Imperial Schrade Corp. was an American knife manufacturer of hunting knives , pocketknives , utility knives , and bayonets during the 20th and early 21st centuries. The consolidation of five forerunner companies, including its namesakes, the Imperial Knife Company , founded 1916, and the Schrade Cutlery Company , founded in 1904, Imperial Schrade manufactured its products in the United States and Ireland and sold through hardware stores, department stores, and on military bases. The original company's fortunes declined and in 2004 it entered into bankruptcy where all equipment and intellectual property was sold off to reimburse creditors. The name and intellectual property (but not the factory nor equipment) was bought by Taylor Brands and used for marketing purposes. As of 2016, these brands are owned by Smith & Wesson .
38-669: The Imperial Knife Company had its roots at the Empire Knife Company in Winsted, Connecticut . In 1916, two men named Felix and Michael Mirando moved from Frosolone Molise in Italy to Providence, Rhode Island to be near its jewelry industry and began making skeletons for “waldemar,” or pocket watch chain knives. With their friend Domenic Fazzano as manager, they established the Imperial Knife Company, which would at one point grow to be
76-681: A decrease from 7,712 at the 2010 census . It comprises the majority of the town of Winchester's 10,224 population. Winsted is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region . Settled in 1750, the city of Winsted was formed at the junction of the Mad River and Still River and was one of the first mill towns in Connecticut. Manufactured products started with scythes at the Winsted Manufacturing Company in 1792. The city
114-554: A hammer, LED light, lighter, tape measure and an assortment of screwdriver bits. Multifunction tools may be specialized for use in certain activities. Cyclists may carry a folding tool with screwdriver bits or wrenches to allow adjustment of bicycle fasteners during a ride, or for repairing a broken chain. For sport fishermen, a specialized multitool may combine common functions such as cutting fishing line, crimping weights, removing hooks or opening split rings. A specialized multitool may be used for adjustment, cleaning or minor repair of
152-478: A household in the CDP was $ 45,597, and the median income for a family was $ 58,962. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 41,842 versus $ 45,208 for females. About 20.1% of families and 23.5% of the population were living below the poverty line , including 31.8% of people under the age of 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over. The closest major airport is Bradley International Airport (BDL), 24 miles (39 km) to
190-518: A large decrease in enrollment, the school dropped from serving around 200 students, to just 90. When in operation, it was the oldest school continually operated by the archdiocese. Northwestern Connecticut Community College is also located in Winsted. Beardsley Library and the Memorial Library is the local public library. Mrs. Eliot Beardsley donated $ 10,000 to establish the library. The buying of
228-618: A partial interest in the company to the Walden Knife Company. The company's unusual name arose from its first knife design, a switchblade or automatic-opening pocket knife with an operating button mounted in the knife bolster. First patented by Schrade in 1892, the knife was eventually produced with a unique style of clip point blade. In 1903, Schrade sold all of his interest in the New York Press Button Knife Co. to Walden Knife Company. The following year, Schrade formed
266-414: A selection of allen (hex) keys, a selection of wrenches, screwdrivers, a spoke wrench , and a chain tool . In 1983 Tim Leatherman sold his first " Pocket Survival Tool ", larger and more robust than a pocket-knife-based tool, and incorporating a set of needle-nosed pliers in a butterfly knife -style mechanism. Too large for most pockets, it came with a belt pouch. Other multi-tool functions include
304-763: A total of nine named hills. There are five stone churches in a crescent from east to west. In their exact center is the Castle Tower Civil War monument, a stone tower of over 40 feet erected in 1890. The city is crossed by U.S. Route 44 , Connecticut Route 8 , Connecticut Route 183 and Connecticut Route 263 . US 44 leads southeast 25 miles (40 km) to Hartford , the state capital, and northwest 17 miles (27 km) to North Canaan . Route 8 leads south 9 miles (14 km) to Torrington and 28 miles (45 km) to Waterbury , and north 26 miles (42 km) to U.S. Route 20 in West Becket, Massachusetts . As of
342-464: A wallet or on a keyring, but others are designed to be carried in a trouser pocket or belt-mounted pouch. The idea of incorporating several tools in one unit is very old, dating back at least as far as Middle Roman times. Many of these were used for eating. Among the earliest contemporary examples is the Swiss Army knife , as supplied by makers Victorinox and Wenger . The actual version supplied to
380-473: Is home to a growing number of arts and cultural organizations, including the arts and education center the American Mural Project , which holds the record for the largest indoor, collaborative mural in the world. Known in the 1800s as Winsted Hosiery, the largest hosiery manufacturer in the state, Whiting Mills is now home to 56 artisans, small businesses, and retail shops. Since its renovation in 2004,
418-463: Is within the town of Winchester, and its name derives from the fact that it is the business center for the towns of Winchester and Barkhamsted . Winsted, along with New Haven, Connecticut , was a center for the production of mechanical clocks in the 1900s. The Gilbert Clock Company , located along the Still River north of town, was founded in 1871 by William L. Gilbert (1806–1890) and became one of
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#1733085659273456-599: The Gilbert School serves as the public school for grades 7-12. Prior to 2011, middle school students went to schools operated by the Winchester district. Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 maintains Northwestern Regional High School , which is partly in Winsted. However, the school does not act as the public school for Winsted. Students who live in Winchester can attend Northwestern Regional High School through their Agricultural Education Program. Also located in
494-620: The Swiss army includes a knife blade, a reamer , a bottle-opener – screwdriver – wire stripper , and a can-opener –screwdriver. Besides Victorinox and Wenger, many other manufacturers now make similar knives. Other versions may include items like a nail file , tweezers , folding scissors , a tooth pick , a magnifying glass , screwdriver bits and others. There are also versions that have special tools for specific sports or outdoor activities like golf , horseback riding , shooting , hunting or fishing . Versions intended for cyclists may have
532-576: The Treasury Department . The Gilbert School , originally endowed with more than $ 600,000 by William L. Gilbert, is a private secondary school that serves as the public high school for the town of Winchester. In 1955, Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane passed over Connecticut within one week, flooding the Mad River and Still River through downtown. The Mad River, which parallels Main Street, caused flooding up to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep through
570-483: The 1980s, a consolidation took place and the company divested itself of various holdings in order to streamline management. In 1983, Albert M. Baer took the company private to ward off hostile investors by purchasing all outstanding stock in the company. The company changed names in 1985 to Imperial Schrade Corp. and Walter Gardiner was named President and COO. All U.S. operations were combined under one roof in Ellenville,
608-587: The Challenge Cutlery Co. closed after the death of its owner, Charles F. Wiebusch. Schrade formed a new company, the Geo. Schrade Knife Co. in Bridgeport, acquiring knifemaking machinery from the old Challenge Cutlery assets. At the new company Schrade made Presto switchblades as well as Wire Jack jackknives, and other low-end pocket knives. George Schrade died in 1940 (According to; George Schrade died in 1945), and
646-675: The Geo. Schrade Knife Co. was sold by his sons in 1956 to Boker Knife Co. of Newark, New Jersey, but the company closed operations in 1958 after Congress passed a law banning the sale of switchblades across state lines. Schrade's other company, the Schrade Cutlery Co., was sold in 1946 to the Imperial Knife Associated Companies, becoming the Schrade-Walden Cutlery Co., Inc. The Baers purchased Schrade Cutlery Company in 1946 from J. Louis Schrade and renamed it
684-497: The New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The Northwestern Community College Foundation was incorporated in 1981 to support the mission of Northwestern Connecticut Community College. NCCF generates private funds for the purpose of benefiting the students attending NCCC and the community of Winsted. In 2013, Henry Centrella, the former city finance director, was served a complaint which stated that over $ 2.2 million
722-777: The Schrade Cutlery Company in Walden. In 1906–07, Schrade patented the Safety Pushbutton Knives , an improved series of switchblade knives with side-mounted operating button and a sliding safety switch. Later developed in slightly modified form as the Presto series, the Schrade switchblade would come to dominate the automatic knife market in the United States for the next fifty-five years. From 1911–1916, George Schrade resided in
760-483: The Schrade Walden Cutlery Corporation, a division of the Imperial Knife Associated Companies group. The Schrade-Walden division was moved from Walden, New York , to Ellenville, New York , after a fire consumed the factory in 1958, though the two companies would maintain separate manufacturing facilities. Imperial Knife had positive economic growth up to the late 1970s, but as the conglomerate entered
798-466: The census of 2010, there were 7,712 people, 3,346 households, and 1,920 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,668 inhabitants per square mile (644/km ). There were 3,828 housing units, of which 482, or 12.6%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.6% White , 2.2% African American , 0.3% Native American , 1.3% Asian , 2.7% some other race , and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.5% of
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#1733085659273836-542: The center of town. This damaged the buildings between Main Street and the river such that all buildings on that side of Main Street through the center of town were subsequently removed and Main Street widened to four lanes. The buildings on the north side of Main Street for the most part survived and were repaired. Further downstream, the Still River flowed between the buildings of the Gilbert Clock Company. The flooding caused extensive damage to their buildings, and this
874-539: The east in Windsor Locks, Connecticut . Amtrak stations within a 30-mile radius include Windsor (WND ), Hartford (HFD ), Berlin (BER ), and Springfield, Massachusetts (SPG ). Greyhound Lines also has a bus station. Public transportation service is provided by the Northwestern Connecticut Transit District , which operates a weekday bus service and a dial-a-ride service. Winsted
912-669: The eastern part of the town of Winchester at the confluence of the Still and Mad Rivers . This Mad River is one of seven rivers with the same name in New England, one other of which is also in Connecticut. The Still River continues north as a tributary of the Farmington River and is part of the Connecticut River watershed. The city is laid out in a horseshoe-shaped valley ringed by seven hills; two other hills stand amid this, comprising
950-550: The knifemaking center of Solingen, Germany , where he ran a small workshop. There Schrade developed a new type of switchblade knife, which he titled the Springer . However, in 1916 the German government seized all of Schrade's assets in Germany to assist its war production. Schrade returned to the United States, though his Springer switchblade would live on; now unprotected by patent, the type
988-446: The land was funded by Jenison Whiting, who submitted a bequest in 1898, with the first building built the following year. 41°55′16″N 73°03′36″W / 41.92111°N 73.06000°W / 41.92111; -73.06000 Multi-tool A multi-tool (or multitool ) is a hand tool that combines several individual functions in a single unit. The smallest are credit-card or key sized units designed for carrying in
1026-592: The largest clock companies in the world around the start of the 20th century. The Winsted post office contains an oil on canvas mural , Lincoln's Arbiter Settles the Winsted Post Office Controversy , painted by muralist Amy Jones in 1938. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture , later called the Section of Fine Arts, of
1064-559: The largest knife manufacturer in the United States. The company developed a number of successful innovations in the manufacture of commercial value-priced folding pocket knives. In 1941, Albert M. Baer purchased the Ulster Knife Company (which was founded in Ellenville, New York , in the 1870s) and merged it with the Imperial Knife Company and designated this new business as the Imperial Knife Associated Companies, to produce knives for
1102-624: The military. Albert's brother, Henry Baer, was the company's first president and the namesake for Schrade's "Uncle Henry" line of knives. Tang stamps bearing the Imperial name appeared until 1988 when they were discontinued and replaced by the Schrade name. Schrade Cutlery Company had its roots in the New York Press Button Knife Company, formed in 1892 by George Schrade, an inventor from Sheffield, England . Unable to raise sufficient capital to begin knife production, Schrade sold
1140-544: The mill received recognition from New England's Yankee Magazine as the "2016 Best Artists' Community in Connecticut,”"establishing the former factory building as a vibrant platform for the area's most creative artisans. Also here are the Ralph Nader 's nonprofit American Museum of Tort Law , and the Winchester Historical Society. Winchester Public Schools is the public school district for grades K-6, while
1178-406: The population. Of the 3,346 households in the community, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were headed by married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
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1216-492: The town is Explorations Charter School. Created to serve a diverse body of students, the school was designed to accommodate the unique educational, social, and emotional needs of its students. Prior to closing in 2020, the town also had a parochial Catholic school called St. Anthony School, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hartford . The school opened in 1865, and maintained a class of around 200 students. Experiencing
1254-610: The vacant Channel Master antenna factory. In the 1990s, the company entered the multi-tool market and the Baers were both inducted into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame . In July 2004, the year the company celebrated its 100th anniversary, the factory in Ellenville was closed. The Schrade name was purchased by Taylor Brands LLC, who continued to manufacture products under the Schrade brand as well as Old Timer, Uncle Henry, Imperial, and Smith & Wesson knives. Production
1292-429: Was 2.28, and the average family size was 2.95. 21.5% of the CDP population were under the age of 18, 8.7% were from 18 to 24, 24.6% were from 25 to 44, 30.1% were from 45 to 64, and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. For the period 2013–2017, the estimated median annual income for
1330-537: Was manufactured by several Solingen shops for many years thereafter. In 1917, Schrade licensed a flylock switchblade design to the Challenge Cutlery Company, which he then joined. Schrade pursued his knifemaking interests at both Challenge and at Schrade, where his brother George now managed one of the company's factories. In the 1920s, Schrade bought the defunct Walden Cutlery Company in order to obtain their stocks of handle material for his knives. In 1928,
1368-549: Was misappropriated during his 30-year tenure. Ralph Nader opened the American Museum of Tort Law in 2015, inside the former Winsted Savings Bank building at 654 Main Street. According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.4 km ), of which 4.6 square miles (12.0 km ) are land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km ), or 3.73%, are water. Winsted sits in
1406-471: Was moved to China. In July 2016, Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation announced that its Battenfeld Technologies division was to purchase Taylor Brands. Winsted, Connecticut Winsted is a census-designated place and an incorporated city in Litchfield County, Connecticut , United States. It is part of the town of Winchester . The population of Winsted was 7,192 at the 2020 census ,
1444-486: Was the final blow to a company which was already in poor financial condition. Northwestern Connecticut Community College was founded in 1965 by Winsted residents, including Ralph Nader 's older brother, Shafeek . It occupies the original Gilbert School building. NCCC was one of the first four community colleges in Connecticut, and is accredited by both the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education and by
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