Skip to content

Knife Blog: Pocket Knives With Your Logo | Logo-Knives

The official blog of Logo-Knives.com

Recent Posts

  • National Cocktail Day Calls For Engraved Tools
  • These Are The Buck Knives That People Can’t Wait To Get Their Hands On
  • Choose Your Treasure At The End Of The Rainbow: Personalized Pocket Knives vs. Gold
  • What Will You Have Your Pocket Knives Engraved With This Month?
  • The Best Engraved Gerber Knives For March Aren’t What You’d Expect

Recent Comments

  • 5 Things About Logo Knives You May Not Have Kno... on 5 Things About Logo Knives You May Not Have Known
  • Buck Knives Never Get Re-Gifted – Knife B... on Buck Knives Never Get Re-Gifted
  • The Sharp History of the Fruit Knife (Melon Tes... on The Sharp History of the Fruit Knife (Melon Tester), Vegetable Knife
  • Spring Break + Buck Knives= A Match Made In Hea... on Spring Break + Buck Knives= A Match Made In Heaven
  • 8 Engraved Buck Knives With A Secret Feature &n... on 8 Engraved Buck Knives With A Secret Feature

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • February 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • May 2012
  • March 2012
  • December 2011
  • June 2011
  • February 2011

Categories

  • American-Made Cutlery
  • Appraising Old Pocket Knives
  • Best Pocket Knives
  • Buck Knives
  • Case knives
  • Engraved Boker Knives
  • Engraved Buck Knives
  • Engraved Gerber Knives
  • engraved Kershaw knives
  • Engraved Kutmaster Knives
  • Engraved Leatherman Tools
  • Engraved Pocket Knives
  • Engraved Tools
  • Engraving Pocket Knives With Your Company Logo
  • Fruit Knife
  • How Old Is My Knife
  • How To Sell My Old Knife
  • Leatherman Tools
  • Old Barlow Knives
  • Old Pocket Knives
  • Personalized Pocket Knives
  • Pocket Knives Engraved
  • Uncategorized
  • USA-Made
  • Zippo
  • Zippo knives

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Category: How Old Is My Knife

How do I find the age of my old pocket knife?

The History of Company Logo Knives

When was the first time that someone used pocket knives to deliver an advertising message? When was the first Logo actually put on a knife, a logo not belonging to the knife’s manufacturer? What is an old advertising knife worth today? All these questions are answered in a unique book, ADVERTISING CUTLERY, by Richard D. White, c. 1999. It’s published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd, Atglen, PA.

It’s an amazing book to me, but I’m partial to company logo knives. I sell them for a living. I’m glad Mr. White decided to assemble this valuable information and present it in a fun, easy to read way. You can tell he loves knives, and has been collecting them for a long time. The book divides the collectible knives into categories:

  1. Agricultural Feeds, Seeds & Services
  2. Food & Beverages
  3. Shoes, Clothing, & Textiles
  4. Consumer Products
  5. Business & Industry
  6. Petroleum Related Products
  7. Fraternal Organizations
  8. Whiskey & Tobacco
  9. Commemoratives & Anniversaries
  10. World’s Fairs & Souvenirs
  11. Cutlery Products
  12. Hunting and Fishing
  13. Miscellaneous

HOW WERE THE EARLY LOGO KNIVES IMPRINTED?

Die-Struck Imprint
Die-Struck Imprint

Advertising on knives began about 100 years ago. That was long before laser engraving. According to Mr. White’s pictures (and the book is loaded with color pictures), the early logo knives were imprinted with the die-struck method. That’s when a heavy stamping machine forces the imprint from the die into the metal handle. This imprinting technique is still used today on name plates and key tags. I haven’t seen it used currently on knife handles.

Die-Cast Imprint
Die-Cast Imprint

Die cast was another early way to advertise on a knife handle. This provides a 3 dimentional look that is very impressive.

Then hot stamping and screen printing were used. Hot stamping uses a heated die, which pushes the color of a foil ribbon into the plastic handle of the knife. The heat makes a slight indent into the partly melted substrate. This method is still used today, but not so much on knife handles.

Screen Printed Handle
Screen Printed Handle

Screen printing is familiar to most people. That’s when the ink, or paint, is pushed through the porous areas of a screen onto the knife handle. This is still very much used today on knives.

Today we use laser engraving, machine engraving (like a jeweler’s), electro etching, screen printing, pad printing, and laser engraving followed by a color fill.

Engraved & Color-Filled Handle
Engraved & Color-Filled Handle

HOW MUCH IS MY OLD LOGO KNIFE WORTH?

If I had a quarter for every time someone has emailed me that question, I’d be rich by now. Mr. White’s book has these guidelines for determining the answer to your question.

THE 5 FACTORS WHICH AFFECT THE OVERALL VALUE OF ANY COLLECTIBLE CUTLERY ARE:

    1. Condition
    2. Brand Name
    3. Style
    4. Handle Material
    5. Age

The advertiser is also a factor. If it was a company that used to make asbestos, or any other obsolete product or service, that knife has more appeal to a collector. Barlow style knives have their own special appeal.

Old Imprinted Logo Knives
Old Imprinted Logo Knives

Do you have an old advertising knife? Tell us about it, and email a picture. I’d be happy to see it. So would everyone else. Thanks.

Posted on November 6, 2014November 7, 2014Author adminCategories Appraising Old Pocket Knives, Engraving Pocket Knives With Your Company Logo, How Old Is My Knife, How To Sell My Old Knife, Old Barlow Knives, Old Pocket KnivesTags appraisal, barlow, bear, bolster, books, commemorative, company, custom, engraved, handle, history, knife books, knives, laser, logo, personalized knives, personalized pocket knives, pocket2 Comments on The History of Company Logo Knives
Proudly powered by WordPress