Thread: American Knife Co. Plymouth Hollow, Conn.

Yes, just like the old Royal marriages! Have you seen some of them?
A "sturdy" woman with tons of connections got better lookin with more connections! Like beers!
I am sure you know about that, Darl! (kidding!)

Yes I'm Checked & Mated
Har!!!

Originally Posted by Martin103

"H. & J.W. King c. 1857-1876 Hezekiah King is listed in the New York City Directory beginning in 1857 at 86 John Street, as a "Importer of Hardware & Cutlery" In 1865, the listing was H. & J.W. King, "importers of English hardware, cutlery, and guns" at 51 Beekman Street".
Wullie was right !

Some offers from H. & J.W. King, New York

Digging up this old thread to show off my new American Knife razor. Lovely 15/16 near wedge in good condition. It'll get a slot next to my Underwood.

Great condition,,,

Yeah!! That's a beaut!

Thanks guys. Honed and shaved with it this morning. Very nice.

This thread has shown me some incredible American craftsmanship, and artistry! Seems as though was quality important, but being a piece of art as well.

Thank you all for this great information and sharing your personal pride and joy to us! I am awaiting for my first SR to arrive, Dovo Black Star found on Craigslist, and now am determined to own some vintage American cutlery as well.

Respectfully a beginner enthusiast

It was fun to go at this with Martin. Well-viewed thread! 11,150 views! We can add on any time someone wants to!

You know, all this Case family history is a little too straight-forward and untangled. Let me help out a bit!



What you're looking at here is an 1866 survey map of Brant, NY. About 8 miles north east of Little Valley, and along the Cattaragus Creek.

In the yellow box, toward the bottom of the long line of names in the middle is the name Wm. Stenton.

That's the same William Stenton who worked for Greaves, then Naylor & Sanderson, then Wostenholm, then his own bad-self.

Now William was dead in 1866, so that property technically belonged to his son, Robert... And Robert was destitute by then and had run off to San Francisco leaving his wife Louisa and daughter Alice alone in a huge mansion in the farmlands of the Bronx. He and Louisa lost the family fortune (and it was hefty) on stock tips from the Vanderbilts.

In short, that bit of property in Brant had to have been purchased by William some years previously. He also owned an iron-rich plot down in Pennsylvania.

I'm pretty sure he was actually producing some cutlery here in the States, despite having a business set up in Sheffield as well. There was a newspaper article I found once (but can't find now because the newspaper search subscriber service I use does that -- some searches only work occasionally, makes things exciting!) that said Stenton and his son set up a factory in NYC using Sing Sing labor. They may have bought Ibberson's file-cutting business after the lawsuit.

In any event, the 'Again Superior' razors date to the primary American business for Stenton.

It raises the question though, what was he doing up there on the Cattaragus creek, so close to the Little Valley that spawned a thousand Cases?