OUR HISTORY

The origins of the Ontario Knife Company are shrouded in mystery from a faded past. It is certain that three men – William B. Ensworth, Charles Albert Brace and William Maudsley – were in the picture of New York in 1889. The company’s name came from Ontario County.

As the company began to grow and needed more space and more power, the old sawmill in Cadiz, located near the village of Franklinville, was also purchased.

Around 1902 a move was made from Cadiz to Franklinville as the company continued to grow and again needed more space and more power. This was the current location of the Ontario Knife. Also 12. August 1902 the company was incorporated and retained the name Ontario Knife Company.

In 1904, the owners of another local knife manufacturer, the Empire State Cutlery Company, bought out the interests of the original stockholders of the Ontario Knife Company, and in 1905 the two merged under the name of the Ontario Knife Company. The company expanded again and from 1912 to 1914 a new building was built, which the company still uses.

In 1923, James A. Chrestensen, who had been with the company for twelve years, became president of the “Old Hickory” line. His son Robert F. Chrestensen took over as president after his father retired in 1952.