Utica Cutlery Company

This Utica, New York, company was founded in 1910 by former Camillus employees Samuel, Abraham and Joseph Mailmen along with other investors. It was primarily a metalworking factory, but became the Utica Cutlery Company in 1929. Early Utica pocketknives were of high quality and are not often found in the collector market. POCKET PARD and SANECA joined brands such as ULK SUPREME in about 1930 and by KUTMASTER in 1937. That trademark, the company’s best known, is still used today.

One-reason Utica knives are not common today, and the company little recognized, is because a great deal of its output was produced under contract for several hardware distributors and other knife brand owners and consequently marked with other brand names. During World War II, Utica made trench knives, bayonets, and other items for military use. The stamp found on most pre-1937 Utica knives is UTICA CUTLERY CO., UTICA N.Y., while after 1937 KUTMASTER, UTICA N.Y. is commonly encountered.

The company remains in business today as a manufacture of pocket and hunting knives, flatware and other cutlery products, producing the KutMaster, Team RealTree, Mountain Crest, Agatewood, American Maid, Featherweight, Seneca, Pocket Pard, Pal, and Caterpillar cutlery lines.