Queen Cutlery History

Complete Guide to Queen and Schatt & Morgan Knives and History

Queen Cutlery History is a comprehensive, informative resource for anyone interested in Queen City Cutlery Company and its successor, Queen Cutlery Company. In addition the website features information on the related companies, Schatt & Morgan and the Dollar Knife Company. For the first time, knife collectors and historians have access to a knowledge bank of knife photos and descriptions, historical documents, catalogs and articles related to these legendary cornerstones of the American cutlery industry. Our only focus is on knives made in the USA.

In 2018, having produced high quality cutlery using traditional methods for 96 years, Queen Cutlery closed its doors for good. The curators of this website, David Clark, Linda and Fred Fisher and Bob Welch, had previously served as the Queen Cutlery Historical Committee and are now joined by Carl Bradshaw. We are supported in this effort by knowledgable Queen and Schatt & Morgan collectors from across the USA. The Daniels Family, last owners of the company have graciously donated all related historical documents from the old Queen website. We are grateful to Jan Carter, of iknifecollector.com for contributing the web domain.

⇒ We have looked back into the Historical Knife Spotlight to feature an article on the Queen’s early Winterbottom bone. Previous Spotlight articles can be found in the Spotlight Archive. The entire collection of 2020’s Historical Knife Spotlights are now available in articles for you to check out and download

⇒ The Tang Stamp Guide has been updated yet again, to version 9 (October, 2023) – and now contains details on 101 stamps and markings! The guide also includes a supplement with the stamps used on hatchets, razors and scissors. Additionally, the earlier supplement on Dollar Knives, Robeson and Tuna Valley knives is also included. We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions. Contact us here.

"photo of 4 Queen Cutlery pocketknives with burnt orange imitation Winterbottom bone handles against a black background"

Historical Knife Spotlight

This month we shine the Spotlight on a signature element of Queen City knives: early Winterbottom Bone. For many decades Queen City and Queen Cutlery knives have been instantly recognizable due to their use of the unique linear grooved handle material known as Winterbottom Bone. As the name implies, these handles were produced by the Winterbottom Bone Company of Egg Harbor, New Jersey.

"Queen City, cigar jack, 2-blade, Winterbottom bone handles, brass liners, NS bolsters and federal shield, Queen City block stamp, 4 1/4”"

The founder, Samuel Winterbottom was born in Sheffield, England in 1857. At the time of his birth his family had been practicing the bone cutting trade for well over a century, supplying the cutlery trade in Sheffield. Samuel emigrated to America in 1885 and established his own company in 1891, with one employee. By the end of World War I the staff had grown to 85 people.

Although Queen had used Rogers Bone handles since the 1920’s, business records discovered by David Clark of our Queen Cutlery History team indicate Queen City Cutlery placed their first order for Winterbottom Bone in 1930. Though Case, Imperial, Cattaraugus, Camillus, Ka-Bar and others all made some knives with Winterbottom Bone, Queen became the primary user. Queen City’s purchases maxed out in 1936 and then slowly declined until the start of World War II.

All such handles used by Queen City during this period have come to be known by collectors as “early Winterbottom Bone”. As mentioned, it is

"Queen City, swayback saddle horn jack, 2-blade, early Winterbottom bone handles, brass liners, NS bolsters and federal shield, Queen City block stamp, 3 3/8”"

characterized by the long, continuous linear grooves, with gently rounded edges, along the length of the handle. Sometimes the jigging included small fine dimples, like tiny pick marks, along the grooves. These grooves usually

"Queen City, equal end jack, 2-blade, early Winterbottom bone handles, steel liners, NS bolsters, Queen City block stamp, 3 3/8”"

terminated before reaching the bolsters though occasionally knives were made with a few grooves reaching the edge of the handle. The handles were always dyed in attractive brown or tan colors often with a contrasting yet complimentary cream color in the areas without jigging, Virtually all knives having early Winterbottom Bone handles will have one of the Queen City tang stamps.The accompanying photos illustrate several examples of Queen City knives with these early Winterbottom Bone handles.

The period immediately following World War II was a major transition point for Queen. Queen City Cutlery changed its name to Queen Cutlery Co. Accompanying this name change, the “Big Q” trademark was registered in 1946 and

a new post-war catalog was issued the following year. Along with these steps, their Winterbottom Bone style was redesigned. The long, linear grooves were retained but they were generally deeper, with sharper edges. Usually the color shade in the grooves was darker, exhibiting more contrast against the smooth areas of the bone handle. There are of course, exceptions to this owing to all the variations of this natural material and the lots in which the bone was delivered. In their new catalogs, Queen Cutlery referred to these redesigned handles as “Genuine Frontier Bone Stag”. An example appears in this photo.

"#40, Queen, heavy duty screwdriver, 2 blade, Winterbottom bone handles, brass liners, NS bolster, no etch, big Q tang stamp, 3-11/16”

By the late 1960’s market forces, including rising demand for bone products from other industries, and government restrictions on bone imports had driven up prices. Queen transitioned to Delrin or what is commonly called “Imitation Winterbottom Bone”, but that’s a story for another day.

This article draws from information which originally appeared in David Clark’s excellent story “Winterbottom Bone Knife Handles” which can be read here in its entirety.

A new Historical Knife Spotlight is published each month. You can see past editions in the Historical Documents section of this website.

Queen Cutlery Identification Guide

Updated to version 9 (October, 2023)!

Tang Stamps – Blade Markings – Production Dates

The most comprehensive and extensively researched guide to Queen and Schatt & Morgan tang stamps and blade markings ever published has just gotten better! Version 9 (October, 2023) of the guide is now a 19 page document which displays over 100 distinct tang and blade markings used by the cutleries over a span of 126 years. Two supplements have been integrated into the Guide. One covers hatchets, razors and scissors. The other details additional brands made by Queen, Dollar Knives, Robeson and Tuna Valley. 

This Guide was created by our editors and a group of collectors following the 2018 closure of Queen Cutlery. Markings on knives in their various collections, both tang stamps and blade etches, were photographed, in color and (with few exceptions) are included here. 

In addition to the photos, an illustration of the stamp or etch marking is included . This is followed by a description and an accurately estimated time span during which that marking was used.

 To view and download, just click the adjacent image.

Review: The Early Life of Millard Fillmore Robeson and founding of the Robeson Cutlery Company

Robeson Cutlery Company ceased operations in 1965 after 73 years in business. Some collectors of Queen and Schatt & Morgan knives know that Ontario Knife Company, also owned by Queen’s then parent company, Servotronics, acquired the trademarks of Robeson Cutlery in 1971. Then, for almost 25 years, beginning in 1993, Robeson branded knives were manufactured and sold by Queen Cutlery. Robeson tang stamps from the Queen era can be seen in a supplement to our comprehensive Tang Stamp Guide.

The long history of Robeson, and the depth and quality of the firm’s product lines is much broader and deeper than the brand’s faded presence of the late 20th and early 21st centuries might imply. Fortunately for all of us, author and collector Tom Kalcevic has been painstakingly documenting that history and those products for more than a quarter century. In 2000 Kalcevic self-published Knives Can Talk!, Second Edition, The Story of the Robeson Cutlery Co. as Told From Their Knives, Cutlery Products and Local History. This highly sought-after book, now out of print, presents a detailed history of Robeson and it’s myriad cutlery products. The story is enhanced by hundreds of color photos of significant Robeson cutlery items. From 2002 through 2004 Tom provided his readers with 3 supplements to the book at no charge, as new information came to light.

With the release of a new booklet entitled The Early Life of Millard Fillmore Robeson and founding of the Robeson Cutlery Company, he provides further insights into the man behind the brand. Nobody can accuse Mr. Kalcevic of brevity in entitling his books and he applies the same level of comprehensive detail to the inner pages. He is enthusiastic about cutlery, especially Robeson, and keenly interested in the fact that Robeson knives were designed and manufactured more or less in his own backyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.

If the name Millard Fillmore Robeson seems somewhat familiar, it should. Robeson was named after the 13th President of the United States, whose family had been connected with the Robeson’s since the late 18th century. This little booklet comprises a timeline, commencing in the 1790’s, which traces the migration of the Robeson and Fillmore families from Bennington, Vermont into the Finger Lakes and later Western, New York. Woven into the timeline are significant events in the lives of key family members, particularly Millard Fillmore and Millard Robeson. Important to our

interest is the path Robeson followed from stamped culinary utensils to cutlery and the establishment of the business which bore his name. The narrative of the timeline proceeds through the 19th century and comes to a conclusion in 1904, the year following M.F. Robeson’s death at age 56. Of course there is much more to the story of Robeson Cutlery. For that you would have to read Tom Kalcevic’s earlier book, Knives Can Talk …”.

The timeline and chronicle comprise 10 of the booklet’s 23 pages. The remaining pages contain captioned black & white photos of Robeson products and relevant documents. The booklet concludes with a regional map of New York with significant locations highlighted.

The author is providing this well-done publication free of charge to those interested in learning more about the founder of Robeson Cutlery, a significant player in New York and American cutlery history. To request your copy, send your name and mailing address to Brent Morris at bkmorris49@yahoo.com.  BW

Collectors Questions & Comments

Michael L. wrote about an unfamiliar tang stamp: Hello and thank you for providing such a great resource. 

I have a #22 Barlow with a stamp not in your list. It looks like it could have a stamp with a circle and a line making a “Q”. The top of a sideways “T” leans against the “Q” where the line intersects the circle. The blade is etched, “QUEEN STEEL #22, MADE IN USA”. The knife looks nearly mint. It was purchase recently at a St. Paul, Indiana auction. Could I send you photo’s of the knife and its stamp for your assessment?

QCH requested photos and after seeing them, replied: Thank you for the photos.

Queen #22 Barlow folding knife, 2 blades, Ontario Knife tang stamp

The tang stamp is an Ontario Knife marking. Servotronics purchased Ontario, of Franklinville, NY, in 1967 and bought Queen Cutlery around 1969. From time to time Queen made knives for Ontario to sell and your #22 Barlow is one of those. The knife dates to around 1971 which was the year Queen added Made in USA to the blade etch. Servotronics divested Queen in a sale to Ken Daniels in 2012.

Queen #22 Barlow main blade with etch and Ontario Knife tang stamp

It looks like you’ve made a good purchase as your knife appears to be in great shape, with full blades. Thanks for visiting our site.

Jerry C. sent this question: I have a small collection of Queen pocketknives (and a nice steak knife set), mostly bought new and used lightly. My favorite pattern is the #57. I notice this one is not pictured in your (great) catalog of patterns. Isn’t this one of Queen’s more popular folders?

QCH: The #57 stockman is identical to the #26, except where #26 had handles of Winterbottom bone or imitation Winterbottom bone, #57 was handled in mother of pearl and, for a brief period, smoked pearl. We have 3 photos of #57 knives in the knife Library, section #47 through #63. Where you see a row of #56, click the small number 2 below those photos to see the #57’s.

A look through many Queen catalogs will confirm #57’s were not pictured, but rather were a footnote to the #26 listing. The first reference to #57 appeared in the 1956 catalog.

This was not one of Queen’s most popular patterns. It was more of a gentleman’s knife, given it’s somewhat fragile pearl handles.

Jeff M was looking for info: I have a Queen elephant toe (sic.) knife. The only markings on the tang are “Solingen Steel”. I was wondering if you could tell me more about it. Thanks! I can submit a pic by email if you want.

German made pseudo elephant toenail folder with Queen shield

QCH commented: If it says Solingen Steel it’s very likely not a Queen knife. And then…Thanks for the pictures Jeff. The shield inlaid into the handle is a Queen logo but the knife does not look like something Queen made. After the

bankruptcy auction a lot of parts were showing up on eBay. The shield may have been acquired in that way. Queen made their own blades and the blade on this knife doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen from Queen.

Rob G. sent this message from down under: Hi, recently I have been thinning out my knife collection and came across a very beautifully made Red stag fixed blade hunting knife. Box is marked Queen Classics and exclusive limited edition.

Queen Classic Red Stag fixed blade knife with box

There is also a blade etching Classic Red Stag. It is 10.75 inches long. Knife is new, never used and imported into Australia possibly sometime before 2012. I have no intention of disposing of this knife, I believe it would be very rare here, if it exists at all. I havnt been able to find any details in regards to this knife so any information you could give me would be appreciated. Cheers!

Queen Classic Red Stag fixed blade knife with box and leather sheath

QCH viewed photos and wrote: Your knife was part of a sort of resurrection of the term “Queen Classics” inspired by Queen dealer and collector Ken Daniels. These later Queen Classics were made between 2001 and 2003. 

Ken Daniels bought Queen Cutlery in 2012 and owned it until the 2018 bankruptcy.

Highlights for Collectors

Knife Library

  • hundreds of photographs and descriptions of Queen, Schatt & Morgan and Dollar Knife Co. knives, some dating back to the 19th century.
  • folding knives, sheath knives and tableware.
  • Organized by pattern number

Historical Documents

  • Articles written by Queen historians such as David Clark, Dr. David Kraus and Bob Welch.
  • Queen company documents
  • Historical Knife Spotlight archive

Catalogs

  • Complete collection of Queen Cutlery catalogs
  • Located within Historical Documents
  • Promotional and sales materials
  • Product flyers and price lists
  • Downloadable, full color pdf’s

Flyers & Ads

  • Cutlery advertisements
  • Promotional materials from Queen City, Queen Cutlery and Schatt & Morgan

About

  • Biographies of Queen Historians
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy