One of the most engaging aspects of traditional slipjoint knives is the myriad of unique patterns that have been made, and a great example can be found in the Cotton Sampler. The Cotton Sampler is a relatively little known and sparsely made pattern that has, like many traditional patterns, an obscure history. In this article I’ll discuss some of the pattern’s variations, possible background, and current versions.
Companion Video!
Description
There are two distinct blade shapes and corresponding handle shapes that have been given the name “Cotton Sampler”. One type of Cotton Sampler has a backward curved handle, like a swayback, (though some versions have a straight frame) and a hefty straight edged blade with a straight spine and abrupt angle toward the tip. This type looks very similar to a typical harvester or sailor knife, but often with an even taller blade. The other, more unique, type has a forward curved handle and a blade that deserves its own sentence to describe. The blade on this type has a long unground ricasso, often around an inch long, between the kick and the edge itself, which curves abruptly toward a small clipped tip. It makes for a blade that looks like a squatter spay shape with an unground extension from the handle. While both these shapes have been called Cotton Samplers, today the term is almost exclusively used for the latter style.
Schatt & Morgan Example of the Swayback Type
History
So, what’s the story behind these interesting knives? Well, it seems the pattern shapes themselves likely predate the name. The first style described above is just a slight variation of an ancient pattern that can be found in the earliest Sheffield pattern books (and likely much earlier, as some Roman knives have similar designs). It’s a classic agriculture pattern well suited for the pull cuts prevalent in those uses. On the other hand, the second style is less typical. The earliest example with this unusual blade shape can be found in a 1903 Schatt & Morgan catalogue, but isn’t identified as a Cotton Sampler. It actually has a rounded unground area, rather than the flat type seen on later examples, that is heavily reminiscent to finger choils on modern knives (at least to my eyes). Considering that a knife of the same shape in a 1938 Maher & Grosh catalogue is identified as a “Skinning Knife”, I think it is likely that this version of the Cotton Sampler pattern started as a sportsman’s knife and was later repurposed for agricultural use. That said, I have seen an explanation of the unusual blade shape proposed in several places. Apparently the tall blade with abrupt edge is used to cut into a bale of cotton and act like a spoon to extract a sample (hence the name), and the flat unground area is used to rub the cotton fibers to somehow ascertain the quality of the product. While it’s not my place or intention to claim what is or isn’t fact in this notoriously murky realm of knife history, I find it likely that the previously described use evolved to fit an already existing pattern and then that use influenced the evolution of the pattern itself.
Schatt & Morgan 1903 Catalogue
Availability
Unfortunately, the Cotton Sampler is not one of the more widely available patterns. Queen made both versions over the years before going out of business. Great Eastern Cutlery has made the latter version I described but, like most of their patterns, it has become highly collectible and difficult to find since 2013 (the only time it was made). The only company I’m aware of that offers an array of widely available Cotton Samplers is Rough Ryder.
AMKCA Club Knives
Conclusion
My interest in the Cotton Sampler pattern was piqued by an unexpected addition to my collection. I attend the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association club, and one of the members has been a supporter and a huge asset to my journey into vintage traditional knives. He knows I am a GEC enthusiast and collect the AMKCA club knives, so he offered to sell me his favorite of the club knives at a fair price. It happened to be the 2013 GEC #74 Cotton Sampler. I agreed happily, both because it’s a great knife unlike anything in my collection and because I appreciated that he thought of me when he decided to sell the knife. I have enjoyed getting to know this pattern through my example and to display it with my other AMKCA knives. While I haven’t been able to find as much historical information on the Cotton Sampler, I’ve still enjoyed getting to know it. I hope you’re able to check out this unique pattern also!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
This past weekend Great Eastern Cutlery held their yearly open house gathering for enthusiasts, which they call the Rendezvous. I always look forward to the Rendezvous with great excitement, and was sorely disappointed that it had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. I was able to attend this year, and I want to share my experience here; there was a lot of what makes me love the Rendezvous that was the same, but there were also some new aspects to this year’s event.
What is the Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous?
The Rendezvous has always been the best time for Great Eastern Cutlery enthusiasts to gather and discuss the knives they love, and also an opportunity to obtain some of the more rare and unusual knives by GEC. I have gone to the Rendezvous each year since 2014, and you can read about why you should go to the Rendezvous at this link. I love the Rendezvous because it brings together a wide range of people all with one thing in common – a love and appreciation of the best production traditional knives being made currently, at the place of their manufacture. Everyone is willing and ready to show off their collections, discuss past and future knives, and everything else GEC and traditional knife related. You also get the opportunity to “see behind the curtain”. Bill, William, Joan Mae, and other employees are welcoming and magnanimous with their time. You get the feeling they are proud of the products they make and happy to discuss them with their most loyal customers. Finally, there’s the opportunity to meet and talk with GEC’s dealers. Aside from the people, which are the true draw of the Rendezvous, attendance also gives access to purchase the Rendezvous Special and SFA knives. The Rendezvous Special is a knife made in limited numbers and released in part on each day of the event to commemorate the gathering. I’ve collected them since 2014, and they’re usually rather unique with special cover materials or shield and always an etch signifying the year. SFA stands for Special Factory Assembly, which are knives made from parts from previous runs of knives in unique configurations (formerly called parts knives, which you can read about at this link). These SFAs are some of the lowest production number knives, often falling between 2 and 20 made of each configuration, and therefore highly sought after and honestly just really cool. Both the Rendezvous Special and SFAs are only available during the Rendezvous at the factory store. So there’s a lot to love about the Rendezvous as it’s always been that draws regulars back, and new people out, every year!
The ticket system was a great call by GEC
Bill showing off the Rendezvous Special
What made the 2021 Rendezvous different?
Being that the last was 2 years ago due to the pandemic, I expected some changes for the 2021 Rendezvous. The first change was in the date of the event. It had always been the first full weekend in August. I believe that was chosen because it coincided both with the Titusville Oil Festival and, more importantly, the Queen Knife Show. However, with Queen out of business since 2018 and the Oil Festival cancelled both in 2020 and 2021, there’s no longer any particular reason to have it then. They moved it to June, the weekend after Blade Show. When I asked why that date was chosen they indicated it was for the nicer weather, which is a pretty solid reason being that much of the event happens outdoors. This year did end up having beautiful weather throughout both days of the event. Another difference was in the line for the event. As crazy as it sounds, people line up outside the factory overnight to get in line early enough to get the Rendezvous Special and best picks of the SFAs. 2014-2016 I didn’t line up, just rolled in and was lucky to get the Rendezvous Specials. However, 2017-2019 I lined up about 2am, 12am, and 10pm respectively and was always well under 10th in line. I drove up after work the day before this year, and on the way saw online that there were over 10 in line already. I expected it to be much busier this year, but not so much earlier than normal. To be honest, I was shocked and concerned I wouldn’t be able to get a Rendezvous Special. Thankfully, not many came after that post before I made it there and I ended up under 20th in line (which gave me a good shot at the Rendezvous Special). As the night progressed more and more came, especially around 4am. The discussion between those waiting overnight is always enjoyable and interesting, but it’s still a long wait. At about 6am, an hour before the store opened, Bill Howard (GEC owner / president) came out and showed the Rendezvous Special knife and described their new system for purchases at the event. For 2019 they had indicated they would use a ticket system to order the factory sales during the Rendezvous, but didn’t end up implementing any system. Although no major issues arose, there was some definite jostling and even I think some position pilfering. So I was happy to hear that they were using a ticket system this year. Each person in line was given a ticket, like those used for lotteries and 50/50s, denoting their place in line. 5 people were allowed in the store at a time, and each time someone left the person with the next sequential ticket was allowed in. As you left the store you were able to take another ticket so that you could go in again, but only after everyone who was there had a chance to go in once (special thanks to Rosie for handling the ticket system all day both days). I think this ticket system worked brilliantly; it allowed attendees to be able to mill around and talk and see the displays rather than holding their place in line, it made the experience in the store less stressful because it wasn’t so crowded that you could barely move (like recent previous years), and it made for a fair system for those who came later to still get a chance to go into the store while allowing those who arrived early to go back in if they desired. Speaking of going back into the store a second time, like in 2019, they enforced a limit of 2 knives per purchase. So if you wanted to buy more than two knives you’d take a second ticket on your way out and then were allowed back into the store once that ticket was called.One other big change for this year was the time of the picnic on Saturday. Previous years the picnic, which is the last portion of the event, was always at lunch time. This year they moved it to 4pm, with the factory store closing at 1pm. I am not sure whether this was a positive or negative change, as it does give some rest time for attendees and preparation time for GEC staff between the show and the picnic, but it also makes for a longer day and some down time. I think this year’s Rendezvous kept much or all of what I’ve always loved about it, but with some changes that made for an overall even better event.
What did I take away from this year’s Rendezvous?
I took away a treasure trove of experiences and lessons from the 2021 GEC Rendezvous, not to mention some incredible knives! I really just thoroughly enjoyed seeing and talking with the Rendezvous regulars. The density of Great Eastern Cutlery and traditional knife knowledge gathered at the Rendezvous can’t be found many places, and certainly isn’t something I have gotten to experience with such a community vibe in any other setting. I also felt that there were a lot more people going around to the table displays at this year’s Rendezvous, and I got to meet a lot of new GEC enthusiasts. I’ll be honest and admit that I greatly appreciated the comments from several people who said that they enjoy Knife Thoughts, and even heard a really touching story about how reading my blog and watching my videos helped a fellow enthusiast through some tough days. A lesson I’m taking from this year’s Rendezvous (that I also took from 2019’s but didn’t implement) is that I need to prepare my Knife Thoughts display better. I should plan, for sure, what knives I want to sell and how much I want to charge for them. I had a box of knives I was considering selling, but ended up deciding not to sell some of them (one of which was after someone had decided to buy it). I also only had a general idea of what I would charge for them, when I should have had a price sheet made ahead of time to reference. I ran out of stickers to give out towards the end of the first day, which I use in place of business cards. In the future I’ll order extra ahead of time, and I also want to get other Knife Thoughts swag to give out. I also meant to have Waynorth Cutlery shirts (available here) for sale, but didn’t order them in time. Having a second person to tag team watching the table would be really helpful, so that each of us could go in the store or walk around and talk without the table being unattended. By the way, huge thanks to Dan and Ben for watching my table some. Finally, I’d like to get a banner to better show that the table is “Knife Thoughts”. I ended up not going to the picnic this year, but next year I’d like to plan my time better so that I can be rested and ready to attend and enjoy the picnic.
I had a great time at the Great Eastern Cutlery 2021 Rendezvous. If you enjoy these knives and it’s feasible for you to come to Titusville, I think you’d be happy you did. I have started a (completely unofficial and unaffiliated with GEC) Facebook group for those who plan to attend the 2022 Rendezvous, which you can find at this link. Make sure to check out the video below where I show and discuss the knives I got at this year’s Rendezvous. I hope to see lots of new faces mingled among the regulars at the next GEC Rendezvous!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
If I’m being honest, I saw it coming; Pennsylvania has extended the state of emergency, safety measures that had been relaxed have been reinstated, and the Titusville Oil Festival (with which the GEC Rendezvous was always concurrently held) was canceled. Still, I’m sure it was a hard decision for Bill and everyone at GEC to make, and I’m very crestfallen.
I collect the Rendezvous Special knives, which you can only get at the Rendezvous. Check out this link and this link for videos on those knives. Still, worse than not having the opportunity to obtain this year’s piece of that collection is the missed discussions with other enthusiasts (and many collectors with much more knowledge than me, from whom I’ve learned a lot at past Rendezvous). However, it would have been difficult to maintain the current safety protocols and enjoy the Rendezvous as it has been in the past. Hopefully GEC has something else fun up their sleeve, and hopefully this isn’t too much of a blow to them.
Out of nowhere, Smoky Mountain Knife Works has reintroduced Queen Cutlery. Queen went out of business in 2018, and the future of the brand has been unclear since then. Recently SMKW posted a “Queen Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper” for sale on their site, and this article will showcase that knife and what it means for the Queen brand.
This knife came as a surprise to pretty much everyone. There were no rumors of it on the forums and Smoky Mountain Knife Works did no advertising before its release. Even upon release, there was very little fanfare; at first it wasn’t even featured on the SMKW homepage.
Once the knife was available for purchase on SMKW, there was still little solid information available. The product page said it was a test run Queen knife made in the U.S.A. for Smoky Mountain Knife works with black composite covers and 440 steel.
With so little official information available, the online knife community was abuzz with interest and speculation on the knife’s specifics.
The main question in discussion was; who made the knife? In this area, a consensus seems to have been reached that it must have been made by Bear & Son Cutlery. Here we can apply the old saying “read the knife, not the tang”. This means the best way to know the origin of a knife is to look at its characteristics and how it’s made, rather than what the tang is stamped or etched. In this case, due to the pattern’s similarity to Bear & Son’s Mini Trapper and other manufacturing hallmarks, it looks most likely to have been made in a Bear & Son factory. That said, SMKW has not identified the manufacturer, even when directly asked during a live video.
Another much discussed question was; why is SMKW coming out with a Queen knife? After the Titusville Queen factory closed and its assets were sold off, most believed that Bluegrass Cutlery had bought the machines and trademarks with intention to restart the brands. However, in a video SMKW said that they purchased the Queen and Queen City trademarks and plan to do a full line of knives under each brand. In the same video they explained that this knife was rushed to market because they had to use the trademark to keep it active. They said they have to do the same with a Queen City branded knife. Unfortunately, when asked if the future Queen and Queen City lines will remain made in the U.S.A., the SMKW representative said they didn’t know yet.
Queen collectors might ask what about Schatt & Morgan, Queen’s other well known and respected in house brand? A reputable source told me that Gilbert Cooper purchased the trademark and Queen’s machinery, and has promising plans for the brand. Cooper himself has posted on All About Pocket Knives forum about reintroducing the Schatt & Morgan brand with the goal of restoring its former place at the top quality tier of American pocket knives.
As for this Queen Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper, it’s certainly well enough made for being rushed to market. This knife is not made with the same quality level as a GEC made knife; I would put it in the same realm as Case knives. The blades are pretty well centered. The action is nice with about a 5.5 pull on both blades. The action was a little gritty at first, but after a little oil they’ve broken in to be relatively smooth. Neither blade has any wobble. Neither blade seems to have any rap or proud tips. There are some slight gaps between the springs and liners, and a gap between the pile side liner and cover. So the fit is pretty good. The finish leaves a little more to be desired. The transitions between the covers and bolsters, as well as the edges of the covers, are a little rough. The blades have something between an “as ground” type finish and a satin finish, while the bolsters are between a satin and polished finish. Unfortunately, the etch is not a particularly tasteful font and seems imperfectly placed and is very raised (enough so that it’s easy to catch your fingernail on it). The tang is not stamped, which I would prefer but adds an extra step and cost, but rather etched very plainly. The front tang is etched “Queen” and the back tang is etched “QN1 / U.S.A.”. I am glad they went with no shield instead of an unpinned (glued only) shield, like Case and others use. Overall, it’s a decently made knife for the price that would make a good user knife.
Although this SMKW Queen QN1 would be a great using knife, I anticipate it will become collectible. In the video I have referenced above, SMKW said that only 300 of these were made. Although that’s not a tiny number of knives, it’s a pretty small run compared to recent GEC general runs, let alone compared to Case runs. If SMKW handles the reintroduction of Queen and Queen City well (which I’m rooting for), this will have been what started it all and therefore sought after. If they don’t handle it well, or if they move production overseas, this might be the last American made Queen knife, and therefore sought after. Either way, it has sold out on Smoky Mountain Knife Works’ site so its value will soon begin to be established through the secondary market. That said, SMKW did say they have to bring a knife to market under the Queen City brand to retain the trademark and that it’s coming soon. So keep an eye out for that if you’d like to get one! In conclusion, I’m happy to see the Queen brand living on while being produced by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, and I hope to see great things in the future!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
Too Long ; Didn’t Read? Here’s the companion video!
Glitter Gold handles tend to illicit one of two reactions from people; “I love it” or “That’s awful”. They’re eye catching in a way that some enjoy and others can’t stand, but they have a surprisingly longstanding place in the history of pocketknives.
First off, synthetic materials have been used for knife handle covers for longer than you might imagine. The first synthetic (or plastic like) replacements for wood, bone, ivory, etc. began being introduced in the late 19th century. By the beginning of the 20th century, when American knife manufacturing was coming into its own and outgrowing its predecessors in Solingen and Sheffield, companies like Case were offering knives handled in various colors of celluloid. Celluloid is another name for Parkesine, one of the first of the synthetic handle materials. Celluloid was used extensively by the knife industry, but now has become known for its flamability and tendency to oxidize and ruin carbon steel knives. However, one of the types of celluloid that was first used, as early as the 1920’s and definitely before 1940, was a type layered with gold glitter that became known as Goldstone.
Great Eastern Cutlery has also made their own version of knives with glitter gold handles. GEC’s versions are made with acrylic rather than celluloid. Acrylic is a very stable material, with none of the major issues that come with celluloid like flamability and outgassing. That said, in my experience, acrylics can shrink and swell depending on the conditions in which they’re kept. Thankfully, however, I have not experienced any such issues with the Glitter Gold acrylic.
In 2011 GEC created the Good as Gold series. There used to be a page on their site about the series, but it seems to have been taken down. In fact, it looks to me like they are moving away from the idea of having distinct series of knives, outside of their normal brands, although they continue to make the Beaver Tail and Banana knives. Interestingly, at least one knife was made with the Good as Gold tube label but without Glitter Gold Acrylic handles, and you can find an article on that knife at this link. They made a pretty good number of patterns with the Glitter Gold covers that year: #23 Square End Jumbo Trapper, #48 Slim Trapper, #56 Dogleg Jack, #62 Easy Pocket Congress, #65 Ben Hogan, and #66 Moose. Since then, as far as I can tell and check against the (unofficial but extremely helpful) GEC database created by Darren Orrell, the only knives they’ve made with Glitter Gold Acrylic handles were Special Factory Assembly models made for the 2018 Rendezvous. These consisted of two versions of the #78 American Jack, 8 made of each, a single spear bladed version and a spear and pen two bladed version. So, although they made knives with Glitter Gold handles in several patterns in 2011, overall it is a relatively obscure series for GEC.
Great Eastern Cutlery sourced their Glitter Gold Acrylic, I believe, from Masecraft Supply. Masecraft Supply seems to be out of the material. EDIT: Bill Howard let me know that GEC’s glitter gold was sourced not from Masecraft, but from Galaxy Plastic. I was told that the Glitter Gold Acrylic GEC has on hand is the last of their supply, and when it’s gone it’s gone for good. With that in mind, and considering that GEC has only made 16 knives in Glitter Gold Acrylic since 2011, if you find one available for sale I suggest picking it up if it fits your budget. They sometimes go for surprisingly low prices, even staying close to original retail. I always have one eye out for them!
I like a little flashiness in my knives, even to the point of garishness, but I know not all do. However, if you’re a fan of traditional knives then you probably appreciate their history. Glitter gold type synthetic handles have a long and interesting history starting in the early days of the American knife industry. As I talked about in another article, knives have always been appreciated for their aesthetics. Some people just like to go bold and bright, and glitter gold is the perfect solution!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
