Sheffield Knife Lore

[smiling-knife]

Hi everyone. I encourage you all to contribute to this Sheffield lore thread whenever possible. I am hoping over time we will build a great collection of knives and information. To start these are some engravings from a 1884 article on Sheffield. I have included a link to the article below for those interested in reading it. The article includes some general background to the city in the first half and focuses on the cutlery industry in the second half. I'm looking forward to your contributions. Thanks, s-k







http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q265 ... ld%201884/

It may help to print the pages if you are having trouble reading it.

[Another Knife Collector]

Thanks for posting the pictures S-K. The "A Very Clear Day." caption is funny with all the smoke going up from the factories, but it's also probably quite true. Here's a picture of a couple of my father's Sheffield pruners that I thought belonged here. A Saynor and an Abram Brooksbank.

[smiling-knife]

Thanks for posting your great old pruners AKC. These two were made by Harrison Bros and Howson. The second one, with a hand-forged srping, dates way back into the 1800s s-k

[jonet143]

great article and pics steve. great knives, guys.

[edgy46]

A relic knife but very old. I will let SK tell about it [please], so the information is correct.

[upnorth]

Here's a name you don't see often; well, I don't anyway!
Humphrey's Radiant.
Two knives, The first two pics, a sleeveboard pen with imitation Ivory, and the second three pics, a Tortoise pen. The tortoise knife is loose, but I could not resist the amazing filework!

[Miller Bro's]

Here is a BIG one! 5 1/4" closed, can`t make out the full mark, .....& bunch`s celebrated cutlery. M.B.

[smiling-knife]

Thanks very much for your posts and showing your knives everyone. Edgy46 and MB, I'll try to post some information for you later in the week. Edgy does your knife have a harp on the back of one of the tangs? Waynorth very nice springs on your Humphreys knife. Is it a whitter? This is a Humphreys Radiant ringturn knife with faux ivory scales circa 1920s or so. s-k

[edgy46]

Edgy46 and MB, I'll try to post some information for you later in the week. Edgy does your knife have a harp on the back of one of the tangs?


After cleaning the back of the master blade tang and under 15 power magnification I found the harp. The knife is two and one half inches long.


Added picture of the master blade Tang pile side. 3-18 09

[Another Knife Collector]

Nice knives everyone, That turn ring is a neat find S-K

Here's a couple more to add, a Columbia Cutlery Company bone whittler and an ivory Venture Slater Bros. sleeveboard pen, both pre-1890, I beleive.

[upnorth]

Yes, the tortoise is a whittler s-k. And the Ivory on that Venture Slater is just stunning AKC!
Here are some I*XLs, two versions of an HJ, and a Hawkbill with Brass handles.

[smiling-knife]

A relic knife but very old. I will let SK tell about it [please], so the information is correct.

Hi edgy. Sorry for the delay... I haven't forgot about your knife. Are those nickel silver pins? Goins says 1825-1852 for Wade Wingfield and Rowbotham but I have one that is suspected to be made later. Your knife looks later 1800s style and material wise but just speculation at the moment. I have some time in the next few weeks so will try to add more definitive information if possible. s-k

[orvet]

Here is a product of Sheffield who frequently accompanies me on my daily rounds,
assisting me with chores.

Dale

[edgy46]

A relic knife but very old. I will let SK tell about it [please], so the information is correct.

Hi edgy. Sorry for the delay... I haven't forgot about your knife. Are those nickel silver pins? Goins says 1825-1852 for Wade Wingfield and Rowbotham but I have one that is suspected to be made later. Your knife looks later 1800s style and material wise but just speculation at the moment. I have some time in the next few weeks so will try to add more definitive information if possible. s-k

Hi sk. in answer to your question the pins are not n/s, they are iron or steel. If those dates are correct, it is the oldest knife i have not made of rock.

[upnorth]

This Joseph Rodgers and Sons pruner appears in a 1910 catalog, and was called a coffee pruner, I am told. It was recently found in Port Stanley, Ontario, on the northern shore of Lake Erie, in the heart of the Tobacco belt. Tobacco cultivation started there with the native population, and became bigger and more commercial in the early 1800s. The finder sold it to me via Ebay. I imagine the knife making the trip from Sheffield, across the Atlantic, up the Hudson, down the Erie Canal, and across Lake Erie! The Boat(s) may have dropped Emigrating cutlers off in the New World as well!!
Bernie Levine thought the skill/art of "scratting" was lost in the late 1800s, but this knife suggests it lingered for a while. He admits dating Jos. Rodgers knives is not easy!!
Scratted bone may never have been done in North America, commercially.
Big knife at a bit over 4 7/8".

[Another Knife Collector]

Fantastic find upnorth, and in great condition to boot! The scratting is something special and adds a great quality to it.

Picked this ivory horseman's knife up a little while back and despite its damage it's one of my favorites. Marked REPEAT NEEDHAM BROTHERS SHEFFIELD.

[upnorth]

Some really nice details on that knife AKC!

Here's a 3 1/2" congress I just purchased. I love nicely fitted blackened stag! After you cure all that tobacco you harvested with the big pruner, you can cut yourself a "chaw" with your tobacco blade, and brag about the nice knife!

[smiling-knife]

Thanks for posting yourgreat looking knives guys . Charlie the scratted bone is fantastic. That's a real treat to see. In looking through the 1875 Wostenholm catalogue, I see that the knives listed as Tobacco knives are what we would generally call congress knives i.e., two sheepfoot blades and two pen blades. The knives marked as Congress knives appear to have one large sheepsfoot and 3 smaller blades s-k

[knifegirl888]

Bret got this from a postman. The postman didn't deliver it to our mailbox though, he was selling knives at a gunshow this past weekend.

[knife7knut]

Here's a few of mine.Some may have been posted before on other posts.

1st picture: 2 old I*XL folders;one marked Celebrated Cutlery.
2nd picture:3 old ones;a George Woodhead;a Samuel Robinson;and an unmarked large folder(replaced handmade blade;looks English)
3rd picture:Harrison Brothers & Howson.
4th picture:an I*XL ivory quill knife in like new condition.
5th picture:a pipe knife with folding tobacco tamper by Brookes & Crookes.
6th picture:a small R.Bunting & Sons half congress.
7th picture:A Saynor florist knife with one piece ivory handle.
8th picture: A Saynor Henderson florist knife with one piece ivory handle.
9th picture:a 4 blade pen marked,"Silver Steel" with an owl's head on the reverse.(no info on this one either).
last picture.My 1st stag scaled knife:a Saynor Obtain Warranted pruner with one piece iron liners/bolsters.

[Bret888]

Nice ones K7! Old Sheffield knives are at the top of my favorites list.

[danno50]

Lot's of nice knives posted so far. Got this IXL wharncliff whittler at a gun show last week.
Dan

[Iron Hoarder]

Nice stuff everybody!

[Bret888]

Nice one Danno! It is nice to have an original, of what has become quite popular in recent years.

[Sauconian]

Nice knives everyone !

This 4'' whittler is stamped W.Landell / 105 Trongate / Glasgow on all 3 blades. SK thinks they were a sporting goods company in Scotland.

An unfortunate crack in the ivory, but hey, it was a free knife...and gets occasional pocket polish.

Fran