By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — The “Village of Knives” exhibit at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds kicked off its three-day run Friday with a steady stream of visitors.
Sponsors John Burrell and Brad Lockwood said it was good attendance for a Friday and both looked forward to this weekend.
Burrell called it one of the finest knife shows in the country this year. Some dealers specialized in Case Knives, many of which were built in the some of the 60 Cattaraugus County cutleries.
The Corporate Building at the fairgrounds in Little Valley was the epicenter of the displays, which spilled over into the Domestic Building.
Michael Dean of Greencastle, IN, included a number of Case knives in his display. He also had a few Ka-Bar knives designed to turn heads.
One of the Olean-made knives was called the Campfire and was made in 1920. It featured a knife and fork built into the body of the knife and was judged to be very useful. Another Ka-Bar, made under the Dog’s Head brand was named the Hobo. It also featured a unique knife/fork combination, Dean said.
The knife collector said he enjoyed traveling to shows like the Little Valley one. How did he find out about it? He said he ran into John Burrell at a show earlier this year who urged him to attend.
Dean loves both hearing and telling stories about knives — particularly in this part of Southwestern New York where there is so much cutlery history.
He had several elk-handled hunting knives made in Montana by Rudy Ruana. “Rudy used to say that leaf springs from Studebaker cars made the best blades. He’d drive around filling up his car with the springs.”
Burrell was selling his specially made knives in the museum part of the Domestic Building. Burrell, the mayor of Ellicottville, is a direct descendant of the Case Family, and the last to make knives in Ellicottville.There were 80 employees at Burrell Cutlery when it closed in 2003.
With the closing of Ontario Knife in Franklinville last year, Cutco Cutlery remains the only surviving knife maker in Cattaraugus County.
Dealers were prepared to buy as well as sell knives during Village of Knives. Some old Case Brothers knives sell for between $5,000 and $10,000.
Another dealer, Ron Meyer of Scio, said he was selling much of his collection because he didn’t want to see the knives sold at a garage sale for pennies on the dollar. His wife Melanie sat nearby to make sure Ron didn’t come home with more knives than he left with.
“I’m slowing down,” Ron said. “ I go to a couple of shows a year now.” Like other dealers, he loves to talk about knives.
He described a young boy who was looking at a particular straight bladed knife in a leather sheath. “I told him I wanted $20,” Meyer said. He put it back, but came back twice. I gave it to him for $10.”
Meyer had a handful of folding blade knives in what he called the junk drawer alongside his display. “I tell them they can have one for $4,” he explained.
Village of Knives is open from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. It is part museum and part marketplace.
For more information, go online to villageofknives.com.
