Valley Forge Cutlery Company

Valley Forge, in Pennsylvania, was the site of a military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777-1778.  It was a hard winter but the early Americans reflected what was to come in the American spirit.  It was in that American spirit that the Valley Forge Cutlery Company was begun.

In 1892 Edward Grafmueller headed up the new cutlery company in Newark, New Jersey.  The idea was to make American cutlery products of high quality, along with featuring some imported products of equal quality.  The pictured collection of scissors reflect the successful accomplishment of that goal.  I have four different kinds of scissors from this company, each one has a particular function. 



The first is a beautiful 9 inch fabric or paper scissor.  It has long blades with carefully carved gold handles.  The sleek look is almost sword like.  It would have made an eye catching decorator item on a side table in an early American home or on the desk of an well established business man.  The length of the blade permits an extra-long straight cut. 

A closer look at the decorated handles reveals careful attention to detail.  Art and craftsmanship combined to make this an attractive tool. 

The barber scissor made by Valley Forge is also a work of art.  The handles are hammered steel that glistens like diamonds.  If you look closely at the handles you will be reminded of the work of Carl Monkhouse, who we will feature later.  Such a stately tool would give any barber more confidence and his customer a better haircut!

 

The red handle kitchen shear was a very functional tool for the American homemaker.  It includes a bottle opener on one side of the handle.  There are teeth cut into the inner handle that becomes a grip for unscrewing tight lids.  A flat place on the outside of the handle works as a hammer, perhaps to crack a hard nut or to gently tap the edge of an canning jar lid to loosen it, revealing some of last years garden produce which will end up on the evening dinner table.

 On one of the blades are groves that would hold whatever the homemaker was cutting up while the cutting blade could be closed resulting in a clean cut.  Unlike modern Kitchen Shears, this one would not come apart easily for cleaning, but then there were no automatic dishwashers with a utensil tray!


The small scissor is a fabric or thread cutter.  Even though it is small it is well made.  This was not a "throw-a-way" item.  It could be sharpened and used for years.  In fact, it still can be used.  There was pride in craftsmanship that was personal in early America.  Not only was it evident in the production of working tools, but also in those who used the tools for their work.  Homemaking was a full time and demanding job.  Many, if not most, homemakers were equally skilled at their craft.  They could, for example, take last years clothing and turn it into a quilt that would keep one warm on a cold winter night and become a work of art as well.  These small scissors had a big job to do.  They had to be well made.

In 1914, after thirty two years of providing quality products, Valley Forge went into involuntary bankruptcy.  Two years later, in 1916,  they were purchased by the Broker company who wanted an American brand for their knife business.




Sources:
American Scissors by Philip R. Pankiewiez
Goins' Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings
Wikipeda