All About Pocket Knives

Hi. I am reading about some some of the connections between the industries in Sheffield and the US during the mid 1800s to early 1900s. I was wondering if anyone has any information about a firm called Rawson Bros? This company was located in Birmingham CT around 1840s-50s and was founded by a Sheffield cutler named James Rawson. That's all the information I have. Thanks very much in advance s-k

all i have comes from brl3

rawson & nourse - grafton, ma. mfr.? - c1840s

rawson, james - birmingham, ct. - mfr. - c1846-1853

rawson, james & son(james f) after 1875 - new haven ct. - mfr. - c1853-1890

rawson brothers - sheffield, england - mfr. - c1876-1960

hope this helps

Perhapes these references will help took a bit of looking not to much on them. Good old New England cutlery again good book apparently tough to fine. Hope this helps and I hope it is readable.

The Rawson Brothers were two of my great great uncles. They made various knives. I know of a paper knife owned by a third cousin of mine in America. Two years ago, I nearly made contact with a ledger from the company, but it appears to be lost. I would be interested in any history of the company. I think some parts of it were absorbed into Christies, an engineering company that was located at Norton Hammer, by the River Sheaf. I worked there as a labourer and rumbler in 1972. My ninety year old aunt worked in the offices there for forty years.

Hi David,

That is interesting. Welcome to the Forum and if you find out any more on your kin, please let us know.

One question, I KNOW what a labourer is, however, I'm not familiar with the term "rumbler".

Two countries separated by a common language.

Cheers,
Willie

thats cool please let us know what else you dig up on your kin.

David,
Welcome to AAPK!

I hope Steve (Smiling-Knife) sees this post.
He asked that question nearly 4 years ago.
Sometimes it takes a while to get an answer.

Dale

I’m the third cousin in America that Dave Rawson referred to and likewise the Rawson brothers of Sheffield were my great great uncles. My interest is not in knives but the Rawson family history which I’ve been researching for many years.

Firstly, although the firm of Rawson Bros. was founded in January 1872 when (James) Harvey Rawson (b1827) joined his younger brother (Frederick) Percy Rawson (b1843) the business had been operating for some years. It was founded by Charles Burgon (b1832), a fully qualified spring/pocket knife maker who worked with his knife maker father John Burgon of Walkley (and previously Hope, Derbyshire). Charles Burgon’s business was at the Globe Works on Penistone Road before 1864 when he was washed out by the great flood and the business continued there when he formed a partnership with F. Percy Rawson in 1870. At that time Burgon was also in business with James Ball who had several valuable patents for sheep shear manufacturing – that business was Burgon and Ball and still exists today although the large La Plata works at Malin Bridge founded by Charles Burgon just closed down.

Prior to forming a partnership with Percy Rawson, Burgon had been in partnership in 1852 with Frederick Larom who would have been well known to the Rawsons as he was the son of one of the local Baptist preachers – Percy Rawson later became a Baptist lay preacher.

Charles Burgon was also Percy’s and Harvey’s brother-in-law having married (Louisa) Jane Rawson (b1832) in 1852.

At the end of December 1871 Burgon withdrew from the partnership in order to concentrate his efforts on the Burgon and Ball business. Then Harvey, a bookkeeper, joined with Percy to form Rawson Bros. They stayed at the Globe Cutlery Works on Penistone Road only until November of 1872 when they moved to 19-21 Carver Street in Sheffield, retaining the name Globe Cutlery Works.

In 1875 James Kinder joined the business as office boy and rose to be the business manager and on the death of Percy in 1909 (Harvey had pre-deceased him in 1906) the courts made Kinder, as a creditor, the executor and owner of the business. James Kinder then ran Rawson. bros until his death at age 92 in 1953. At that time the business came into the ownership of Burkinshaw family through the marriage of James Kinder’s daughter. Wilfred Burkinshaw moved the business from Carver Street in 1960 and it went out of business in 1976.

Tweedale’s Sheffield Knife Book is incorrect in stating that the Rawsons were an old-established Hallamshire family – indeed there is such a family but our Rawsons came from Tickhill in the 1790’s. The Globe name was taken from the works on Penistone road although Percy did later travel the globe on business.
I’m sure that is more than anyone wanted to know about Rawson Bros. of Sheffield. As to the other Rawson cutlers in Connecticut I can only say nothing is proven but Percy and Harvey’s uncles, William and James Rawson, were both apprenticed cutlers in Sheffield. A William Rawson, cutler, and his family left Sheffield in the 1840’s and settled in the New Haven, Connecticut region. His son James had the business in New Haven. I believe they are family – but no proof.

Even less is known about James from Sheffield – he may well have gone to Birmingham, CT (now Derby) and I would welcome any information about that business including the source of ‘Rawson, James - Birmingham, Ct. - mfr. - c1846-1853’ and the book which was being read by the person who started this topic. There is no trace of those two uncles in the Sheffield records of the 1840’s so they probably did emigrate.

Ballyhac,

Welcome! That is very interesting information, I am very happy you posted this here.

We always welcome new information about companies and persons related to the knife industry.

ballyhac wrote:I would welcome any information about that business including the source of ‘Rawson, James - Birmingham, Ct. - mfr. - c1846-1853’ and the book which was being read by the person who started this topic. There is no trace of those two uncles in the Sheffield records of the 1840’s so they probably did emigrate.

This is what is printed in Goin`s Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings about Rawson.

Does anyone here have a pocket knife by Rawson??

Would luv to see it

OK. This knife has all the earmarks of having been made in Germany.
And, I'm not at all sure that the seller has correctly discerned the tang stamp, but they state "RAWSON BROS. SHEFFIELD".
I cannot see that in the auction photo.
If it is a Rawson Bros. blade, I suspect it did not start life in this particular knife.

I suspect it actually is stamped with one of those old fraudulent German-cum-Sheffield marks meant to take advantage of Sheffield's popularity and commercial appeal. Something like Lawson Bros., etc.

At any rate, here's a link. I apologize, in advance, for posting an Ebay auction in the Knife Lore Forum. I'm not promoting the knife, just making a tentative contribution to this interesting Rawson Brothers thread.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

Not My Knife, Not My Auction, and I'm Not Bidding.

Charlie Noyes

Can't speak to it's originality, but in the condition it's in, that 9.99 would make it way over-priced for me.

RobesonsRme.com wrote:OK. This knife has all the earmarks of having been made in Germany.
And, I'm not at all sure that the seller has correctly discerned the tang stamp, but they state "RAWSON BROS. SHEFFIELD".
I cannot see that in the auction photo.
If it is a Rawson Bros. blade, I suspect it did not start life in this particular knife.

I suspect it actually is stamped with one of those old fraudulent German-cum-Sheffield marks meant to take advantage of Sheffield's popularity and commercial appeal. Something like Lawson Bros., etc.

Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT

I would tend to agree with you Charlie as I have an identical knife(in not much better condition)stamped,"Peters Brothers Celebrated Cutlery".While the term,"Celebrated Cutlery" was used on some early(pre-1880)Sheffield knives(I*XL in particular)I don't believe this knife is that old.I would guesstimate production around post WWI(early 1920's)when there was a flood of cheaply made German imports;especially in the cutlery field.The knife looks to be reasonably well made with cast one piece scales and brass blade separator but many of the knives of this area can be found with one or more broken blades and/or worn-out tangs allowing the blade to protrude when closed.I attribute this to poor quality control in hardening/tempering the blades and springs.
EDIT:I just checked BRL's 3rd Edition and found a listing for Peters Brothers(Gebruder)located in Solingen-Merscheid circa 1880.They are listed as manufacturers so maybe the knife is that old.
Here is the only picture I have of it at present in the middle of other knives.I'll see if I can dig it out and do some closeups/

Welcome ballyhac and thanks very much for the interesting information.

I have this old Rawson Bros Sheffield jack knife.

SK,

Very nice!

Could I see a closeup of the tang stamp and the blade face stamp?


Thanks

Thanks for the comment. I'll take some photos for you as requested. s-k

This is the only one I have.



As always AAPK turns out to be a fantastic source of information.

David

Thanks for posting your knife David. I hope all is well with you.

Here are the photos of the Rawson tang and blade stamps requested. s-k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWNX:IT

Just got this one snagged on ebay. Figured it was worth the money in dirty jokes alone. Eric

Probably too late on this posting, but I have an old Rawson, Birmingham Whittler with one broken blade. It's tired but still pretty cool. if anyone is interested to see it, I'll see if I can find it to photograph.

just joined AAPK and am not sure of the process.

to AAPK!

We love pictures here

Yes welcome Ben,someone better than me should direct him to posting pictures.

In the meantime,here is a Rawson Bros Sheffield. This one has stepped bone that looks routed.Large 4 1/4" swell center jack ?

Hello, I have this pocketknife, not sure how I came to possess it.
It clearly says -Rawnson Brothers- / Made in England

Not sure what the original blade shape was but it's been like this for as long as I've had it.