| P. C. Herwig & Co 49 Sands St. Brooklyn 3, NYC |
| Click on ANY picture for a larger version! |
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Rear and Front Covers Inner Front and Page One Pages 2 - 3
Pages 10 - 11 Pages 12 - 13 Pages 14 - 15
Pages 28 - 29 Pages 30 - 31 Pages 32 - 33
Pages 34 - 35 Pages 36 - 37 Pages 38 - 39
Page 44 - Chart of finished widths using (x) size lines!
Pages 4 - 5 Pages 6 - 7 Pages 8 - 9
Pages 22 - 23 Pages 24 - 25 Pages 26 - 27
Pages 16 - 17 Pages 18 - 19 Pages 20 - 21
Pages 40 - 41 Pages 42 - 43 Pages 44 - Back inside cover
| All content these pages © 2004-2010 Frayed Knot Arts. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use prohibited without prior written permission. |
The P.C. Herwig Company was the "one-stop-shopping centre" for squareknotting from 1922 through the early 1970's (I think).
Exactly when it ceased operation is a conjecture on my part, as is most other information about it, but I do know that Mr. Herwig
was a Chief Electrician's Mate during WW-I and either retired out of the Navy or was forced out due to the post-war personnel level
reductions that our Governments always seem to go through after a war. (To their later great distress, but elected officials have no
hindsight...) At any rate he bought out a company already supplying Naval personnel with uniforms, insignia and the like, F. A.
Toombs Inc, and continued in the same vein, adding square-knotting supplies and instruction booklets. Square-knotting was, in the
mid-to-late Twenties, a very popular pastime in the US and the UK, and Herwig was in the right place at the right time to capitalize on
the "craze". The company continued successful, even through the depression years and into WW-II. (see BELFAST CORD page.)
This is a catalogue that they published in 1933, listing all of their square-knotting items available, but I am informed that there were
five other catalogs with uniform items, surplus items, boating supplies and general cordage as well. I've not yet been able to come
up with any of those catalogues, and if any of you happen to be in possession of any of them, let's talk. (Note: NOT the
"Square-Knotting" books... I've enough of those!)
Interesting are the prices for things in 1933... a spool of Belfast Cord was $0.75 then, but considering that an average weekly salary
ran around $35.00, it was fairly expensive! Consider that a pound of coffee ran appx. $.75 then, and is about$6.00 now, and you'll be
able to make some sort of informed comparison between the prices in the catalogue and what they might be today (2006). It's an
interesting exercise.
NOTE: PC Herwig published three booklets on squareknotting which are being reproduced and sold on Ebay as of 10/2006. While
there is nothing wrong with this and although the copies are quite crisp, the same information is contained in any edition of "The
Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Ropework" by Raoul Graumont and John Hensel (Cornell Maritime Press 1943 and subs. editions)
and by buying that volume you'll also get a wealth of knotting lore and expertise as well. Better value! Find it on Amazon.com.,
Half.com or any used book search Average price is $24.00, while the three reprints will total appx. $22.00!
Exactly when it ceased operation is a conjecture on my part, as is most other information about it, but I do know that Mr. Herwig
was a Chief Electrician's Mate during WW-I and either retired out of the Navy or was forced out due to the post-war personnel level
reductions that our Governments always seem to go through after a war. (To their later great distress, but elected officials have no
hindsight...) At any rate he bought out a company already supplying Naval personnel with uniforms, insignia and the like, F. A.
Toombs Inc, and continued in the same vein, adding square-knotting supplies and instruction booklets. Square-knotting was, in the
mid-to-late Twenties, a very popular pastime in the US and the UK, and Herwig was in the right place at the right time to capitalize on
the "craze". The company continued successful, even through the depression years and into WW-II. (see BELFAST CORD page.)
This is a catalogue that they published in 1933, listing all of their square-knotting items available, but I am informed that there were
five other catalogs with uniform items, surplus items, boating supplies and general cordage as well. I've not yet been able to come
up with any of those catalogues, and if any of you happen to be in possession of any of them, let's talk. (Note: NOT the
"Square-Knotting" books... I've enough of those!)
Interesting are the prices for things in 1933... a spool of Belfast Cord was $0.75 then, but considering that an average weekly salary
ran around $35.00, it was fairly expensive! Consider that a pound of coffee ran appx. $.75 then, and is about$6.00 now, and you'll be
able to make some sort of informed comparison between the prices in the catalogue and what they might be today (2006). It's an
interesting exercise.
NOTE: PC Herwig published three booklets on squareknotting which are being reproduced and sold on Ebay as of 10/2006. While
there is nothing wrong with this and although the copies are quite crisp, the same information is contained in any edition of "The
Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Ropework" by Raoul Graumont and John Hensel (Cornell Maritime Press 1943 and subs. editions)
and by buying that volume you'll also get a wealth of knotting lore and expertise as well. Better value! Find it on Amazon.com.,
Half.com or any used book search Average price is $24.00, while the three reprints will total appx. $22.00!