Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Edgecraft Corporation Records

Summary
Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1382
Creators:
Smith, Jeff, 1939-2004
Child, Julia, 1912-2004
Guthrie, Janet, 1938-
Edgecraft Corporation
Friel, Daniel D.
Claiborne, Craig
Yan, Martin, 1948-
Dates:
1984-2016, undated
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
2 Cubic feet
3 boxes, 1 map-folder
Repository:
Collection documents the development and marketing of the Chef's Choice brand of knife sharpeners.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
The collection documents the development, marketing, and sales of the Chef's Choice brand of knife sharpeners to a home-based consumer market. Materials include both American and foreign print advertisements, press releases, press kits, point-of-purchase displays, magazine articles, catalogs, photographs, trade literature, audiovisual materials including VHS recordings of demonstrations, design drawings, business records, and scrapbooks. Of interest is the materials relating to chefs and food service industry professionals and EdgeCraft Corporation's evolution from serving the home cook to manufacturing products for commercial use. The collection is arranged in two series: Series 1, Company Records, 1984-1993, undated and Series 2, Product Information, 1984-2016, undated.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series.
Series 1, Company Records, 1984-1993, undated
Series 2, Product Materials, 1984-2016, undated
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
EdgeCraft Corporation, founded by Daniel Denwood Friel (1920-2012), introduced the Chef's Choice brand to the consumer market in 1984. Chef's Choice brand's first product was the electric knife sharpener which debuted in 1985. The electric knife sharpener was the invention of Friel, a retired chemical engineer. Born to Samuel Edward Whiting Friel and Martha Reynolds Friel in Queenstown, Queen Anne's, Maryland, Friel received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1942. He began his career on the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago in 1943. Mr. Friel's career path continued with thirty-nine years of experience as a chemical engineer with the DuPont Company. His retirement from DuPont was short lived as he turned his attention to the development of his new company, EdgeCraft Corporation, and an ever-increasing line of products. EdgeCraft Corporation, located in Avondale, Pennsylvania, continues to manufacture a large selection of electric and manual knife sharpeners, kettles, electric food slicers, waffle makers, electric grills, grinders, and hot beverage makers.
Administration
Author
Vanessa Broussard-Simmons
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated by the Edgecraft Corporation, 2016.
Processing Information
Processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, supervisory archivist, 2018.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Edgecraft Corporation Records, 1984-2016, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
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Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Catalogs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Articles -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Financial records -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Business records -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Articles -- 21st century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cutlery trade Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kitchen utensil industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Knives Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Press releases -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audio cassettes -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Videocassettes -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Point-of-purchase displays -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertisements -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Design drawings -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Clippings -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kitchen utensils Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Knife sharpening Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
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