Queen/Robeson

I

Invoice

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Dec 3, 2006
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I fellow member here asked about some history. Specifically the Queen/Robeson connection. Didn't have the answer. So...
Can anyone give us some history on Queen making knives for Robeson? Did Queen buy them out? Did Robeson contract them out? Plus any other info you might have.
Thanks!
 
Copied from another site.

The first Robeson knives were imported by Millard Robeson from England and Germany exclusively. This continued from 1979 until 1896 when Robeson began manufacturing knives in the United States. Since inception, the company has gone through several reorganizations & eventually ended up as a Queen Cutlery brand.

Also search "robeson queen cutlery history".
 
abcdef said:
Copied from another site.

The first Robeson knives were imported by Millard Robeson from England and Germany exclusively. This continued from 1979 until 1896 when Robeson began manufacturing knives in the United States. Since inception, the company has gone through several reorganizations & eventually ended up as a Queen Cutlery brand.

Also search "robeson queen cutlery history".
Click to expand...

This is incorrect.

Robeson got its start between 1895 and 1898; not in 1979. They were manufacturing knives in the US, if not from the very beginning, by 1900/1901, in either New York or Connecticut. (I forget which)
I have a pre-WW 1 Robeson "Pocket Eze" pen knife from between roughly 1908 to 1911 that was made in USA .

Both the original Queen Cutlery, and the original Robeson Cutlery, are but two of the many companies that did not survive the Great Depression.
 
Didn't Smokey Mountain re-copyright the Robeson brand names??
 
How about somebody showing some Robeson pix? I have none of these knives in my mountain ;)
 
98661F25-C694-47FF-A695-5E1723C3EAB7.jpeg

98498DB6-6A5D-4C73-8763-B787AF849F02.jpeg

Crappy pictures. But this is the knife I'm asking about. Queen made, but when?
 
Charlie

my impression was Servatronics....Parent company of Ontario retained Robeson when Queen was sold
 
Invoice said:
98661F25-C694-47FF-A695-5E1723C3EAB7.jpeg

98498DB6-6A5D-4C73-8763-B787AF849F02.jpeg

Crappy pictures. But this is the knife I'm asking about. Queen made, but when?
Click to expand...
I'd guess it was made circa 2000, maybe give or take 2 years.
I'm not sure how that's a "Pocket Eze" since it don't got the "hidden tang" and has sharp corners on the bolsters ....
 
Boggs said:
Charlie

my impression was Servatronics....Parent company of Ontario retained Robeson when Queen was sold
Click to expand...
I called and asked Smoky! They said Ontario Knife Co. owned it - hence Servatronics I guess??!!
 
afishhunter said:
This is incorrect.

Robeson got its start between 1895 and 1898; not in 1979. They were manufacturing knives in the US, if not from the very beginning, by 1900/1901, in either New York or Connecticut. (I forget which)
I have a pre-WW 1 Robeson "Pocket Eze" pen knife from between roughly 1908 to 1911 that was made in USA .

Both the original Queen Cutlery, and the original Robeson Cutlery, are but two of the many companies that did not survive the Great Depression.
Click to expand...
If it helps, my father had a floor display of current Robesons for sale in his hardware store ca.1950-1955. There was no indication that they were made by anyone but Robeson in upstate New York, either in Rochester or Perry (I don’t recall which). I can’t tell you how many times I was scolded for drooling over that display when I was supposed to be sweeping the floor, dusting, stocking shelves or performing some other task!
 
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"Robeson knives were manufactured in those buildings [ in Rochester and Perry] from that time until 1965."

This excerpted without permission from the entry in IKNIFE COLLECTOR referenced above. That link might not work, but if you search using it, the Robeson history should appear.

I hope this is helpful for our discussion. If I've missed something, please let me know.
 
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