Reply by Sue OldsWidow on December 25, 2013 at 21:56

Baldwin Cutlery Co.

This panoramic print of Tidioute, Pennsylvania was drawn by Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler and published by T. M. Fowler & James B. Moyer in 1896. Tidioute was established by Europeans in 1800 at the mouth of Tidioute Creek where it meets the Allegheny River. 

During the 1800's Tidioute’s proximity to oil and natural gas sources enabled several manufacturers to build and operate foundries that produced highly prized pocket knives and cutlery. Companies of the era included Pennsylvania Cutlery, Baldwin Cutlery and Union Razor Company. Union Razor later became Ka-Bar Cutlery after moving to Olean, New York. The Ka-Bar company still produces its popular “Hobo Knife” to this day. 

The Salisbury Cutlery Handle Factory began in the 1860's and by the 1920's was one of the largest employers in Salisbury.

Stag and exotic wood knife handles were made for cutlery companies including the Clyde Cutlery Co., the Baldwin Cutlery Co., and Holley Manufacturing Company. 

Beautiful logs were brought here from South America by ship, then railroad, and finally up Factory Street by mule from the Railroad station in town.

Any dyed-in-the-wool knife collector will know that the town of Tidioute Pennsylvania has been one of the country's largest centers for the production of cutlery since the mid 1800s.

There are two distinct and unrelated Tidioute Cutlery Companies. The Union Cutlery Company (the first to manufacture trademarked Ka-Bar knives) began life as the Tidioute Cutlery Company in 1897. It wouldn't be long after that the company was dissolved and taken over by the Union Razor Company in 1909 (which soon became the Union Cutlery Company).

This particular pocket knife can be attributed to the slightly later incarnation of the Tidioute Company that was started in 1909, with equipment purchased from an auction of the Booth Brother Cutlery Company.

In 1912, the company was purchased by Harry Baldwin and became Baldwin Cutlery. Therefore, we can say that this lovely knife was manufactured at some time between 1909 and 1912.

The handle is made of genuine stag antler and exhibits a rich and beautiful patina. The center bears a nice honey-brown color while the smoother areas are a mottles amber shade. There is an applied shield-shaped cartouche on one side of the handle made of nickel-silver; the bolsters are also nickel silver. The liners and pins are gold-colored brass.

There are two blades, both made of carbon steel. The longer clip blade has a smooth open and close while the smaller pen blade has an open, close, and half-snap action.

The clip blade is stamped on the tang with the curved "Tidioute PA" hallmark (attributing to the Tidioute later purchased by Harry Baldwin) and the pen blade is marked Tidioute Cutlery Co. PA" on the tang.