Thread: "C. Franke St Paul" Anyone familiar with them?

Thanks to 32t I think I have confirmed some of his ideas re: C. Franke.

Christian Franke was of german origin (born 1843 in Saxony, but naturalized later in the USA). He was married in 1867 and had children - non of the boys first names began with a 'C'. He lived in St. Paul Minnesota and died there in 1924.

The following clips are all from Minnesota/St. Paul City Directories of various years:

1881



1879



1876



1874



As far as I know re: the Alfred Krank connection is that until he became a partner in the firm, the old marks applied, then Christian Franke left, then we have the firm renamed H. Schnell & Krank, then Schnell & Krank, then when he took over it bacame various flavours of 'Krank' - no mention of either Schnell or Franke.

Alfred Krank was of Bavarian origin but born in the US. He sought a trade in 1880 because his father had died and he had to support his mother and other siblings - all girls, so he joined a cutlery and scissor grinders company. I have no documentary evidence, but is must have been the firm of Franke & Schnell.

By 1884 he had set up his own business:



and both Franke and Schnell were out of the picture.

Regarding Christian Franke, he was a cutler and grinder in his own right before he teamed up Schnell. He might have been one afterwards, too - who knows?

All I know is that razor bears Christian Franke's mark - no one else's - and Christian Franke was a cutler and grinder who resided in St Paul, Minnesota.

Regards,
Neil