Lamson & Goodnow, maker of LamsonSharp cutlery, is the oldest cutlery manufacturer in the United States. Lamson & Goodnow was established in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts in 1837, and rapidly became the premier cutler in the United States. They manufacture both stamped and forged cutlery. As the American passion for home and hearth grew, so did Lamson & Goodnow.
Silas Lamson was an inventor and understood ergonomics way back in 1834. One of his earliest patents was for a curved snath that he developed, which improved the function of the scythe. The snath is simply the wooden shaft to which the scythe blade is fixed. The success of the curved snath enabled Silas to become even more successful in a few years. With his two sons, Ebenezer and Nathaniel, and another partner, Abel Goodnow, in 1837, he founded the manufacturing company of Lamson and Goodnow in Shelburne Falls, Mass.
When U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant was elected in 1869, Lamson representatives presented a fine 62-piece dinner set to the new leader of our young nation. The ivory and mother of pearl hilted products were so extraordinarily produced that portions of the original set are displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, a testament to both our timeless craftsmanship and the Lamson Lifetime Guarantee.
The partnership was successful and enjoyed steady growth during its early years. Extensive new buildings were erected in Shelburne Falls. Experienced cutlery workers were recruited from both Sheffield, England, and Solingen Germany, and began manufacturing the high-quality butcher and table knives that have remained the center of their products ever since. The firm was a major contributor to the region’s transformation from a primarily agricultural to an industrial economy, and by the time of the Civil War, they helped establish the Connecticut River Valley had emerged as the center of American cutlery production.
Today, Lamson and Goodnow is a modern cutlery manufacturing facility utilizing lasers and robotic CNC grinders yet housed in the same brick buildings where they began over 175 years ago. Preferring to use their craftsman for the handcrafted fit and finish work, many of their workers trace their lineage to the original English and German workers recruited at the companies beginning.
According to industrialhistory.org; lamsonproducts.com; countryknives.com. Source of photos: internet
