government contract knives. Chief among the knives made under the Kingston brand were the TL-29 (K-29, K-29-W) Electrician knife, and the MIL-K-818-D (K-4611) utility knife. Both Ulster and Imperial received “E” awards for excellence as suppliers of these knives.
In 1946, Albert Baer, under Kingston Cutlery Company, bought Schrade Cutlery Company and renamed it the Schrade Walden Cutlery Corporation. It became a division of Imperial Knife Associated Companies Group which includes Imperial Knife Company, Inc. of Providence, R.I., Ulster Knife Company Inc. of Ellenville, N.Y.,Schrade Walden Cutlery Corp., of Walden N.Y., and Kingston Cutlery Co., addressed New York, N.Y.
With the newly formed association of the four major cutlerys, IKAC was able to “...provide the cutlery trade with an all-embracing selection of merchandise and values, with a price structure that will meet every possible retailing need. The IMPERIAL-ULSTER-KINGSTON-SCHRADE amalgamation now makes possible a combined line which will include every conceivable type and variety of pocket knife, at prices ingeniously devised to meet competition in all price brackets, from lowest to highest.”
This pricing spread was generally Imperial as the lowest with the shell handled knives, Midgets, Jackmasters and Hammerbrands., Kingston as better constructed low end working knives, Ulsters as mid range knives, and Schrade Waldens as the upper price point knives.
Kingston sales was good through the late 1940's through mid 1950's, but began to slip in the late 1950's, and for many reasons, the Kingston line was basically reabsorbed into the Ulster line which itself saw fading sales. IKAC announced to it’s salesmen in 1960 that the Kingston line was to be discontinued as stocks were sold down. The Kingston lineup went from the fifteen patterns initially listed in the ‘40s to nine in 1959, then four by 1964, then from 1968 through 1972, only the K-29 electrician’s knife was left. By then, even the Ulster brand was losing popularity. One reason seldom mentioned, but historically significant, was the period of Irish history known as “The Troubles”. Salesmen reported back to the headquarters that in certain areas of the U.S., knives with the Ulster stamp were nearly impossible to sell. Thus, eventually the Ulster mark was phased out as well, used sporadically on special limited editions, like the Boy Scout Anniversary knife.
I find it ironic that both Kingston, which bought Schrade, and Ulster, which spawned Kingston, were both reduced to divisions of Schrade Walden, and Imperial, which facilitated the Schrade Walden / Schrade Cutlery’s meteoric rise eventually was reduced to a branding used by Schrade. Yes, there were many “shuffling of the cards” over the years, but these four combined companies once ruled the cutlery market in a way that few companies have done in other industries. When you add in Camillus cutlery, also a Baer family enterprise, the percentage of the U.S. cutlery market controlled for many years is astounding.
The Kingston catalog brochure sheets, 1947-59 which I have, listed and illustrated the following knives:
K-230 - 3 3/8" two blade equal end Jack knife, clip and pen
K-240 - 3 ½" two blade medium size serpentine Jack knife, clip and pen
K-250 - 3 1/4" two blade slim serpentine Jack knife, clip and pen
K-253 - 3 1/4" two blade serpentine pen knife, spear and pen,
K-260 - 3 3/8" two blade Jack knife, clip and pen
K-320 - 3 3/4” three blade equal end cattle knife, clip, spey, and punch
K-321 - 3 3/4” three blade equal end cattle knife, spear, spey, and pen
K-330 - 3 3/8" three blade small equal end knife, clip, spey, and punch
K-331 - 3 3/8" three blade small equal end knife, clip, spey, and pen
K-340 - 3 ½" three blade medium size premium stock knife, clip, spey, and punch
K-341 - 3 ½" three blade medium size premium stock knife, clip, spey, and pen
K-351 - 3 1/4" three blade slim premium stock knife, clip, spey, and pen
421 - four blade Automobilist knife, stagged plastic handles (camp knife), spear, canopener, bottleopener/screwdriver, pen
K-4611 - 3 3/4" four blade Military Mil-K-811-D knife
K-3611 - 3 3/4" three blade Cattle knife civillian version of the Military knife, spear, spey, and punch
A total of 102,492 Kingston knives were shipped in 1959.
The 1959 Schrade/Ulster/Kingston records listed the following Kingston knives:
K-17S
K-17Y
K-180P
K-180S
K-180Y
K-29 - 3 3/4" Two blade Electrician's knife, Mahogany grained plastic handle w/bail, brass center Safety-lock
K-29 (Sears)
K-275BL - 3 1/4" rope knife, smooth black plastic handle w/bail
K-50S
K-50D (Sears)
A total of 137,917 Kingston knives were shipped in 1960.
The 1960 Schrade/Ulster/Kingston records listed the following Kingston knives:
K-17S
K-17Y
K-180P
K-180S
K-180Y
K-29
K-29 (Sears)
K-275BL
K-50S
K-50D (Sears)
A total of 73,930 Kingston knives were shipped in 1961.
This is my one and only Kingston at the moment, a K-340 premium stockman with punch.
Codger
In 1946, Albert Baer, under Kingston Cutlery Company, bought Schrade Cutlery Company and renamed it the Schrade Walden Cutlery Corporation. It became a division of Imperial Knife Associated Companies Group which includes Imperial Knife Company, Inc. of Providence, R.I., Ulster Knife Company Inc. of Ellenville, N.Y.,Schrade Walden Cutlery Corp., of Walden N.Y., and Kingston Cutlery Co., addressed New York, N.Y.
With the newly formed association of the four major cutlerys, IKAC was able to “...provide the cutlery trade with an all-embracing selection of merchandise and values, with a price structure that will meet every possible retailing need. The IMPERIAL-ULSTER-KINGSTON-SCHRADE amalgamation now makes possible a combined line which will include every conceivable type and variety of pocket knife, at prices ingeniously devised to meet competition in all price brackets, from lowest to highest.”
This pricing spread was generally Imperial as the lowest with the shell handled knives, Midgets, Jackmasters and Hammerbrands., Kingston as better constructed low end working knives, Ulsters as mid range knives, and Schrade Waldens as the upper price point knives.
Kingston sales was good through the late 1940's through mid 1950's, but began to slip in the late 1950's, and for many reasons, the Kingston line was basically reabsorbed into the Ulster line which itself saw fading sales. IKAC announced to it’s salesmen in 1960 that the Kingston line was to be discontinued as stocks were sold down. The Kingston lineup went from the fifteen patterns initially listed in the ‘40s to nine in 1959, then four by 1964, then from 1968 through 1972, only the K-29 electrician’s knife was left. By then, even the Ulster brand was losing popularity. One reason seldom mentioned, but historically significant, was the period of Irish history known as “The Troubles”. Salesmen reported back to the headquarters that in certain areas of the U.S., knives with the Ulster stamp were nearly impossible to sell. Thus, eventually the Ulster mark was phased out as well, used sporadically on special limited editions, like the Boy Scout Anniversary knife.
I find it ironic that both Kingston, which bought Schrade, and Ulster, which spawned Kingston, were both reduced to divisions of Schrade Walden, and Imperial, which facilitated the Schrade Walden / Schrade Cutlery’s meteoric rise eventually was reduced to a branding used by Schrade. Yes, there were many “shuffling of the cards” over the years, but these four combined companies once ruled the cutlery market in a way that few companies have done in other industries. When you add in Camillus cutlery, also a Baer family enterprise, the percentage of the U.S. cutlery market controlled for many years is astounding.
The Kingston catalog brochure sheets, 1947-59 which I have, listed and illustrated the following knives:
K-230 - 3 3/8" two blade equal end Jack knife, clip and pen
K-240 - 3 ½" two blade medium size serpentine Jack knife, clip and pen
K-250 - 3 1/4" two blade slim serpentine Jack knife, clip and pen
K-253 - 3 1/4" two blade serpentine pen knife, spear and pen,
K-260 - 3 3/8" two blade Jack knife, clip and pen
K-320 - 3 3/4” three blade equal end cattle knife, clip, spey, and punch
K-321 - 3 3/4” three blade equal end cattle knife, spear, spey, and pen
K-330 - 3 3/8" three blade small equal end knife, clip, spey, and punch
K-331 - 3 3/8" three blade small equal end knife, clip, spey, and pen
K-340 - 3 ½" three blade medium size premium stock knife, clip, spey, and punch
K-341 - 3 ½" three blade medium size premium stock knife, clip, spey, and pen
K-351 - 3 1/4" three blade slim premium stock knife, clip, spey, and pen
421 - four blade Automobilist knife, stagged plastic handles (camp knife), spear, canopener, bottleopener/screwdriver, pen
K-4611 - 3 3/4" four blade Military Mil-K-811-D knife
K-3611 - 3 3/4" three blade Cattle knife civillian version of the Military knife, spear, spey, and punch
A total of 102,492 Kingston knives were shipped in 1959.
The 1959 Schrade/Ulster/Kingston records listed the following Kingston knives:
K-17S
K-17Y
K-180P
K-180S
K-180Y
K-29 - 3 3/4" Two blade Electrician's knife, Mahogany grained plastic handle w/bail, brass center Safety-lock
K-29 (Sears)
K-275BL - 3 1/4" rope knife, smooth black plastic handle w/bail
K-50S
K-50D (Sears)
A total of 137,917 Kingston knives were shipped in 1960.
The 1960 Schrade/Ulster/Kingston records listed the following Kingston knives:
K-17S
K-17Y
K-180P
K-180S
K-180Y
K-29
K-29 (Sears)
K-275BL
K-50S
K-50D (Sears)
A total of 73,930 Kingston knives were shipped in 1961.
This is my one and only Kingston at the moment, a K-340 premium stockman with punch.
Codger
