The Village of Knives
The Village of Knives
Little Valley to Host Event Honoring 150 Years of Craftsmanship and History
LITTLE VALLEY - Long known as the epicenter of early American knife manufacturing, “The Village of Knives” in western New York will honor its past with a major knife show and celebration July 12-14, 2024. Local, regional and international vendors are welcome to display, as the foremost knife dealers and collectors will be coming to Little Valley to educate, appraise, buy and sell. Attendance for the general public is free, with the entire Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds devoted to this event. For vendor table reservations, lodging and other information, please visit www.VillageofKnives.com.
Educational and very hands-on demonstrations will be led by History Channel’s Forged in Fire champion Walter Baranowski and a few of his fellow contestants. “Having grown up in nearby Springville, New York, where Case and Robinson Knife had factories, I was always amazed how few people knew of the legendary knife companies in our region,” said Walter Baranowski, “When I won Forged in Fire and heard that Little Valley was planning an event, I said ‘Heck yes!’ I’m bringing my pals to make sparks fly!”
Proceeds from the event will go directly to benefit Little Valley, including its library and beautification efforts. By focusing on its proud history, offering tours and rare knives for sale, raffle and auction, Little Valley’s event will be among the largest in America in 2024.
“One century ago there were more knife makers in Little Valley than anywhere in the world. This small town in western New York holds a significant place in American history, with many of the knives made here highly collectible today,” explained John Burrell, a Case family descendant and former owner of Burrell Cutlery, which spun-off from Kinfolks Cutlery in Little Valley before World War II. “The assorted Case families have five generations in the business, making us among the oldest and largest in the industry.”
In addition to dozens of knife vendors, dealers and collectors, local and regional vendors of handmade products, artwork and keepsakes are welcome to book tables to display and sell. W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery, Ellicottville Brewing Company, Hughes Hotel, Knife Magazine, the American Museum of Cutlery and Holiday Valley are all sponsoring the event. W.R. Case & Sons started in Little Valley, and proudly carries on the famous family name in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
“Case is proud to be a sponsor of the Village of Knives Celebration. The town of Little Valley, New York is important to us, because it’s where the Case name first took root and gave rise to the Case brand that continues to grow today,” said Brent Tyler, Associate Vice President of Marketing, Case and Zippo Outdoor Products. “We hope to see a large turnout of fans in support of the many storied brands that sprang forth from the Case family, and we invite all those attending to join our ‘Made in Bradford 2024’ event the following weekend.”
Ellicottville Brewing Company has a plant and restaurant in Little Valley, and will be bottling a special batch for sale at the event in July.
“Knives and beer, what could go wrong?” jokes Brad Lockwood, author and Case descendant. “This celebration is about highly collectible items, local workers, and one town that truly dominated the industry. Case, Ka-Bar, Platts, Cattaraugus Cutlery… just name the brand and it was born in Little Valley.”
In addition to knife dealers and actual forging and grinding demonstrations by Forged in Fire champions, the event will also be educational with an interactive timeline museum display of how and when the industry started, the players and their products. Vendors of all products and services are encouraged to book tables to display, with music, food and beverages available onsite at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds. Saturday night, July 13th, will also offer a VIP banquet at the American Legion Post 531, which is the former home of Sarah and Andrew Jackson Case.
The history doesn’t just end in Little Valley, as W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery and Zippo Manufacturing will be holding their own 135th anniversary “Made in Bradford 2024” event in Bradford, PA July 19-20th. Mark your calendars, book your tables and lodging, and make it a full week of fun! For more information visit www.VillageofKnives.com.