The News from ElephantToenails.com

They called it TRAPPERS’ PRIDE

Like I promised I wanted to show you the toenail up close and personal from the Funsten Brothers catalog. I got off last night doing research on Funsten Bros- evidently they were major players in the fur trade industry in the 1800s and into the 1900s. Maybe more to come on that firm.

Let’s get to the good stuff. I love to find toenails in catalogs (Thanks again Steve).

Initially, this toenail was thought to be made by Ulster because several some of the other knives on that page are marked Ulster, or directly referenced. However, if you look very closely on the toenail tang stamp you can see “AN”. I went back and looked at that page and found a knife pictured to be an A J JORDAN.

I now believe the toenail is an A J JORDAN toenail pictured in this catalog.

The order blank in the back of this catalog shows 191__, so I’m unable to nail the date down any closer.

Now, to connect the dots- here’s some interesting info on A J Jordan. They were an import firm based in St. Louis- Goins’ has them dated 1878- 1926. They imported from England and Germany.

In 1911, Mr. Jordan’s son, Clay Jordan, acquired PLATTS BROTHERS CUTLERY CO. of Andover. He renamed the firm to Clay Cutlery Co. and A J Jordan acted as their selling agent. It is very likely Clay Cut. Co sold made knives stamped A J Jordan.

Good stuff, huh? It is possible this toenail was made in Germany (H. Boker & Henry Sears) and imported, or made at Clay.

Just to get you going- here’s my Clay Cut Co toenail. Looks like a match, doesn’t it?

Clay Cutlery Co. Andover, NY c. 1911- 1923

Another interesting point is- notice the single pull. Based on the order blank in the Funsten catalog, there is no doubt the knife for sale was made in the teens, so we know toenails were offered then without a double pull or long pull, both are commonly associated with knives produced in the early 1900s. The Platts Brothers standard style toenails only had a single pull too have both a long pull and regular pull.

In the quest of dating Cattaraugus toenails and the number of pins used during the company’s 77 year existence (1886- 1963), here’s a tidbit-

Pre- 1913 Etched Cattaraugus Elephant Toenail

This Catt is etched “The Western Hdwe & Imp. Co.”

I am able to only find a snippet of information at this point on the hardware company. 

 

 

 

 

The Western Hardware & Implement Company’s name was changed in 1913 when the business was sold.

So, one fact we can nail down is this- the 3 pin dates back to pre- 1913.

If you are an eBay watcher then you have undoubtly noticed the decent quality toenails going off there lately. Late today, another knife friend passed on one to me that has just been added.

While Camillus doesn’t seem to rank up there with Platts, Case Brothers, Napanoch and W R Case & SON and the other grade A Brands, Camillus is still a fine brand and one that should move up a notch or two with them shutting down in 2006.

While I do I a number of them, I am not a Camillus expert, but from what I have read it seems the 4 line is the older model.

This one is worth checking out-

One of our members of the Elephant Toenail Collector Club brought to my attention a Napanoch Toenail for sale on eBay right now.

Napanoch is a rare and sought after brand, and is another one of those very early toenail makers. 

According to Rhett Stedham’s book entitled, Napanoch, “A White Man’s Knife with a Red Man’s Name,” this knife company was incorporated in 1909, but had been making knives prior to that. He goes further to say, “In 1905 the knife company became first known as the Napanoch Knife Company.”

Winchester Repeating Arms Co. bought them in June of 1919. The original founders of this firm later (1921) founded Honk Falls Knife Co., another very rare brand. In fact, these men returned to the original Napanoch plant where they started Honk Falls (Winchester had moved Napanoch to New Haven, CT).

Goin’s states the founders of Napanoch were making knives as early as 1900.

In its early years Napanoch made knives on contract for several firms that sold toenails, including, Wilbert Cutlery Co., Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett, Challenge Cutlery Co., Henry Sears, and, of course, W. R. Case & Son!

As a side note- we understand the years of W. R. Case & Son to be 1902- 1903, so we know Napanoch was making toenails then.

Napanoch is another major player in the early history of Elephant Toenails.

All you guys know I am on a never ending quest to trace toenails back to the earliest date I can.

There are only a handful of firms that could have made them prior to around 1900. One of those firms, and a highly potential candidate, is the underrated- Cattaraugus Cutlery Company, Little Valley, New York.

This firm was a major player in early American cutlery history. Their history was the foundation of Case Brothers, W R Case, C. Platts and many other firms later to come.

Trying to find a connection between any firm in the late 1800s and our favorite pattern has so far been fruitless. Sure we know there is the 1904 Case Brothers Catalog with a photo of two toenails in it. I have an old Case Brothers Manufacturing Co., Gowanda, NY box with 8250 legibly written on its end, aside from those two items, as far as I have anyway, there are few clues to go on.

Cattaraugus Invoice May 24, 1894

Last week, I grabbed a 05/24/1894 Cattaraugus Cutlery Co. billhead/invoice off of eBay hoping it would have the sacred pattern number “92″ on it (a bone toenail is 22929), however struck out again. I actually have several now from the late 1880s and 1890s, but none of them have our patten number being ordered.

So, I will keep searching…if you happen on any lead we can use to trace back toenails to pre-Case Brothers, please let me know. In fact, I’ll name the discovery after you (like when someone discovers a new star it is named after them)!

I think the best way to tell you about my last three days is as a photolog, so here goes. The tale begins at Parker’s Knife Show, then a tour through the NKCA Knife Museum and finally, breakfast with some fellow Elephant Toenail Collector Club Members. Then I headed home.

Parker's Show Hall

C Platts Jumbo for sale by Joe Seale

National Knife Collection Museum

Platts History & Jumbo

Case Family Toenail

Case Brothers Toenail

Early Case Toenail

Henry Sears & Son Tear Drop Style

Napanoch Display featuring Toenail

Voyles Knife Auction

1911 W R Case Letterhead

Talking about historically significant- how would you like to have the chance to listen in on a one-on-one conversation with the president of the oldest remaining knife company… not to mention one of the oldest remaining knife companies to have made toenails!

Well, you can. Let’s face it- there aren’t many of the early knife companies left. Many of them went by the wayside after the Great Depression. Several survived and one of them is the W R Case firm.

While their roots go back to around 1890, we tend to think of them as coming into existence around 1902 with our favorite toenails stamped W R Case & Son (singular). Toenails with this stamped are reported to have only been made around the 1902 to 1903 timeframe- before Case merged with C. Platts to become W R Case & Sons (with the “S”).

W R Case & Son Rogers Bone

The Son toenails reek with OLD and rank right up top on my all time favorite list. You will not run across Son toenails out there very often, but if you do find one, grab it… in any condition.

Sorry, I got carried away here, but obviously, I have a thing for really old Case toenails and history.

Let me invite you to listen in on my interview with Tom Arrowsmith over at Cutlery News Journal

Have you found that collecting old pocketknives (in our case, Toenails) leads to collecting other “things” too? To me it is like a tree that branches out in different directions and yet each branch has the same trunk.

I don’t know all the branches you have taken, but for me have to fight to stay focused. You know, however, I find it fun to discover all things related to old knives, like billheads, boxes, knife rolls, photos, postcards, receipts, time cards, letters, etc.

Well a friend of mine hit me with a different type item the other day, and of course, I liked it.

You know I am working on research related to late 1800’s to very early 1900s cutlery salesmen. And while this piece isn’t that old, it directly relates.

Early knife salesmen were called, among other things, Knights of the Grip- and in case you have ever wanted to see an authentic grip-here you go. It is a Union Cutlery Company, Olean, NY Salesman’s case.

Talk about life and times, this sales- man’s bag puts you right there on the street with that salesman going from merchant to merchant.

Size is about 7-1/2″ x 18-1/2″, and about 14-1/2-15″ tall.

If you have anything related to early hardware co. or cutlery co. salesmen, please let me know.

Did you know that in 1877 several of the early American Cutlery Companies joined forces to auction a large amount of cutlery?

The auction was held in New York City on February 14th, 1877 and consisted of 800 lots. There was a very large attendance, including representatives of the leading houses in Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Chicago, Baltimore and even San Francisco.

Listed as participating in the auction was Beaver Falls Cutlery Company, Landers, Frary & Clark, John Russell Cutlery Company, Meriden Cutlery Company, Chicago Cutlery Manufacturing Company and Lamson & Goodnow Manufacturing Company.

The New York Times reported on that date that the auction prices “were extremely satisfactory, being up to current market rates” and there was discussion of making the joint auction a permanent thing. It did go on to say the auction would continue the next day.

The article goes on to say, “The companies, although they have succeeded in driving most of the English manufacturers out of the market, have met a serious obstacle of late in the establishment of cutlery manufacturing companies in the West. They thereby lost a considerable proportion of their trade. This fact, and the general depression of trade, have left on their hands a large overstock of goods they wished to get rid of.”

While I am a die-hard C. Platts, Case Brothers & W R Case fan, I have always had a strong liking for Cattaraugus. This firm has it all- very rich history, TOENAILS, ample information available and my favorite town in America location- Little Valley. (Photo shown is the old factory in Little Valley after it was closed down. I “discovered” it while driving around Little Valley in 2006. You can imagine my surprise when I found it.)

This history of J.B.F. Champlin (the founder) as a businessman is very interesting. I view him as the patriarch of a whole line of American cutlery firms, including Case Bros, Kinfolks, Little Valley Knife Association, Crandall, W R Case, and many others that had their roots in some association with Mr. Champlin’s vision. (more…)