The Canal Street Cutlery Story

Canal Street Cutlery is part of a spiritual heritage in knife making. This hertiage began when prehistoric man was inspired to make cutting edges. It became a craft that was refined in Sheffield England and Soligen, Germany, and further advanced in New York's Hudson Valley in the 1840's. Why New York's Hudson Valley? America attracted ore miners to Pennsylvania, that built a Canal from their inland mines to the Hudson River to distribute their products. This Canal (called the D&H Canal), threaded its way through the Hudson Valley in a fertile "Rondout" watershed area between the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountains. Two Locks (#30 and 31) on their Canal were located in Ellenville, NY on either side of "Canal Street." With a combination of great water sources, and access to iron and coal ore before it hit the world market, Ellenville and its surrounding environs attracted master cutlers from Soligen and Sheffield, stifled from innovation by their trade guilds. They settled, and built, a new American tradition of fine knife-making. It developed an international reputation that surpassed that of their original home towns. Among the dozens of knife companies founded here were Walden Knives and Schrade Cutlery, which ultimately merged together, and then merged with Imperial Knives in Rhode Island. Those three companies based became Imperial Schrade, the maker of Old Timer and Uncle Henry Knives, based in Ellenville. Imperial Schrade left Ellenville after being forced into bankruptcy in 2004. Its trademarks were auctioned off, and new owners moved its operations to China.

Wally Gardiner, President of Imperial Schrade before it moved, putting thousands out of work in our area, had a dream to create inspired knives that didn’t put production and costs ahead of quality. After decades of moving operations to foreign factories, and making many design and production compromises, he wanted the satisfaction of making an enhanced pocket knife. A knife finished with an exacting blade edge, and durable heirloom standards. He wanted a knife that breathed adventure, and that performed flawlessly at home or in the field. He persuaded twelve of the Cutlers formerly from the Schrade Specialty Knife Division in Ellenville, each with 30+ years of experience making Uncle Henry and Old Timer knives, to join him in that pursuit. They set up shop at 30 Canal Street in Ellenville, a former knife workshop dating back to Ellenville's cutlery tradition in the mid 19th century, and they committed themselves to an elevation of that tradition – returning to man's roots. Spiritual roots that originally brought New York knife-makers to the forefront of their craft. Using the most stirring handle materials, and the experience and superior steel edged know-how of many decades of skilled craftsmen, Canal Street Cutlery started making the most soul-stirring and functional pocket and hunting knives.

Canal Street Cutlery has developed a reputation for making the finest, absolutely inspiring, pocket and hunting knives. They are custom quality knives made by master craftsmen at the forefront of their craft, and 100% hand assembled, hand-hafted, and hand-finished. They combine classic designs with enhanced blade technology. They custom buff and bevel all parts with radiuses engineered for classic comfort, and for exciting performance. They tool and dye their own parts to specifications that have raised the bar for the entire industry. They use premium edged blade steels, and inspiring natural and enhanced antler, bone, horn, pearl, stabilized woods, hardwoods and resins for handle materials. Each knife has its own soul, coded according to a key numbering system, serialized, and recorded in the factory record log, and a certificate of manufacture. Their hunting knife edges are sheathed in custom designed leather sheaths, wet fit to the knife, for a snug and tight fit. Every pocket knife is wrapped carefully in tissue with an individual velveteen jewelers pouch, and placed in an historically styled gift box, with a beautiful green and gold antiqued label.

Droppointhunter.com is based in Ellenville, and committed to supporting the production of Canal Street Cutlery's fine steel-edged products. We believe that they are part of man's history. They embellish, have reached new heights for the prehistoric inspiration of the cutting edge, and are one of the most important Cutlery Shops making knives today. Their knives can take you to unparalleled dreams of adventure, and we seek to bring you the joy of a finely made knife.

You can discover a very special pocket or hunting knife here at droppointhunter.com.. You will savor your experience here and enhance your activities with our inspiring and unusual line of their fine hand made pocket knives. Purchase from us and we will see that you are 100% satisfied.