Schrade Knives

The Schrade Knife:

   The three Schrade Brothers; Joe, Louis and George, started Schrade Knives in Walden, New York in 1904. The techniques that they used to mass-produce fine, quality cutlery were unique in the cutlery industry at that time, and they enjoyed moderate success in making and selling very high quality folding Pocket knives for many years. Felix and Michael Mirando and Domenic Fauano formed Imperial Knife Company in 1914 in Providence, Rhode Island.
   They manufactured a full range of folding Pocket Knives and were successful in mass producing inexpensive Pocket Knives (Schrade Knife) up through the late 1930's.

   In 1941, Mr. Albert Baer purchased Ulster Knife Company, which had been operating in Ellenville, New York from the 1870's.

   In 1942, Ulster Knife Company and Imperial Knife Company joined forces and formed Imperial Knife Associated Companies. Knives of all types were manufactured for the Military at both factories through World War II, and substantial growth was attained through the high quality of Schrade Knives.

   In 1946, Mr. Albert Baer purchased the Schrade Cutlery Company from the Schrade Brothers and renamed it the Schrade Walden Cutlery Corporation. This plant was also to become a Division of the Imperial Knife Associated Companies group. An Import/Export Division was soon founded and called Imperial International Corporation. 
   Additional factories were purchased in Providence in 1957, and operations being performed on Kitchen Cutlery at Ulster Knife Company in Ellenville were transferred to Providence.

   Schrade Walden Cutlery Corporation was moved from Walden into the Ulster Knife Company facility in Ellenville in 1958.

   The combined factories produced both Schrade-Walden and Ulster products, and each stamped the products with their corresponding stamps.

   In 1972 the manufacture of Ulster stamped product was discontinued. Additional warehouses for distribution of the Company's products were purchased and or built in Hauppauge, Long Island; Bramalea, Canada and Cologne, Germany. 

   In 1974, the use of the "Schrade-Walden" stamp on products was discontinued, and since that time, Schrade has manufactured Schrade Knives using the "Schrade" and "Schrade+" tang stamps.

   Factories in England, Ireland and France were purchased, or partially acquired, to enhance the world-wide positioning of the Company's Schrade Knife brand and other products to broaden its base of distribution. At this period of time in the Country's history, many emerging nations were allowed to ship, tariff free, all forms of cutlery into the United States, and this impacted on Imperial's ability to compete in World markets.

   A period of consolidation followed, and the Company divested itself of its holdings in Canada, Long Island and England. In 1983, Mr. Albert Baer purchased the stock of all shareholders in Imperial Knife Associated Company's and became the sole owner.

   In 1985, the Channel Master facility on Route 209 in Ellenville was purchased, and a consolidation of all domestic operations started taking place. The name of the Company was changed from Imperial Knife Associated Companies to Imperial Schrade Corp.

   By 1990, the move of all manufacturing in the United States to the Ellenville location was completed, and a Warehouse Division was set up in Ellenville to ship all Company products, and shipments were in excess of 70 million annually. In 1997 Imperial Schrade Corp. ventured into a new market and diversified their line to include the Schrade Tough Tool, a multi-purpose tool, which won the Industrial Design Excellence Award in the very first year of its manufacture.

   In June of 1998, Imperial Schrade Corp began its 95th year of operation. Imperial Schrade Corp's world headquarters in scenic Ellenville, New York had more than 548,000 square feet of manufacturing space dedicated to producing the world’s finest pocket knives, sports cutlery and folding multi-tools. This facility crafted the world-famous Schrade Knife.

   The 93-acre site in Ellenville was closed on July 30, 2004.

   The Schrade Knife name was purchased by Taylor Brands LLC, and they continue to manufacture and distribute high quality Schrade Knives and Smith & Wesson brand knives. Schrade Knives are crafted in both Fixed and Folding blade models.