For most of the latter half of the nineteenth century and the majority of the twentieth century, Chicago was one of the most important cattle cities in the nation. All of the cattle trails resolved in Chicago because that’s where the trains resolved. Once the cattle arrived in Chicago, they would be slaughtered in various slaughter yards, and then packed in a meat plant, and sent out to the rest of the nation. The slaughter yards were such an important and prominent part of Chicago that many of the businesses, buildings, and events in Chicago are directly linked to the cattle industry. Chicago Cutlery is no exception to this rule. It was originally founded in 1930, in response to the very high demand for sharp knives. Chicago Cutlery did not manufacture the knives at that point. Rather, they conditioned the knives, keeping them sharp and making them last longer. Butchers and packing plants needed their knives maintained, conditioned, and cared for on a regular basis, because a dull knife means a loss of time and money. But it didn’t take long to move from knife conditioning to knife manufacturing. By 1969, Chicago Cutlery had begun to manufacture knives for the meat and poultry industry in Chicago as well as the rest of the country. Now, eighty years after the founding of the company, Chicago Cutlery has become one of the most trusted names in knives.