New York Knife Co.

delmas2nd

delmas2nd

Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Messages
1,071
just wondering how this company fits in with Schrade legacy. it was based in Walden and i think i remember it was bought by Schrade? looking at this knife that i have wanted a timber scribe. like the looks of them but have never been able to afford same.
 
Closed in 1931 like other businesses during the depression.

I read somewhere Imperial bought out many of the trademarks. That's probably the tie into Schrade. I'm sure there are others and Codger posted a thread about the Knife Business History from A.M. Baer which can be found with a search.
 
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This is the best I can do.
I would like to know more about the knives Schrade made, and when.
This is one of the best looking Schrade knives in my Schrade collection.
medium
 
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fatcity67 said:
...Imperial bought out many of the trademarks. That's probably the tie into Schrade...
Click to expand...

Bingo. I believe that there were a sharpfinger, trapper, muskrat, and the large stockman in this series, all with stag and stainless (?) blades. There were no other ones with those NYK stamps as far as I know. Otherwise, and not really relevant here, I believe that the Walden companies of yore made some of the very coolest knives (meaning NYK, Ulster and Schrade Cut.Co.). The Depression, and then WWII (not WW11, as is sometimes seen; haha) shut down the production of a lot of wonderful 3 dimensional objects, and not just knives.
 
tongueriver said:
Bingo. I believe that there were a sharpfinger, trapper, muskrat, and the large stockman in this series, all with stag and stainless (?) blades. There were no other ones with those NYK stamps as far as I know. Otherwise, and not really relevant here, I believe that the Walden companies of yore made some of the very coolest knives (meaning NYK, Ulster and Schrade Cut.Co.). The Depression, and then WWII (not WW11, as is sometimes seen; haha) shut down the production of a lot of wonderful 3 dimensional objects, and not just knives.
Click to expand...

Glad one of the knife history grey beards weighed in.:thumbup:

I mean that figuratively only since I don't know you and whether it applies literally.:D

Seems like that whole part of the New York country side was a knife making nexus for a few generations. Like Oakland Maine area for axes.
 
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Water power to run the machinery and proximity to the NYC jobber merchants was the reason for the initial location of the cutlery industry there. And then the influx of imported cutlers from Europe sealed it for quite some time.

On those NYKC marked knives, they were sfo's made for Schrade by Camillus for Smkw, the merchant who owned the nostalgia mark. Might be Herman Williams burnt stag. I've never asked him but he would remember if so.
 
Tongue river,

I have each of the NYK knives, except the Muskrat...didn't realize there was a muskrat. Just another one to hunt down. I also have several other Schrade Knives done in Stag that were LTD versions. Herman may have had his hand in these...
167 UH, 153UH, 3pin LB7 with nickel bolsters, 3 blade Stockman without a shield and a 12 UH.

Tom
 
Unbelievable
I just went to an auction site and found the NYK Muskrat and bought it. Should have it in a few days....I can hardly believe my luck..Lol

I will post pictures once I have the final piece to the set

Tom
 
After it lost the monopoly on the production of the Boy Scout knives, the New York Knife Company could no longer compete successfully with the more modern knife producing factories. A notation on the 1924 Sanborn Insurance Map states the factory was not in operation, and the only employees were two night watchmen, indicating the factory may have had to shut down for short periods of time and had to temporarily lay off its workers. The condition of the company continued to worsen, especially after the 1929 stock market crash. The New York Knife Company factory continued to operate for parts of two more years before it was finally forced to shut down its operation for good in 1931.

Source: New York State Museum
 
thanks to all that replied i love history and learning new things. always good to ask a question here cause of the great members.
 
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