Thousands of Knives, Swords, Axes

Cattaraugus, New York

Until World War I, Cattaraugus was at the heart of America's edged-tool-making region. This small museum attempts to preserve that history, displaying not only swords, knives, and bayonets, but also axes, wood planes, handsaws, surgical tools, silverware, and even a jar lid customized to cut ravioli.

As the museum states, "Edged tools cleared our forests, fed and clothed our pioneers, won and continued to preserve our freedoms."