Vintage Outdoors: September 2019

Featured below are several pages of the A.J. Jordan Cutlery Company of St. Louis Missouri wholesale catalog. I think the date of the catalog is around 1900. This is intended to give a searchable reference to A.J. Jordan's knife models of the time. This way if someone does a google search for say the Nautilus model (3018) it will show up. This will hopefully make it easier for people to find information on these fine knives. They were truly an exceptional brand and had a wide range of products. The "AAA1" Trade Mark was only applied to their finest cutlery but they made other great and collectible products as well. I am in the process of adding more search criteria to this page so that hopefully all the models will be easy to locate in a web search. If you have a model that is not included please let me know so I can add it to the line up. I also have the other pages featuring table wear and other cutlery if anyone is interested in those I will try to get them added as well. For right now this is their full line of pocket knives on the pages below. The below text is from their catalog introduction.

A.J. JORDAN CUTLERY CO. CUTLERS AND SILVERSMITHS

Founded in 1871 Presenting our Annual Catalog, great care has been taken to illustrate only desirable and latest designs, and of goods that have merit. As much as possible we show the articles with full-size cuts, so as to make ordering by mail as easy as though buying in our store from samples. We are manufacturers of Cutlery, and show in our salesroom, 417 N. Broadway, St. Louis, the largest line of this class of goods, as well as solid silver and silver plated ware in the country. THE LARGEST STORE OF ITS KIND IN AMERICA, HAVING 37,000 SQUARE FEET FLOOR SPACE. We invite you to inspect this grand assortment when in our city, which, considering quality, you will find the lowest priced in the market. We carry all grades from the cheapest made to the finest possible. We solicit your trade in Cutlery, Sterling Silver, Silver Plate and Cut Glass. Please do not cut this book. When ordering, simply give page and number of article.
A. J. JORDAN CUTLERY CO. 417 NORTH BROADWAY and 510 ST. CHARLES STREET
Factory: 6, 8, 10 Baker’s Hill, Sheffield, England. Jordan’s Cutlery Trade Mark “AAA1”
Printed By A. R. FLEMING PRINTING CO., ST. LOUIS MO

Jordan’s AAA1 Brand Pocket Knives featured above include- No. 3000 3 blades Beautiful Pearl Handle, finest possible, nickel-silver lined, No. 3001 Finest American steel blades, beautiful pearl handle, nickel finish, No. 3003-Same, in stag handle, No. 3004 Solid silver fancy handle, made good and strong, good blades. 3005 3 blade Fine Ivory handle, Nickel Lined Finest American Steel 3006 1/2 same as 3005 but Finest Pearl Handle, 3007 4 Blades with File ,One of Jordan's Finest Patterns Pearl Handle, Tipped with Solid Silver AAA1 Branded

A.J. Jordan Cutlery Co. Knife Catalog page 5

Jordan’s AAA1 Brand Pocket Knives featured above include No. 3008 Champagne Knife, extra quality, corkscrew, finest steel blades, perfectly finished, 3010 3 blade Black Ebony handle Best American Steel Brass Lined, 3011 same as 3010 with Stag handle, 3012 2 blade Stag Horn handle AAA1 Finest Blades, brass lined, 3014 3 Blades Selected Pearl Handle Best American Steel German Silver Lined

Jordan’s AAA1 Brand Pocket Knives featured above include 3015 3 Blade Solid Silver with Hunting Dog and Quail scent engraved "good" Steel large, small and file blades, 3016 Multi Function Knife wit Pearl Handle Nickel Silver Lined "Best" steel, contains 4 blades, corn blade, scissors, Corkscrew, Nail File, Hook, Needle, Tweezers and Toothpick, 3017 4 Blade Pearl Handle AAA1 Finest Blades Possible, Nickel Silver Finish 3017 1/2 same as 3017 but with 2 blades and 3018 "The Nautilus" Clam Shell Design Knife Beautifully Carven on the Back and on Pearl Handle One of the "Handsomest Designs On The Market" AAA1 Blades

A.J. Jordan Cutlery Co. Knife Catalog page 7

A.J. Jordan Knives Featured Above Include Models # No. 3019 Physician's Knife, 3021 Jordan's Best American Steel, Stag Horn,Brass Lined, 3022 4 Blade Jordan's Best Steel, Stag, Brass Lined, 3023 4 Blade Physician's Knife with Spatula Small Large Blades and Nail File Pearl Handle, Jordan's Finest Blades, German Silver Lined, 3024 2 Blade Physician's Knife Stag Handle American Steel Brass Lined, 3025 Same as 3024 with Ebony Handle, 3026 Same as 3024 But With Pearl

A.J. Jordan Knives featured here: 3028 4 BLADE Pearl Handle, 3028 4 Blade AAA1 Steel Pearl handle, 3030 3 Blade Pearl Handle Brass Lined, 3031 Same as 3030 with Stag handle, 3032 Pearl handle Nickel Silver Finish, Long French Nail File Blade, 2 Blade 3027 Stag handle, 3033 Barlow 2 Blade with Stag Handle, American Steel

A..J. Jordan Models Featured Above Include: # No. 3034 Livestock Knife Stag Horn Handle Trade Mark AAA1 Blades, Nothing Finer, Nickel Silver Lined Includes Castrating Blade Marked Flesh Only, 3035 Same with Pearl Handle, 3036 Jordan's Common Sense Cattle Knife Heavy Duty, 3037, 3038, 3039 AAA1 Boy's Knife Iron Handle, 3040 Pearl Handle "For Ladies Use", 3041

A..J. Jordan Models Featured Above Include: # No. 3042 Pearl handle AAA1 3 Blade, 3042 1/2 Stag Horn, 3043 AAA1 Cattle Knife Stockman, 3044 Stag Handle Brass Lined, 3045 Stag Horn Handle 4 Blade, 3046 Small 3 Blade Silver Lined Pearl

A..J. Jordan Models Featured Above Include: # No. 3047 2 Blade, AAA1 English Steel, Brass Lined, 3048 Same with Ivory, 3049 Same With Pearl, 3050 AAA1 Ladies Knife, 3051 4 blade, AAA1, Stag Handle, Brass Lined, 3052 4 Blade Pearl Handle, 3053, 3054, 3055 Congress Pattern Stag Horn

A.J. Jordan Cutlery Knife Models Featured Above Include: # No. 3056, 3057, 3058 Jordan's Sheffield AAA1 Montana Cattle Knife, 3059, 3060

A..J. Jordan Models Featured Above Include: # No. 3061 Stag Handle Barlow, 3062 American Barlow, 3063 Easy Opener Knife With Chain, 3064 Ebony Handle, 3065 Stag Handle

A.J. Jordan Knives Featured Above Include: No. 3066 2 Blade Imitation Stag handles, 3068 AAA1 Finest Steel 1 Blade Folding Hunting Knife Lock Blade Genuine Stag Horn Handle, 3069 3 Blade American Steel Imitation Stag handle, 3070 3 Blade AAA1 Steel Brass Lined Genuine Stag Horn Handle with File, 3071 Corn Knife Concave Rounded Tip Blade AAA1 Steel, 3072 Small 4 Blade “Fair Quality” Steel Brass Lined, 3073 Small 2 Blade Finest AAA1 Steel Solid Nickel Handle- 3074 Same as 3073 with genuine Ivory handle, 3076 Same as 3073 with fine pearl handle

No. 3076 Stag Horn Handle Brass and Nickel Finish AAA1 Steel finest goods, No. 3077 3 Blades AAA1 Steel, Select Stag Horn Handle, Brass Lined, No. 3078 “Jordan’s Montana Knife” Extra Large 3 Blade Cattle Knife Etched AAA1 Steel, genuine Stag Horn Handle Brass Lined, No. 3079 2 Blades American Steel Stag Handle

No. 3080 Jordan’s Finest Ladies 2 Blade Pen Knife Pearl Handle AAA1 steel, 3080 ½ same as 3080 with Ivory handle, No. 3081 Small Ladies 2 Blade Pearl Handle Knife, 3082 2 Blade Best American Steel Pearl handle well finished, 3083 Small 3 blade Select Ivory Handle, nickel finish AAA1 finest goods, 3084 same as 3083 but with stag horn, 3085 same as 3083 but with pearl, 3086 2 blade Stag horn Handle Finest American Steel, 3087 3 blade with file Imitation Stag Handle, AAA1 finest steel, 3088 3 inch single blade Corn or Chiropodist knife made expressly for that purpose has concave blade ground like a razor, Jordan’s AAA1 steel, Selected Ivory handle

You will notice there are a couple of knives listed in this catalog as "corn knives". Just about every knife maker of the time had a “corn knife” model that would often say have it embossed somewhere on the handle or blade. At one time I assumed these were knives intended for harvesting ears of corn or cutting it off the cob. I thought it was odd to have so many knives specifically for corn because harvesting and shucking don’t really require any kind of tool. But at the same time they did have “apple knives”, “melon tester knives”, “fruit knives” and other such specialty blades.

When I was digitizing this particular catalog I noticed one of the knives listed as a corn knife was also called a “chiropodist” knife and was labeled as such on the side of the knife. Well I had to google chiropodist because that is one of those words that has apparently fallen to the wayside. A chiropodist is a doctor who deals specifically with the hands and feet. This title is apparently still commonly used in some parts of the world but for whatever reason in America all we have now for the most part is podiatrists which is a foot doctor of course. I guess 100 years ago given that people worked more with their hands and walked a lot more, often in unforgiving shoes, they had a lot more corns and calluses. As far as needing a hand and foot doctor for this I guess that void has been filled with the nail salons we seem to have on every corner now!

I felt a little foolish for my incorrect assumption all this time. At the same time was glad I had never used one of these old knives to cut corn off the cob since people had once used them to carve on their feet. I am sure someone out there is using Grandpa’s foot knife for food prep under the same misassumption! Anyway I guess these should be classified in the same category as a “Doctor’s Knife” rather than being lumped in with the farmers knives.

OFFICE KNIVES

A..J. Jordan Models Featured Above Include: # No. 3089 Select Ivory handle, Nickel Silver Lined Large and Concave Blade Office Knife AAA1, 3090 Office or Budding Knife Ivory handle AAA1, 3091 AAA1 Office Knife, 3902 Desk Knife Letter Opener Pearl End, 3093 Eraser AAA1 English Blade Redwood Handle 3094 Same as 3093 But With Bone Handle

Pages

George Wostenholm and Sons IXL Pocket Knife Models of 1910

A.J. Jordan Sheffield Trade Mark AAA1 Cutlery Company Catalog circa 1900