Cattaraugus Yukon

Cattaraugus® Cutlery Company

The Father-in-Law of Case Brands

In the United States of 1880, the cutlery industry was dominated at the high end by the great English houses, of Joseph Rogers, Wostenholm and their closest competitors. At the low end by the makers of Germany and Bohemia with the American knife companies filling the middle space. In that year, John B. F. Champlin conceived the idea of an American firm making only the highest quality pocketknives and taking for America the banner of best quality knives. For more than 50 years this company made the best knives you could buy in this country. The great depression of the 1930s did not crush them but damaged the company badly. It is true that they made hundreds of thousands of the best, if least known, combat knives of World War II, the 225Q, but they never recovered the command of the quality pocketknife business. The company quietly closed their doors in the early 1960s, shortly before America began its renaissance of knives. In the early 1970s I registered the trademark "Cattaraugus" and have tried very hard to maintain the high level of quality that was the vision of the founders.

Earlier this year, W. R. Case and Sons asked our permission to use this trademark as a part of their Centennial celebration. The Case cutlery family was closely tied to the Champlin family. Several of the Case brothers worked for the Cattaraugus Company in the 1880s and more than one married a daughter of the family. In 1904, the W. R. Case and Sons Cutlery Co. of Bradford PA, was formed. In 1905 it was incorporated. This being the centennial of that founding, W. R. Case and Sons is celebrating the seven cutlery firms in their past. Case Brothers of Little Valley, W. R. Case & Son of Little Valley, Kinfolks and so on. In the past few months, they announced the first three of the seven volumes in their Case Family Encyclopedia. Volume II is Cattaraugus.

In addition to the encyclopedia, there are four limited edition knives in quantities of 250 pieces each. These knives are a part of the Cattaraugus® ATS Program with blades of ATS-34, wire cut blades and springs (like those in the Tony Bose Program), Cattaraugus® marked blades, traditional Arrowhead shield with CCCo mark. Each model will be limited to 250 pieces and will be packaged in a beautiful and distinctive Arrowhead shaped wooden display box. These knives are made with such care that they rival the work of today's finest makers of handmade traditional pocketknives. I speak as the owner of the famed Hen & Rooster when they were made in their own plant with such care that knife collectors throughout the World acknowledged how fine they were. I tell you that nowhere in the world today is there a knife factory making traditional pocketknives that can compare with these knives made by Case.

Cattaraugus Yukon

Measures 5-1/4" closed with a 3-7/8" saber ground clip point blade. Red jigged bone handle scales and nickel silver bolsters, caps and inlay. Weighs 3.3 oz.

(A) CS-5331: $355.00

Cattaraugus® Trapper

Measures 4-1/8" closed with a 3-1/4" clip blade and a 3-1/4" spey blade. Red jigged bone handle scales and nickel silver bolsters, caps and inlay. Weighs 3.3 oz.

(B) CS-5332: $275.00