Great finds, Myron, thank you for sharing .
Possibly I can add some more information.
1 - GRAEF & SCHMIDT WELKUT
You are right with the information "... Some ... reference books indicate that this brand was associated with J.A. Henckels at different points in history. ...".
Anyway I doubt that J.A. Henckels was the manufacturer of your knife due to the following facts:
1.1 Graef & Schmidt was an US-importer, acting as sales representative and importer of J.A. Henckels TWINS for a while but never on exclusive basis for J.A. Henckels only.
For example GRAEF & SCHMIDT imported knives from Robert Klaas, Solingen. Such knives were made by Robert Klaas under WELKUT brand just as this congress pattern pocket knife:
1.2. Vintage J.A. Henckels' sales catalogs are not illustrating any humpback 'Sportmesser' pattern while several humpback pocket knives in different style / shape are being listed there. If Henckels should have ever crafted Sportmesser humback style knives for export purpose to Graef & Schmidt in the US, such pattern would have been marketed unter TWINS brand, too.
1.3 Robert Klaas crafted their own congress pattern under contract for Graef & Schmidt with that US importer's WELKUT brand and made classic style humpback pattern 'Sportmesser' in series under their own KISSING CRANE brand. An existing business relation with Graef & Schmidt surely would have make sence for the 'Sportmesser' pattern made by Robert Klaas, too!
2 - I have some information on REX in my files, indicating a relationship with a no longer existing Solingen cutler. I still have to cross-check some additional reference sources.
I will respond in this matter separately.
regards
cut
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