1852, THOMPSON & GASCOIGNE opened a knife factory in Winsted. In 1856, it changed hands and was renamed the EMPIRE KNIFE CO. In 1880, the factory was moved to the old Lathrop and Barton table cutlery plant in West Winsted. Empire grew to be a large firm that did a lot of private-brand contracting. Charles L. Alvord, Empire’s president from about 1890 to 1923, was a leader in the fight for tariff protection for the American cutlery industry. Empire went out of business in 1930.
1916. Brothers Michael and Felix Mirando, cutlers from Frosolone, Italy, leave Empire Knife Co., Winsted, Connecticut, to go to Providence, Rhode Island. They start Imperial Knife Co. in a blacksmith shop rented from a cousin.
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(из Blade’s Guide to KNIVES & their VALUES , 7th EDITION)