Introduction utlery manufacturing in the United States was once centered in New England where hundreds of factories, small shops, and individual cutlers crafted knives of every size and description. Though not as prolific as its New England-based counterparts, the state of New Jersey, too, can be proud of its contributions to the cutlery industry. The bulk of New Jersey cutlery activity was initiated by German and English immigrants who came to the State from the industrialized cities of Solingen, Germany and Sheffield, England. These immigrants brought with them the cutlery-making skills they have learned in their European homelands. For many reasons, the city of Newark became the center for most of this activity and Newark eventually evolved into what could be best described as the ‘Scissor and Shear Capitol of the United States’. The firms of Rochus Heinisch and Jacob Wiss in particular would over the years provide quality scissors,shears, razors, knives and other edged tools for countries worldwide. H.Boker of Solingen, Germany also established their own Newark factory and added their products to the list. Newark can also boast of having several important pocketknife manufacturers. Notable among these were the aforementioned H.Boker & Co., the A.F.Bannister & Co., Valley Forge Cutlery Company, and the Booth Brothers. There were also countless smaller shops that produced farrier’s knives, shoe knives, oyster knives and various edged tools for the growing industrialized city. New Jersey also had at least two major sword making firms that provided weapons for the Civil War efforts. These were the Emerson & Silver Company based in Trenton, NJ, and Henry Sauerbier & Sons of Newark. And finally, there was Alfred Hunter who made exceptional table cutlery and some of the finest Bowie knives. This book begins to organize the history of New Jersey’s cutlery industry. Much of the information was initially obtained from library research. Another goodly portion came from internet correspondence with knife collectors and historians across the United States. Cutlery manufacturers are listed alphabetically and descriptions of the businesses and products are shown when available. Many cutlery patents that were granted to individual New Jersey residents are also included. For answers to questions about knives and their values, readers are directed to two recommended books. These are: Bernard Levine’s ‘Guide to Knives and their Values’ (see also his website www.knife-expert.com), and ‘The Official Price Guide to Collector Knives’ by Price & Zalesky that is available through www.knifeworld.com.
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New Jersey Cutlery
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Crawford, Aaron.........................................45
K
Schnefel Brothers .....................................140
Cutler’s Pearl Mfg. Co. ...............................46
Kearney & Foot ..........................................90
Seymour, Henry & Company ...................143
Cutlery Corp. of America ...........................47
L
Shaw Manufacturing Company ...............144
Lauterjung, F...............................................92
Sherman & Co. ........................................146
William Dodd & Co. .................................48
Linden Knife Company..............................94
Sterling Cutlery Co. .................................147
Dorpfeld, F.W. & Co. .................................50
Lowentraut Peter ........................................97
Durham-Duplex.........................................51
M
Undy Cutlery Company ...........................148
Mergott, J.E. Co. ......................................100
Unger Brothers .........................................150
Electric Cutlery Company..........................53
Mount, J.T. & Co......................................102
United States Cutlery Co. ........................151
Emerson & Silver .......................................59
N
V
Introduction .................................................1
Daniel & Joseph English ............................61
Nagle Knife Blade Co...............................105
Vailsburg Knife Company ........................152
Acknowledgements ......................................2
F
National Shear Company .........................109
Valley Forge Cutlery .................................153
Table of Contents .........................................3
Federal Cutlery Co. ....................................63
Neft Safety Knife Company .....................111
A
Friedmann & Lauterjung ...........................65
New Jersey Cutlery Co. ............................114
Wade & Butcher ......................................157
Anvil Cutlery Corporation ...........................5
G
New Jersey Knife Co.................................115
Ward, John................................................160
B
Garside, John ..............................................68
Newark Cutlery Manufacturing Co..........116
Washington Forge Inc. .............................162
Bannister A.F. & Co. ....................................9
Gilchrist William .......................................71
O
White, Ira F.& Son...................................163
Barnett Tool Company ...............................13
H
O.S.T. Cutlery Co.....................................118
Whitehead & Hoag..................................164
Bayonne Knife Co. .....................................16
R. Heinisch’s Sons Co.................................75
Osborne,C.S. & Co. .................................121
Wichelhaus & Rothe................................167
Booth Brothers ...........................................19
Heller Brothers ...........................................78
Otto, F.G. & Sons ....................................125
Winterbottom, Samuel & Sons ................169
Boker, H. & Co...........................................25
Herder, F. ....................................................80
P
Wiss, Jacob & Sons ..................................177
Bontgen & Strorsberg ................................36
Hunter, Alfred ............................................82
Passaic Knife Co. ......................................128
Wohlfart, Christoph .................................182
Bowie Knife Company ...............................37
I
R
Wusthoff & Co.........................................183
D
E
C
I&J Manufacturing Co. ..............................84
R-G Company .........................................130
Central Cutlery Company ..........................38
Imperial Cutlery Works..............................85
Richardson Brothers .................................132 Roebling Wire Works...............................135
Clark Blade & Razor Company .................39
J
Compton, W.H Shear Company ................41
Jet-Aer Corporation ...................................86
S
Cranford Razor Works ...............................43
Juenge Cutlery & Tool Co. .........................88
Sauerbier, Henry .......................................139
2
U
W
NJ ‘Contract’ and ‘Mystery’ Knives ..................................................................184
New Jersey Knife Patents ..................................................................186
3
Anvil Cutlery Corporation
ThStockis Premium knife has an ‘Anvil’ shield but it was made by Colonial.
5
New Jersey Cutlery
Anvil Cutlery Corporation on Ththise stamp gold-filled,
ccording to the 1917 list of corporation filings for NJ, the Anvil Cutlery Company began as the Summit Cutlery Company with an address of 3526 Boulevard (Ave.)now JF Kennedy Blvd. The 1918 Industrial Directory of NJ lists the company under that name and address, indicating a workforce of about 10 employees. A 1920-21 Jersey City Buyer’s Guide and Industrial Directory then lists the company as Anvil Cutlery Corp., makers of scissors and shears. NJ City Directories for 1915, 1918, and 1922 fail to list the company. In 1918, however, there is a Bink and Funk listed in the classified section under ‘cutlery’ that is operating at the 3526 Boulevard Avenue address. In the alphabetical section we find Charles H. Bink, grinder, living at that address as well as “Bink & Funk Cutlery (Hugo Bink and Hugo Funk). The company, therefore, existed from 1917 through approximately late 1921 or early 1922 under three different names.
straight razor stamped A‘Anvil Cutlery Works’.
metal-handled knife says ‘Anvil Stainless’. It too was made by Colonial.
A
In addition to scissors and shears, Stewart & Ritchie claim that they also made knives that were distributed by the C.W. Hackett Hardware Co. The authors stated that ‘the knives are scarce but does not mean that they are particularly collectible.’ If such knives do indeed exist, they should not be confused with the ‘Anvil’ brand knives made by the Colonial Knife Company of Providence RI.
is Summit Knife is from ThSt.Paul, MN, not NJ.
HIGHLIGHTS
There has also been at least one straight razor found with the marking , ‘Anvil Knife Works’. This was probably German-made.
Folks! Sorry Just another Colonial. Where are those Anvil knives made in NJ?
Name:
Anvil Cutlery Company
Location:
New Jersey City
Since: 1917
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7
New Jersey Cutlery
Booth Brothers
brass Ahandled Booth
nice bone Ahandled Booth
Jack knife for use around water.
Bros. Barlow knife. on this Booth Bros Thknifee stamp shows that it was made in Stockholm, NJ.
A B A large ebonyhandled Booth Jack knife.
on Ththise balde Booth knife is etched ‘EasyCutter’.
A four-bladed tortoise shell-
22
An ebony-handled, twobladed Booth Jack knife.
handled Booth beauty.
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New Jersey Cutlery
Electric Cutlery Company trademark patent for the word “Electric” was granted to Friedman & Lauterjung on May 24, 1881. This patent (No. 8,2370) allowed Friedman & Lauterjung of New York, NY, the exclusive rights to the word “Electric” on cutlery, including razors, shears, scissors, pen knives, and pocket knives. Sometime later, (circa 1889), the Electric Cutlery Company was incorporated in New York City. Clifford B. Fuller served as the company treasurer and secretary at that time. By 1890, the company had moved to 236 Bank Street in Newark, New Jersey. They acquired several patents for fancy razor handles and Louis C. Fuller assumed charge of operations. The company, located at 43 4th Street in 1896, moved to 25 Hackett Street by 1907. This final site had previously been occupied by Jacob Noepel. Noepel was listed in the 1906 Newark Directory as a cutlery manufacturer. James E. Fuller managed the business until 1909 when the Electric Cutlery Company was consolidated with that of the New York Knife Company in Walden, NY, Pocketknives and straight razors can be found with the stamping “ELECTRIC CUT CO NEWARK NJ”.
Various envelopes with Electric Cutlery ads (photo by Mike Losicco).
Two Electric Cutlery knife boxes from the Mike Losicco collection.
Electric Cutlery straight An razor with celluloid handles
E
Congress Aorcrescent-shaped Tobacco knife with jigged-bone handles.
exquisite An abalone handled Electric ‘lobster’ knife (photo by Mike Losicco).
HIGHLIGHTS Name:
Electric Cutlery Company
Location: Newark
Since: 1881
54
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New Jersey Cutlery
Electric Cutlery Company four-bladed, Ajigged-bone Electric beauty (photo by Mike Losicco).
beautiful pearl Ahandled Electric A black celluloid handled Electric Straight razor.
Jack Knife (photo by Mike Losicco).
e tang stamp on an Electric ThLockback Folding Hunter.
E
Another Electric Co. tang stamp. Closeup of the Electric Cutlery Co. tang stamp.
blades of this Jack knife bear Both the Electric Co. stamp.
56
Electric Cutlery billhead showing the actual factory.
57
R. Heinisch’s Sons Co.
beautiful but Deadly AHeinisch Bowie Knife. Photo courtesy of www.arizonaswords.com
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New Jersey Cutlery
R. Heinisch’s Sons Co. ochus Heinisch immigrated to the United States from Leutmeritz, Bohemia circa 1825. He made surgical instruments for a short time in Brooklyn, New York, then moved; first to Elizabeth, New Jersey (c. 1829), then Newark, New Jersey (c. 1835). Heinisch’s first Newark address was on Quarry Street, the same street where Alfred Hunter, another cutler, resided. His oldest son, Rochus, Jr., worked with his father throughout the 1850’s, and by the end of the Civil War, sons Albert and Henry joined their father and older brother. At this time, the company was located at 114 Market Street in Newark, New Jersey. A fourth son, Edmund, joined the firm in 1871, and the name of the firm was changed to R. Heinisch’s Sons. (Williamson, 1972).
ing, finishing, nickle-plating, etc. More than 125 workers were employed circa 1891. H. Boker & Company, with offices at 101 Duane Street in New York City, were sole agents for the company at that time. R. Heinisch’s Sons Company was purchased by Wiss in 1914, thus ending a long legacy.
A rare Heinisch Bowie Knife (courtesy of www.Arizonaswords. com).
rare and early one-piece Heinisch Arazor from the collection of Arthur
H
Green.
scissors like this Larger Heinisch pair were designated to be “shears”.
The firm had moved to 205 Bank Street by the time Rochus Heinisch, Sr, passed away in August, 1874. Though gone, Heinisch’s mark lived on with the production of his patented shears. These shears were the finest of their kind, incorporating thumb pieces that reduced fatigue and made cutting far less tedious a task. In 1873, the Heinisch factory employed about 80 hands and production for that year was valued at $125, 000. (Ford, 1874). Two scissors patents issued to R. Heinisch.
HIGHLIGHTS Name:
R. Heinisch’s Sons Co.
Location: Elizabeth
Since: 1825
76
Heinisch specialized Although in scissors they also produced straight razors such as this one with its original box.
By 1891, R. Heinisch’s Sons was located on the corner of Bruce Street and Thirteenth Avenue in the City of Newark. The premises covered nearly sixteen city lots. The main building was two stories high and occupied an area of 30 x 150 feet. A rear one-story building was 30 x 200 feet in dimensions. Both building were made of brick. Power was provided by a 35 horse-power engine and two boilers of 60 horse-power each. Production was divided into systematic departments that included grinding, polishing, fitting, drill-
77
New Jersey Cutlery Co.
New Jersey Cutlery Co.
his company was listed as being shear manufacturers in the 1918 Newark Directory. Gustave Weston and Max Theis were the proprietors at that time, and the firm was located at 475 Washington Street.
New Jersey Knife Co.
New Jersey Knife Co.
Two years later (1920), the firm was listed as “cutlery manufacturers” with a location at 698 S. 6th Street.
oins (1986) reported that this firm was located at 127-129 Sussex Avenue in Newark, New Jersey, and that Alexander Brach was a member of the firm. He also states that “American Ace” was the principal marking used on pocketknives made or distributed by this company. The company was reportedly in business for only a short time (circa 1919-1920). Knife expert Bernard lists the knives as having an ‘M’ or Medium rating in terms of collectibility and value.
N
This short-lived company apparently made shears for only a few years.
of the ‘American Ace’ Closeup logo. jigged-bone A‘American Ace’.
HIGHLIGHTS Name:
HIGHLIGHTS Name:
New Jersey Cutlery Co.
New Jersey Knife Co.
Location:
Location:
Since:
Since:
Newark 1918
Newark 1919
115