Dexter-Russell 29
The "Barlow" knife
Russell Cutlery float in the Turners Falls parade
While the Barlow became a mainstay product, the company
continued to manufacture other products that helped sustain the
business. A John Russell catalog from 1884 featured an enormous
selection of cutlery from the simple to the elegant. Customers
could purchase household knives used for carving and cutting
desserts, butter, fruit, cheese and bread; and table forks for
children and adults, some with elaborate handles of fine ivory,
redwood, ebony, beechwood, cherry or silver-plated.
e company also continued to produce knives for hunting and
fishing, and for the shoe and painting industries.
By 1889, the company was back on solid footing and had modernized the factory,
which increased output by 12 percent. To meet demands for silverware, the company
enlarged the silver-plating department and added new machinery. In 1890, the
company expanded its scope of products and began to make custom-engraved knives
for national retail stores that wanted their names on the blades. e company was
financially solvent between 1890 and 1920, even though sales declined.
Russell's success during this time period can be attributed to the high quality of its
products. For instance, the druggists' spatulas and painters' knives required the "best
tempered steel." And the "improved machinery and methods" the company used,
were said to be responsible for driving "…foreign cutlery houses from the field, one
by one…" Moreover, highly skilled and experienced workmen, as well as a strict
inspection policy, ensured that all goods produced met high standards of excellence.
