J. Wiss & Sons Co. - Scans of old books, pamphlets, catalogs, ads, etc.

Wiss Publications

• A Story of Shears and Scissors published by J. Wiss & Sons Co., Newark, NJ, 1948. WorldCat [4.6 MB].
• The edge of excellence since 1848. is the 125th anniversary publication for 1973. WorldCat [4.3 MB].
• Trade catalogs, wholesale price lists and cut sheets from 1973-1976. This is a very complete collection of the product line as of the end of Wiss family ownership in 1976.
• Trade catalog pages, price list and cut sheets from 1950-1954.
• How to Prune for Better Flowers, Shrubs, Trees and Fruits © 1957 J. Wiss & Sons Co., Newark, NJ [not scanned yet]
• FH 4 folder. This was an insert for the FH 4 flower holding shears. It shows some basic flower arrangments and other Wiss garden tools. Printed March 1953.
• Model C folder. This was an insert for the Model C pinking shears. The front discusses using and the care of the shears. The back promotes some other dressmaking shears and scissors. Printed August 1950.

Other Publications

• A collection of ads from various consumer magazines (predominately Better Homes & Garden, Good Housekeeping, Holiday, and The Saturday Evening Post).
• An early postcard of the Littleton Avenue factory. From Newark, The Golden Age, by Jean-Rae Turner, Richard T Koles and Charles F Cummings. Published by Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC, 2003. WorldCat [The caption is incorrect. J Wiss never made jewelry or silverware. The jewelry store branch of the company simply retailed these items.
• Pages from a Newark Directory 1853-54 with a listing for Jacob Wiss, Cutler.
• A biography of Jacob Wiss from Biographical and Genealogical History of the City Newark and Essex County, N.J., by Frederick W Ricord, Sophia B Ricord. Published by Lewis Publishing Co, New York, 1898. WorldCat

Mementos

• An old Christmas card. When was 755 Broad Street, Newark new?
• Centennial matches from 1948.
• Old Fashioned cocktail glasses from 1948. (Highball ones also exist.)
• Scissor tie clasp, made by Swank. 1 3/4" long.
• Pinking shear tie clasp.

Signs and Display Cases

• Brass Sign 2½ x 3½ inches. Has the 1950s (and earlier) Wiss logo with the slogan Stay Sharp. Mostly likely it was used on a wooden display case.
• Wiss garden tools sign. Most likely it was the back of a display.
• A reproduction sign used as decor in a T.G.I. Friday's restaurant. These often come up for sale on eBay.
• An HD-100 Display & Stock Container that sits on a counter.
• An old wall mounted display cabinet.
• A countertop Trimline Shears & Scissors Display Case.

Other Wiss Material

• This is NJ, a weekly radio series by the State Conservation and Economic Development in cooperation with the NJ Manufacturers Association, broadcast A Story of Scissors and Shears in 1948. This mp3 version made from a 78-rpm record. In two parts: Part 1 (Length: 7:07) and Part 2 (Length: 7:54).
• A letter (with envelope) from Richard Patrick & Company ordering Pole Pruning Shears. Dated February 24, 1875.
• Pinking Shear Patents. Pinking shears were made in conjunction with Samuel Briskman's Pinking Shears Corporation.
• Roller Shear Patents. This was a shears patented by the Bell System and made by Wiss. It was used to cut and then press down telegram strips onto blank forms.

Related Publications

• The Cutlery Story, From Stone Age to Steel Age by Lewis D. Bement [born 1909, president of Russell-Harrington Cutlery Co.], published by The Associated Cutlery Industries of America, Deerfield, MA 1950 [1.9 MB].