Thread: A collection of Northfields

I’d like to share my collection of Northfield straight razors. This is one of the makers I always keep an eye out for because I lived in Northfield for a few years as a kid. My best memories of Northfield are of fishing in the pond we called “Knifeshop Pond”, though I believe it’s actually called Northfield Pond. Northfield is an unincorporated village in the town of Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut.

There’s a lot of info out there about the history of the company and I’ve seen this article referenced before.


An article from the Hartford Daily Courant, Sept. 6, 1886, describes the transition of power to the Catlin family as follows. “They were started, like many other knife shops, by workmen on the co-operative principle. But the men were not prudent and their stock was gradually swallowed up at the village store until the controlling interest came into the possession of the proprietor, Deacon (John) Catlin, who admitted his sons, Frank and Howard, the former being the active manager.”


A picture of John Catlin.


Here’s a picture of Franklin.




The Catlins were a prominent family in the Litchfield and the name comes up over and over again in the History of Litchfield.















The entire ebook “History of the Town of Litchfield” can be viewed here
https://ia802502.us.archive.org/19/i...fl1920whit.pdf
Also there is a nice little write up found here
https://hiddeninplainsightblog.com/2...ld-knife-shop/

I guess I've reached my attachment limit and will have to continue in a moment.

These are some ads related to the company






And this is one of my favorite little excerpts. It comes from the journal “Forest and Stream & Rod and Gun, The American Sportsman’s Journal”, New York, Thursday, August 23, 1877, (Vol. 9 – No. 3). It’s just a simple account of some fish caught in the pond near the Northfield Knife Company, but it means a lot to me because I had many days like this in the very same pond when I was a kid.

So, here are some razors from my collection. Some are in good condition, a couple I have restored, some are worse off than others, and there are a few that need scales.



A hen's tooth..


A misprint?


Other etchings


And some various tang stamps

And boxes..

Shiet that's a lovely spread of razors from that mfgr Tuzi!
Love the Ratler, for the spelling alone, and the grind of course.
Some really neat examples you have there.
Guess it's fortunate for the rest of us you didn't live in Sheffield, or Solingen as a lad as well. Would be no pickins left,, hehehe.

A really nice thread for future information on this brand. Thank you for putting it together.

Dang fine collection and thank you for putting all of the information together

Originally Posted by Hirlau

A really nice thread for future information on this brand. Thank you for putting it together.

My pleasure! I hope others might add to it with more history/info and pictures of other Northfield razors.

Awesome collection. Sure looks like you've got the market cornered for Northfield's.
Great historical information too.
Thanks for sharing.

Pete <:-}

WOW that is an impressive collection of Northfields! You are going to have some fine razors when those are ready to rock