One of my favorite past-times is visiting Revolutionary and Civil War battlefields and National Historic sites. Ever since I was a kid, I have been enthralled by placing myself back in time at these hallowed grounds. Recently, Melissa and I … Read more...
American Cutlery Renaissance
American Cutlery is now known as the finest in the world, rivaling the cutleries of Seki, Japan, Solingen, Germany, Toledo, Spain, Maniago, Italy and others. As we discussed in Newsletters Volume III and IV, American Cutlery was borne out … Read more...
The Origin of the Barlow
There are some knives so famous that everyone knows what they are, including non-knife people; the Bowie knife, the Ka-Bar fighting knife, and the famous Barlow to name a few. Of all the well-known knives out there, the Barlow probably … Read more...
CONNECTIONS TO HISTORY THROUGH A POCKET KNIFE
On April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic sank in the north Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, killing 1,517 people. It is a tragic story that has achieved sensational fame because of Hollywood, numerous museums, and the sheer magnitude of the … Read more...
The Life of Horace Kephart – Great Knife Stories in History
What’s in a name? Have you ever wondered where certain knife names come from? Sometimes they are so weird that it is intriguing to think about the creative genius. Other times they make no sense. Sometimes the knife carries on … Read more...
PRESIDENTIAL KNIVES
American Presidential history is dotted with great knives. Partly because a healthy percentage of our Presidents have had military careers and view knives as indispensable tools, but moreover because our Presidents have often mirrored the spirit of America. That spirit … Read more...
THE GREATEST CUTLER TO AMERICA – Rodgers and Wostenholm
We needed to continue our British theme for another month because just opening the discussion about the roots of American Cutlery in Sheffield, England would leave out two of the most important names in the entire cutlery industry. Those two … Read more...
AMERICA’S ENGLISH ROOTS IN SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND
American Cutlery is revered for many notable contributions to the greater global edged tool community. The Bowie Knife for example is found all over the planet and has been manufactured the world over since it became famous back in the … Read more...
The World’s Oldest Known Folding Knife
Have you ever wondered about the oldest pocket knife ever found? What would you guess the age would be? When exactly did man decide to take a blade, cut the tang, put a hole in for a pivot pin, and … Read more...
The Beginning of the American Red Cross…
…and the role of the pocket knife.
Man’s oldest tool has been everywhere that we as a species have been. It’s odd to think about in those terms, but the knife was just as indispensable for astronauts exploring outer space … Read more...