This is what the Forum is for.

[Codger_64]

... One question, what does "sole agent" translate to in modern terms?

Eric

It means "the only source for". The only ones authorized to import and sell the brand (they sold mostly to large jobbers such as HSB, Belknap, E.C. Simmoms, etc., not small retailers, and did not bother with retail sales themselves). Knife sales and production at the time was measured in dozens.

Here is another one, an A. Kastor & Bros. Warranted Cutlery Germany butterfly scissor from the same time period. At 2 3/8", it is much smaller than you might think. It is a close match to one advertised in a 1922 dated by Boentgen & Sabin company (BONSA brand).

Here is the ad from Friedrich Herder Abr. Sohn provided by member Germania:

At the same time they were making knives domestically in Camillus, they were importing from their own factory and several others in Solengen, as well as the several major cutlers in the aforementioned Nixdorf, Bavaria (Mikulasovice, in the Czech Republic).

 

[El Lobo]

Per Codger's request, here are a couple of closer looks at the 2006 Forum knife.....

Hand scrimshawed by Mr. Frank Giorgianni, with a big helping hand from his son Tom. IIRC, there were about thirty of these knives done for forum members/visitors.

A really, really nice piece that I'm proud to have in my accumulation of cutlery.

Bill

 

[Codger_64]

... Codger got more history for his 10 bucks, so he got the better deal by far! <g>

More history? Do just a tad bit of research on the customer your knife was sold to!

On December 28th, 1911, the New York Times reports:

$25,000,000 SHOE MERGER

The International Shoe Company, representing the consolidation of the Peters and the Roberts, Johnson and Rand Companies, filed articles of incorporation in the Recorder's Office this afternoon, with the capitol stock fixed at $25,000,000.

Of the stock, $21,000,000 is paid up, and $4,000,000 is on hand to be disposed of. The issue is divided into 127,500 shares of common stock and 122,500 of preferred, bearing 7 per cent interest cumulative.

The trademarks, patents and good will of the Roberts, Johnson and Rand Company are figured at $7,500,000, and those of the Peters Companies at $5,000,000.

Then check the St. Charles, MO. Banner, 1916 for some history (under International Shoe)
http://www.youranswerplace.org/services/lhgen/progressive1916/ads.htm#pg55

Then there is a portion of a book, Whos who in finance and banking, you can read online with history of the founders and founding in 1898.
http://books.google.com/books?id=N6...ts=xyRw1_j3_E&sig=c54mOCIu8I1ozxHWOpJFN2KX9nU
Well, there is a start for you! See where it leads!

Michael

 

[waynorth]

I can see where the classy promotional knife comes from! 5000 pairs of shoes daily; $25,000,000 merger. That was huge money back then!!
Who knows how to translate 1911 dollars into today's money??
Back then, John Browning was perfecting my favorite pistol!!

 

[ea42]

It means "the only source for".

Thanks for clarifying that Codger, I figured that's what it meant.

Bill, nice shots of the forum knife!

 

[ea42]

Here's a handle material you don't see very often on the older Schrades, a stag SW 834. I wonder if it was a matter of cost, availability, or lack of popularity? Nowadays folks clamber for stag knives.

[/IMG]

Eric

 

[Upstream]

Well here is #08 the hard way. It is a pleasure to own, but I think it will find it's way home someday.
Sorry about the dust spotting, I should have just used my old socks...

 

[Codger_64]

Thanks Bill and Upstream! FOr as many years as Mr. Giorgianni did the artwork for Schrade, very, very few were actually hand scrimmed by him. These are treasures indeed!:thumbup:

 

[lrv]

Larry H asked me to post a few of these.
Unusual guard. Unusual S-W!

 

[Trent Rock]

Outta curiosity===>
How do you tell if a sharpening stone is ORIGINAL?
By the color?
I don't recall seeing any makers marks on sharpening stones

That is a beautiful knife Irv!!
Not sure I like the guard "look" (it looks inverted from the "normal" guard shape) but I'm sure it would grow on me If I owned it...

 

[lrv]

Trent,
Just so you know that S&W is larry303's (larry H) not mine. Yes it could grow on me too.
Ugly ducklings tend to follow me home.
TTYL
Larry

 

[Larry303]

Its great in the hand too....that Schrade Walden I'm talkin' bout....purported to be obtained at the Schrade auction...1 of 1...like so many Schrades surfacing...I've compared it to my other S & W Fixed blades and under magnifying glass and it does not appear to be an early or later makeover of an existing Schrade W. May have been a lunchtime special or training exercise for new recruit but how did it make it to the auction? Why was the unique guard concept never continued or evolved? As a purported Schrade Walden there was plenty of opportunity/time to test design with later Schrade fixed blades.
Any ideas... fake?.....too ugly a design to ever be embraced?...impractical as a user?...

 

[Larry303]

...at this point may I ask lrv the story behind your original thread starter with the 502SC?With only 50 made it is not a commemorative I am familiar with here in Oz.Thanks mate.

 

[Timstools]

Nice one Larry, anybody else also??

 

[Codger_64]

This is one that I haven't been able to pin down yet. It is a Craftsman Heavy Skinner, according to the tang and etch. Schrade employees told me that it was not made in Ellenville. It had a plain ground blade and Staglon/UH style handles. Whatever it is, it isn't a regular production Schrade or Imperial knife that I recognize. I bought a second one hoping for more clues, but no joy yet.

Michael

 

[El Lobo]

Larry 303 and Michael...

Those are certainly two VERY interesting examples...no matter where they came from. Thanks for sharing them here.
:thumbup::thumbup:


Just for fun, here is an 897 style frame in real stag.....

Bill

 

[gradall5200]

its the ones that arent purdy that I find to be the purdiest sometimes.- Joel

 

[Codger_64]

These go under the heading of "best laid plans of mice and men". Imperial Schrade was making inroads, close to the final closing, of introducing 'kit knives'. This file photo was passed to me by a former employee. I did not whittle these myself.

The Sharpfinger blank is included for scale.

 

[ea42]

Michael, the "staglon" on that heavy skinner looks very Camillus-like. I've noticed that their knives had a lot more black in the handles.

Eric

 

[Codger_64]

I haven't had the chance to show it to Tom yet, but that is a good idea. Thanks!