I find this thread interesting, and I can see it is to others as well.
I would like to say this. I am of the opinion that patterns were sold by one manufacturer to another. In response to Rogers post, that why should one manufacturer sell its old patterns, which would obviously help its competition. Well, businesses help each other all the time. There are more business associations than you can shake a stick at, then and now. The National Stove Manufacturers Association is a perfect example. They belonged to it to promote the Industry. Of course they were in competition with each other.
But, lets look at the competition between Griswold and Wapak. It was a David and Goliath. Griswold had been in business for many years when Wapak started. Griswold was already an established name, in the World Market, when Wapak started. Wapak was just a little bitty place in comparison to Griswold, and hence posed no real threat to Griswolds bottom line, so why wouldn't Griswold sell them their patterns. It wasn't like Wapak was gonna put Griswold out of business by making Hollow Ware with Griswolds old patterns.
Patterns were hard to come by, they were expensive, pattern makers made good money, in comparison to the rest of the workers in a foundry, so if a foundry could get its patterns on the cheap, why not, that was good business, and for Griswold, why should they throw money away by destroying their old patterns. In my opinion, it was just good business all the way around.
I say this of course not to be argumentative, but just expressing my opinion. I think the manufacturers were more cozy with each other than we might otherwise be led to believe.
