The Congress Knife and the Twin Sisters
...took my Congress knife and drew the file blade through the inner part. It left a nice mark, and by this I hoped to identify her...
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Welcome to my curation and writings on knife history. Most of the content is centered around pocket knife history, but it does branch into other cutlery arenas as my mood strikes. The below Collections links retain all of my curated content. I also post my new history articles below in the blog. If you have questions on anything you see here or have content you would like to post - contact me!
Collections (Links, Books, etc.):
German Cutlery History (coming soon)
Latest articles on cutlery history:
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Neal Punchard
- Jan 3, 2022
- 3 min
Cloak and Dagger
Beyond the suspenseful intrigue of a good mystery novel, the term “cloak and dagger” has origins dating back to the 15th century....
112 views
Mike Moran
- Nov 23, 2021
- 1 min
The Knife Factory Turkey and the "Gushing Damsels of Salisbury and Lakeville"
the bachelors in the factory, were the most solemn, crestfallen, dejected, and wobegone set of individuals when they gazed upon the turkeys
67 views
Mike Moran
- Nov 6, 2021
- 4 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part X
It is the bounden duty of every one who carries a knife, to carry a good one, not only for his own sake, but for that of right and justice
85 views
Mike Moran
- Nov 5, 2021
- 5 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part IX
Perhaps there is no more showy, brilliant and beautiful work of art in the world, than a fine, well proportioned, well made knife.
14 views
Mike Moran
- Sep 1, 2021
- 8 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part VIII
the Yankee workman is not content to go through the same tedious routine of slow manipulation day after day
36 views
Mike Moran
- Aug 11, 2021
- 7 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part VII
We will now describe the operations performed on the latter, to convert them into a four blade, shell-handled Congress knife.
28 views
Mike Moran
- Jul 28, 2021
- 12 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part VI
The cutler’s “side,” as he terms it, is a bench from 5 to 6 feet long, and from 18 to 24 inches wide. A portion of the bench,
33 views
Mike Moran
- Jul 14, 2021
- 6 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part V
The corboe, or Wharncliffe knife, was made by one John Mason, 23 years ago, for Lord Wharncliffe, who it is said made the pattern from...
87 views
Mike Moran
- Jun 30, 2021
- 4 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part IV
There is one grinder at least, in America, who has been seated over 17 different stones when they have burst, and who still pursues his work
14 views
Mike Moran
- Jun 23, 2021
- 8 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part III
The different parts of a knife blade are called the faces, back, edge, point, neck, swages, tang and nailmark.
12 views
Mike Moran
- Jun 16, 2021
- 9 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part II
Two celebrated warriors were testing the virtues of their swords. The first commanded a thick bar of iron to be laid on the block, which he
21 views
Mike Moran
- Jun 10, 2021
- 5 min
An Essay on Pen and Pocket Cutlery - Part I
Cutlery has been in use from the earliest ages of the world, and in its different forms, it is, and ever has been among the chief implements
75 views
Mike Moran
- Jun 10, 2021
- 3 min
Hiding in Washington Square Park: America's Most Prolific Writer on Pocket Knife Manufacturing
Hidden within Manhattan's Washington Square Park is a tribute to a legendary writer on American pocket knife manufacturing.
67 views
Mike Moran
- May 20, 2021
- 3 min
A Supreme Court Chief Justice Tangles with Ulster Knife Co
Ulster Knife Co gets in trouble with the White House!
58 views
Neal Punchard
- Mar 31, 2021
- 5 min
The H.H.H. Barnett Pliers Knife
The only real mystery surrounding the Barnett pliers-knife has been just exactly what the “H.H.H.” trademark stands for.
888 views
Mike Moran
- Feb 15, 2021
- 12 min
Of Cocobolo and Boys Knives
Sometime at the turn of the century (the 20th century that is), Saunders Norvell (another story for another day) was running the Shapleigh H
521 views
Mike Moran
- Feb 5, 2021
- 7 min
A Tourist Abroad Spurs the American Cutlery Industry
In 1832, Zachariah Allen published the book “The Practical Tourist, or Sketches of the State of the Useful Arts, and of Society, Scenery,...
76 views
Mike Moran
- Jan 26, 2021
- 9 min
Benjamin Franklin - Almost America’s Most Famous Cutler
Philadelphia - Old City: Second Bank Portrait Gallery - Benjamin Franklin Credit If it weren’t for a lack of nepotism, Mrs. Silence...
126 views
Mike Moran
- Dec 10, 2020
- 4 min
Remington Cutlery and Peters Men
Adopted from an Instagram post. Photos at the bottom. If you’ve ever been through Cincinnati, you’ve probably heard of Kings Island. And...
41 views
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