Thread: American Knife Co. Plymouth Hollow, Conn.

Razors with heavy stainless scales like that were medical razors used to shave patients prior to surgery, etc.
The scales could be sterilized along with the blade.

Beginning to clean up a few other obscure Americans. I am not certain we have discussed them here?

R. Heinisch of Newark, NJ. http://jwissandsons.com/bios/EarlyTo...ersChapter.pdf



C. F. Wolfertz, Of Allentown PA. Dog-powered grinding! Manufacturing and Mercantile Resources of the Lehigh Valley, Including ... - Google Books

Very interesting razors Tom, never realize how early ROCHUS HEINISCH was in American cutlery history. Found this list of American Pocket cutlery from 1882, interestingly Little Valley was not established yet.

Originally Posted by Martin103

Very interesting razors Tom, never realize how early ROCHUS HEINISCH was in American cutlery history. Found this list of American Pocket cutlery from 1882, interestingly Little Valley was not established yet.

Yes, The German immigrants seem to have had a jump on the Sheffielders in the U.S. Rocus Heinish was a German immigrant who was around mid-1800's. His main thing was scissors/shears, but made medical sets and razors. I saw where the company had sold out to Wiss about mid-century. Heinisch had a long, successful run.
I ALSO saw where Wiss had been brought along by Heinisch.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Interesting stuff, Zak! I pulled this poor thing from a set of carved bone a few weeks ago. It has 'Lake Champlain' etched across the spine. Made on the creek??


Attachment 159727

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Innnnteresting! Probably not made there, he still lived in Sheffield in the 1820's, but he'd been doing a LOT of biz with this side of the pond back into the Greaves days.

I've got 2 GR-stamped Stenton razors. It took me forever to get my paws on one of the 'Again Superior' ones (which, near as I can tell, marks his move to the states).


Fun fact! William 'Devil' Stenton worked for the Sandersons while they were doing the large-scale alloying experiments for Stodart and Faraday. The experiments that directly resulted in 'Silver Steel' being a thing.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

HA! Yes, I just looked at my picture and saw the GR!

That blade configuration is almost identical to a Wm Greaves & Sons I have & also the Packwood style straights that had been going around way back when. I have been reading this for a day now & still reading. Very interesting stuff. I have been interested in American made blades quite often but more lately. I can see the transition from Sheffield to the states pretty clearly now. I love this & wish I had been a member here a little bit sooner than I am...........



I'm surprised I didn't see this sooner & I did see the link a few weeks ago when someone else inquired about Case but I guess I never finished looking at it all. Like I say quite often, I learn something everyday!

Certainly you are here now, Steve. Much more to share about American razors. Show us what you have/know !

I'm on it Tom. Being under the weather for a little over a week, I did a few things but not much so I have been reading up. I was on this thread since yesterday & I just got to the end but I still haven't seen ALL the other links but I have seen most of them. I didn't go to the last one Martin showed but I will. I think I have one or two straights from B.T. & Co. One is a W&B I believe. I need to go find it. If I have a second one, it is a Joseph Elliott. It has letters on it like a retailer. I'm digging our American history. I have some of the Shapleigh razors & hones & Keen Kutter razor & strop. I also have an Enders Oak leaf straight & hone. All of those companies were bought out by Shapleigh if I remember correctly. I love my Genco's too which were tied in with Case.
Back to Little Valley................I have a straight razor that says The Valley Razor Co, Little-Valley, NY on it & I just honed it the other day when I honed the Henckles Gloria razor. I didn't see anything in this thread about The Valley Razor Co. If it was here, I missed it.

I actually replied to another thread but it was appropriate to Case. I have a Crandall Cutlery blade I need to put into scales. I bought the blade as it & it is in about close to mint condition with minimal scratches but they were only made for about 5 years so there aren't as many of them around as there might be Case, Cattaraugus & some others. I can't wait to put it in scales but I'm still trying to figure out if I should find some bakelite scales around here or if I should dress it in some nice new scales.
I also see from my book by Jim Sargent that the "I Must Kust" logo on the blade was also used by "Little Valley Knife Ass'n, Little Valley, NY" on a straight razor they made. I was surprised to see this book must be very informative on Case knives & razors along with Tom's (aka sharptonn) link & it all opened up a whole new world to me even more than it originally was & I've loved every bit of it. I love our American history & the more of this I find It fascinates me & when some of it comes together like this, it is even more historical & informative & the more history found, the better! I love it.......all of it plus more!!!!!!





I have my Shumates, one or two Austin, TX ones somewhere but I would love a nice one. I have a nice one & it was beautiful until I cleaned the blade off & discovered a crack in the blade & I communicated with the seller & sent him pics so he refunded my money & I got to keep it I found the crack in 5 or less minutes after I got it. I think I have the coffin to it too. I have a few Genco's & a couple Geneva which eventually became Genco. It would be nice to branch out a bit & also look into other companies or possible links to other makers.

This probably sums it up in the Case family from the 1920-1940, a 15 year gap, then from 1955-1962 until the end of a very good maker.


I also have mint Cases Aces, a Genco Easy Aces & a Morris MFG. Red Imp which, according to, my Jim Sargent book says, is tied in with Case. I don't know if that was mentioned, if so, it's been pretty extensive.
It would be nice to have a mint MOP Cases Aces but who knows...........a member may come up with one to show us.

Nice razors, Steve! That Crandall is seldom-seen, I think!

So I have here a Korn Razor Mfg Co 'Clean Clipper' in remarkably good shape! Scales are sooo cheesey!

Back to R. Heinisch, An interesting story in the link I gave above about him and Wiss in NJ.

http://jwissandsons.com/bios/EarlyTo...ersChapter.pdf

I found an article with this picture. That scissor-handled razor was to die for, I thought! Old stuff!