c1800 The U.S. cutlery industry begins in New England when a group of cutlers from England's Sheffield Cutlery Industry ban together.  April 29, 1897 In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a group of 38 men form a Limited Partnership, known as Tidioute Cutlery Company, to manufacture and sell cutlery. The formation is now widely considered to be the beginnings of KA-BAR Knives, Inc. 1898 First sales of cutlery marks the beginning of KA-BAR as it is today. 1902 Mr. Wallace R. Brown purchases the assets of the Tidioute Cutlery Company, and applies to the Governor of Pennsylvania to form a corporation, the Union Razor Company (later changed to Union Cutlery Company in 1909), for the purpose of manufacturing and selling cutlery. December 1911 A new Union Cutlery Company is registered in Olean, New York, creating two Union Cutlery Company incorporations: the original in Tidioute, Pennsylvania and the new one in Olean, New York. Once the Olean facility is operating successfully, the Tidioute, Pennsylvania plant is closed down. 1920's During this period, trademarks like OLCUT, KEENWELL, and KA-BAR are adopted and embellished on the knives. c 1942 Soon after the start of World War II, the Union Cutlery Company submits a KA-BAR branded knife to the U.S. Marine Corps for issue to fighting personnel. 1942 The Marine Corps accepts a reworked design of the submitted knife and begins using it as their standard issue fighting/utility knife. Due to the role of the KA-BAR branded USMC knife in the War, the directors of the company decide to change the corporate name to KA-BAR Cutlery, Inc.1960's KA-BAR is sold by the Brown family and subsequently goes through a series of ownership changes ultimately being sold in 1966 to Cole National Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio. May 1996 The KA-BAR product line and assets are sold to Alcas Corporation of Olean, New York. Late 1997 KA-BAR Knives, Inc. dramatically enhances its national product distribution with the addition of five manufacturing representative firms whose territory spans the entire United States. 1998 KA-BAR celebrates its 100th year in the knife-making business. 2003 KA-BAR moves to its current location, 200 Homer Street, Olean, NY. With special thanks to KA-BAR at www.kabar.com   716-372-5952     info@ka-bar.com  200 Homer Street, Olean, NY 14760 USA

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