Welcome Home...THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

iKnife Collector

The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel

WARDS TL-29???

Just picked this knife up yesterday and never heard of the stamping before: it says WARDS - lst line and Made in USA - 2n line. That's all. It is a nice knife, very strong snap and sturdy built, lots of stain on blades but they are in very good condition.

I guess its a Lineman or Military Lineman issue. Its a nice knife and a pleasure to hold and have in pocket.

Anyone ever heard of this stamping??? Thanks.

2 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on August 16, 2013 at 15:06

I know its an electricians knife and I also know that Montgomery Wards was a store that had them made. They were Headquartered in Chicago, IL

Not absolutely sure but a good chance the knives were made by Camillus. Maybe we can get some additional input too!

▶ Reply

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Craig Henry on August 16, 2013 at 17:04

The only thing I can find in my books is "Wards" made by Utica, Winchester, and Western for Montgomery Wards. Maybe someone else has more books with more info, since the other books I used to have I sold off by mistake at a yard sale!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on August 16, 2013 at 17:10

Thanks, the only thing I wonder about, is that Montgomery Wards never seem to call themselves just "Wards" - but I guess according to your book they did.

▶ Reply

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Craig Henry on August 17, 2013 at 0:14

Back in the days of old, when I grew up in Silver Spring Maryland, we always called Montgomery Wards just "Wards". Though some smart alecky kids would call them "Monkey Wards". Nooo, I was never a smart alecky kid.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on August 17, 2013 at 5:08

Craig, I grew up around there to, I can remember calling it Monkey Wards. My Mother worked there for awhile. That and Sears were the place to go.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on September 26, 2013 at 19:48

Yeps Ward Started as a Catalog company similar ro Sears and sold tools. The knives were contracted through Camillus. as such it is doubtful that it was military issue

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jean-François on October 9, 2013 at 4:17

Hi,

Our fellow member Mike BOTTShas posted a picture of a WARDS Winchester Stag Equal-End Cattle Knife :

http://www.iknifecollector.com/photo/wards-winchester-stag-equal-en...

I have purchased some years ago a 411 equal end CATTLE KNIFE with the “Master Quality” etching that Montgomery Wards used 1935-1950. Tang stamp WARDS MADE IN USA; bone handles; 3 11/16" closed. It’s known that M. Wards contracted Winchester for his knives. The seller reported that he had showed the knife to Jim Sargent (former President of the National Knife Collectors Association and a knife expert), and that Mr Sargent was pretty sure that it had been manufactured by Winchester.

A link for more information (all about pocket knives forum):

https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&...

"Post subject: Re: Wards Cattle KnifePosted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:45 am

Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:44 pm

Posts: 3203

Location: The Heart of Dixie.

I had a Ward's four blade equal end cattle knife at one time. That was before I stopped buying any knife that interested me, and started buying Robesons exclusively. It had the same etch. I do not remember the pattern number, but 411 seems awfully familiar. I was told when I bought it, that except for the tang mark it would be a very valuable Winchester pocket knife. The bone looked like Winchester bone, and the quality of the knife was certainly consistent with that theory.

Charlie Noyes"

[…]

And further in the discussion:

“I just happened to have a 1927 Wards catalog. They had a whole page of knives, about 30 or so. I took a picture of the knife that most resembles yours, this knife has a punch blade, but you could order it with a different blade configuration. The price on the knife back in '27 was 85 cents. I'd say thats about average for a high quality knife, most Remington patterns were selling in the 75 cents to a dollar range at that time. Wards also sold a nice looking 3 blade stockman handled in pearl for a whopping sum of $1.25, along with some 2 blade knives in the .39 - .59 range.”

Hope it helps.