This venerable cutlery manufacturer—dating back to 1842—made a patented timber boring machine back in the 1860s. Several surviving examples are reported.

Information Sources

• From A history of American manufactures, from 1608 to 1860, by John Leander Bishop, Edwin Troxell Freedley, and Edward Young, 1864.

  Lamson & Goodnow's Cutlery Works

  Like most of the other remarkably successful manufacturing establishments f the United States, this has grown up from small beginnings, having been founded by Mr. Ebenezer G. Lamson, who commenced the manufacture of Cutlery at this place about the year 1842. Mr. Lamson is the son of Silas Lamson, who was the inventor of the present form of bent Scythe Snaths—the handles of scythes previous to his invention having been made straight; and for nearly sixty years the family, father and sons, have been manufacturers of these useful articles. In 1844 Mr. A. F. Goodnow became associated with Mr. Lamson in the Cutlery manufacture, establishing the firm of Lamson & Goodnow....

  In this manufactory, Table Cutler, Butcher and Pocket Knives, Augers and Bits [emphasis added], are made almost exclusively by machinery, much of invented and constructed in the establishment...

  This Company make about five hundred different styles of Cutlery, and consume in their manufacture 200 tons of Steel per year, 18,000 pounds of Ivory, 150 tons of Ebony, 300 tons of Rosewood, 30 tons of Cocoa wood, 400 tons of Coal, 10 tons of Grindstones, 10 tons of Emory, 4 tons of Sheet Brass and Brass Wire, and about 300,000 pieces of Shin Bones...

  For several years the works have been owned by a Company incorporated as the "lamson & Goodnow Manufacturing Company," with E. G. Lamson, President; A. F. Goodnow, Treasurer; and J. W. Gardner, Agent. They employ nearly five hundred workman, and produce Cutlery to the tune of $600,000 annually..."

• See also p. 477 of the EAIA's Directory of American Toolmakers: entries under LAMSON, GOODNOW & Co.; LAMSON & GOODNOW MFG. CO.; EBENEZER G. LAMSON & CO.
• Patent 42,914 was granted to Samuel U. King for a portable timber boring machine.
• The Massachusetts corporate registry database lists this company's first registration as 1851-05-24.