1890-1910 Butcher Spring Scale-USA

MADE AND PATENTED BY C. FORSCHNER!

The Spring Scale:
Because of the invention of the spring scale by British balance-maker Richard Salter, in around 1770, the weighing balance no longer relied on counter weights. The spring scale used the effects of gravity to calculate weight, as defined in Hooke’s Law which determines the displacement of force on the spring. It works by measuring the pressure exerted on a spring to deduce the weight of an object. The scientific plausibility of spring scales led to them becoming the most commonly used form of commercial and domestic scales in the world today.

Charles Forschner & Sons was founded in 1855 in New Britain, Connecticut, as a manufacturer of butcher scales. C. Forschner's factory built high quality butcher spring scales until his death in 1877. Forschner had a son named Richard who assumed head of the family business and changed the company name to RH Forschner. The younger Forschner decided to move the factory from New Britain, CT to New York, NY where he continued to patent and make butcher scales. To keep a competitive edge, Richard H. Forschner knew he needed to strengthen and improve father's scale business, so he marketed knives he imported from Germany to supply butcher ships. Now, Forschner could feature their high quality scales and as a benefit also provide butchers with high quality German steel...two things butchers always need. This brilliant marketing strategy was their foundation and provided company success until the mid 1930's.
As political tension leading up to World War II mounted, RH Forschner's German supply of cutlery was cut off supplying from Germany to the US So, RH Forschner went in search of a new supplier and approached the company Victorinox. Victorinox had been building a name for manufacturing and distributing quality cutlery all across Europe for more than 50 years. In 1937, Victorinox agreed to be the new supplier of cutlery to RH Forschner.
In 1957, when new owners acquired RH Forschner, they dropped out of the scales business completely and Victorinox knives became the company's sole product.. In the next 4 decades, RH Forschner systematically started competing with other Victorinox dealers. In 1972, R.H. Forschner became the only company with rights to distribute Victorinox cutlery in the United States.
When Forschner became a publicly traded company in 1981, Victorinox owner Charles Elsener became a minority owner. In 1996, Forschner changed its name to Swiss Army Brands Inc., and in 2002 sold all its remaining shares to Victorinox....Forschner became a memory!

C. Forschner Improved Circular Spring Balance Scale
MADE IN USA
BRASS AND CAST IRON....ALL METAL!
14.5" Tall (from loop to hook) 4.5" Wide 1.25" deep
Weighs 3 lbs 4 oz
To weigh 60 lbs by 10th
Each 20 lbs is marked on the slide
The intermediate weights on the circle

ETSY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY POLICY
As a venue for artists, designers, and makers, Etsy takes intellectual property rights very seriously. We comply with intellectual property laws and industry best practices in order to maintain the integrity of our creative marketplace. This Intellectual Property Policy explains how we address allegations of infringement, how authorized parties can submit reports of infringement regarding content on our marketplace, and how Etsy sellers can respond when their listings or shops are affected by a report.
ANY COPY AND PASTING OR PLAGIARIZING OF MATERIAL
ON MEMORYLANEVINTIQUES IS SUBJECT TO ETSY INVESTIGATION AND PENALTIES!
MemoryLaneVintiques researches also protect our shop from Intellectual Property Theft by researching for violators of our material. Be respectful!
Chad & Jennifer Johnston (August 2024)