“R” and an arrow is stamped under the name. The John Russell Manufacturing Company was originally founded in 1834 on the Green River near Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The first knives made by them were butcher and carving knives. The date “1834” appears on some of Russell’s fixed blade knives. In 1836, the Russell factory was moved to larger buildings, also on the Green River, and this second factory was known as the Green River Works.
A fire did considerable damage to the factory in 1868, and rather than rebuild, Russell decided to move to Turners Falls, Massachusetts. The company continued to use the Green River Works trademark, although the factory in Turners Falls was not on the Green River.
In 1873, the company was virtually bankrupt. A new company, the John Russell Cutlery Company, was formed to take over the business. No member of the Russell family was involved in the new venture.
In 1875, R.N. Oakman Jr. became treasurer of the company. It was also in 1875 that Russell decided to put pocket knives in their regular line of goods. Pocket knives had been made prior to this time, but only during hard times when other lines were not selling well. The knives were made by what was called “inside contracting.” The inside contractor usually did his own work, but sometimes, also hired workers and paid them wages. On some occasions the company paid the extra workers, and deducted their pay from the contractors fee. Russell furnished the steel, emery, and tools for the contractor. These contractors were responsible for most of the pocket knives made at Russell until 1893.
In 1879, Warren P. Dustin joined the firm, and re-organized the selling force. Later, Oakman and Dustin purchased controlling interest in Russell. After a number of years, Dustin became the principal owner. When his health began to fail, he was forced to sell the company. He died on January 31, 1920.
The trademark “R” with an Arrow through it was first used in 1875. Barlow knives may have been made prior to this, but if so, it is unknown what marking was used.
Production of pocket knives was ceased during WWI. By 1920, the barlow was back in production, and a Whittlers Club Knife Kit was being offered. This kit contained a barlow jack knife, a whetstone, soft pine whittling sticks, sandpaper, a Russell’s Whittlers Club membership button, and a whittler’s manual. The kit sold for one dollar. Each hardware that bought a carton of these kits was issued three medals to award to amateur whittlers. They had to whittle a reproduction of one of the designs shown in the manual. The work was then to be sent to Russell headquarters and cash prizes awarded to national winners.
A full line of pocket knives was being offered in the 1923 Russell catalog. In 1933, Russell merged with the John Harrington Cutlery Company of Southbridge, Massachusetts. The factories were combined, and they are still in business in Southbridge. The Russell barlow was manufactured until the start of WWII (1941), and was discontinued for the duration of the war. As far as can be ascertained, pocket knives were never put back into production after 1941.
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Russell-Harrington repaired barlow knives for members of the Barlow Bearcats, a barlow club formed by a reporter on the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper. At first, old parts were available, but these were soon exhausted. Damaged or missing handles were then replaced with black rubber. New blades were made and marked with a straight line marking (arrow through the R and a line under USSELL). This marking was never used on regular production barlow knives. Any blade that was replaced, regardless of the marking, was stamped “Second” out on the blade.
(Featured image) A 3 1/4” two-blade barlow with rare spey master blade, marked “(diamond) R (diamond) J. Russell & Co. Green River Works.”
c 1933-1941