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Washington Cutlery Company "Village Blacksmith" Vintage Butcher Knife
$95.00
Current stock:
1
Washington Cutlery Company "Village Blacksmith" Vintage Butcher Knife ~
Company History
- Formation and Early Years: Washington Cutlery Company was originally established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1894.
- Move to Watertown: In 1906, the company relocated to Watertown, Wisconsin, citing better manufacturing advantages. The facility in Watertown became the main production site.
- "Village Blacksmith" Brand: The company became well known for its high-quality "Village Blacksmith" line, which included butcher knives, cleavers, chisels, screwdrivers, and agricultural tools like corn knives and sickles. The name was chosen to evoke the image of high-quality, traditional craftsmanship.
- Production Volume: By 1939, the company produced approximately 700,000 items annually, which were sold in over 3,000 hardware stores.
- Branding Method: Prior to the 1940s, the "Village Blacksmith" name was typically stamped or incised directly into the steel blades; afterward, the name was usually stamped on the handles.
- Transition and Closure: The company began phasing out cutlery items in the 1950s and shifted focus to garden tools and, later, lawn mower blades. The original company went out of business in the 1960s. The former factory building was later used by Fisher Barton, which continued manufacturing blades at the site.
- Brand Resurrection: The "Village Blacksmith" name was eventually purchased by a Los Angeles businessman, Dick Davis of SMS Industries (later acquired by the Olympia Group), who began marketing new garden tools under the classic brand name.
Today, items from the original Washington Cutlery Company's "Village Blacksmith" line are considered vintage collectibles, prized for their quality and durable American steel.
- Nice patina consistent with age
- OAL : 12 7/8" , Blade 7"
- Condition is Excellent, see chart below and all photos
NKCA Grading system
MINT: A factory fresh knife, absolutely original as it came from the manufacturer, not carried or sharpened, a perfect knife.
NEAR MINT: A new knife that has seen sometimes, show some slight carry or shop wear, blades snap perfectly, handles show no cracks.
EXCELLENT: Shows no more than 10% blade wear, handles are sound, no cracks, blades snap good.
VERY GOOD: About 25% blade wear, slight cracks in handles, may have one lazy blade, stamping clearly visible to the naked eye, no blades changed or repaired.
FAIR: 50% blade wear, blades lazy, cracks and chips in handles, handles replaced with same type, blades repaired, stampings faint but readable with a glass.
POOR: Blades very worn, handles bad or missing, blades have been replaced with the same type, reading of the stamp is almost impossible, even with a glass, good mostly only for parts.
