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For anyone interested in old Sheffield knives, theres a fantastic Sheffield Museums online resource at http://collections.museums-sheffiel...ate:flow=c49b3d3d-a469-4d89-bacc-93298a1df3b5
While knives are lumped in with the rest of the metalwork collection, the archive is searchable. As well as some great photographs, very detailed and informative descriptions are given.
An example for just one knife in the Sheffield Museums collection being as follows:
Penknife
Date Made/Found: around 1840
Manufacturer: Joseph Rodgers & Sons , founded 1724
Material and Medium: steel, brass, ivory
Department: Decorative Art
Accession Number: L1938.314
This multi bladed penknife was made by the firm Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield, around 1840. Joseph Rodgers & Sons was one of the largest and most prolific cutlery manufacturers based in the city. The company's famous star and Maltese cross mark was registered with the Company of Cutlers in 1764. By the end of the 1700s, the firm had established a factory on Norfolk Street. By the turn of the 1800s Joseph Rodgers & Sons was producing a vast range of goods. This included their famous penknives and pocket knives, as well as scissors, table cutlery and razors. In 1887 the firm began to manufacture its own high quality crucible and shear steel using iron imported from Sweden. This penknife has a total of sixteen short, folding blades. They are slender with pointed ends. Each blade is marked 'RODGERS'. Before the introduction of steel pen nibs, quills made from feathers were used for writing. Penknives were used to cut the quill to provide a perfect point for writing. The end of the feather was first cut to a point. A small, vertical nick was then cut into the very tip of the quill to enable the ink to flow evenly onto the page. Joseph Rodgers & Sons later developed an automatic quill cutter to make the preparation of quill pens simpler. These were made from brass and had a spring action. The end of the quill was placed into the cutter and the lever pressed down to cut it to shape in one step. However, a penknife was still required to cut the vertical slit into the point of the quill. This penknife is very elaborate and would have been used as a decorative as well as functional item. It would have been used at a desk alongside a wide range of writing equipment including an inkstand for storing ink, tapersticks and wax for sealing letters, and a box for holding stamps. The blades of this penknife are made from steel and the scales are made from ivory. The knife is unusual as it has four separate ivory scales, giving it a cylindrical shape. Most knives and razors have only two scales, one on each side of the handle. Joseph Rodgers & Sons used expensive imported materials for the manufacture of decorative hafts and scales. They bought mother of pearl from the Philippines, stag and buffalo horn from India and tropical woods from the West Indies. The firm also used vast quantities of ivory (elephant tusks) that was bought in bulk from traders in London, Antwerp and Liverpool. It is said that four or five men were employed by the firm to continuously saw ivory into small pieces for making handles. Revealing the object's Hidden History As part of the DCF funded Living Metal project, we visited cutler Trevor Ablett to find out more about how the penknife was made. Hidden History: how was it used? Trevor described the object as a "gentleman's penknife"; a decorative item not for everyday use. Hidden History: how was it made? "[I've] never attempted to make a knife like that! Never made anything like it". Trevor examined the knife and concluded it was made on the same basic principal as putting a single bladed knife together. The blades would be fitted to forked springs. There are two of these springs at each side of the knife. However, the knife would have taken days to put together as there are so many blades to dress. Trevor stated that the cutler would need to be "very delicate to do this kind of work", as it requires a light touch and is "very skilfully made". Each of the scales has been carved from a single piece of ivory. Hidden History: About Trevor Ablett Trevor began his working life making knives with his uncle, Emile, after leaving school. His uncle's workshop was on Athol Road in Sheffield. After five years Trevor went on to make open razors for A Myers, who worked in the same building. Trevor made open razors for five years, before returning to work with his uncle. He has made knives ever since. From 1980 Trevor Ablett worked for Joseph Elliot's on Sylvester Street. In 1990 he began working on his own from premises on Egginton Lane, before moving to Randle Street. He is now based at Norfolk Barracks. Trevor has made every type of common knife since being taught the trade by Harry Wragg ("I owe my career to Harry"). Trevor has an incredible fifty years of experience in the industry. He is one a small number of cutlers working independently in the city today. Find out more Learn about the history of the company in a fascinating publication produced in 1911: (unknown) c.1911 Joseph Rodgers & Sons, Ltd., Sheffield, Cutlers to their Majesties. Under Five Sovereigns. (Reference RBR PAM Q 338.478382 (R), Special Collections Department, Sheffield University Library) Read more about the importance of Joseph Rodgers & Sons: Tweedale, G. 1996 The Sheffield Knife Book. A History and Collectors' Guide. Sheffield: The Hallamshire Press. Information from the marks registry courtesy of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.
Plenty of interesting stuff to look at and learn about beside the knives too
While knives are lumped in with the rest of the metalwork collection, the archive is searchable. As well as some great photographs, very detailed and informative descriptions are given.
An example for just one knife in the Sheffield Museums collection being as follows:
Penknife
Date Made/Found: around 1840
Manufacturer: Joseph Rodgers & Sons , founded 1724
Material and Medium: steel, brass, ivory
Department: Decorative Art
Accession Number: L1938.314
This multi bladed penknife was made by the firm Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield, around 1840. Joseph Rodgers & Sons was one of the largest and most prolific cutlery manufacturers based in the city. The company's famous star and Maltese cross mark was registered with the Company of Cutlers in 1764. By the end of the 1700s, the firm had established a factory on Norfolk Street. By the turn of the 1800s Joseph Rodgers & Sons was producing a vast range of goods. This included their famous penknives and pocket knives, as well as scissors, table cutlery and razors. In 1887 the firm began to manufacture its own high quality crucible and shear steel using iron imported from Sweden. This penknife has a total of sixteen short, folding blades. They are slender with pointed ends. Each blade is marked 'RODGERS'. Before the introduction of steel pen nibs, quills made from feathers were used for writing. Penknives were used to cut the quill to provide a perfect point for writing. The end of the feather was first cut to a point. A small, vertical nick was then cut into the very tip of the quill to enable the ink to flow evenly onto the page. Joseph Rodgers & Sons later developed an automatic quill cutter to make the preparation of quill pens simpler. These were made from brass and had a spring action. The end of the quill was placed into the cutter and the lever pressed down to cut it to shape in one step. However, a penknife was still required to cut the vertical slit into the point of the quill. This penknife is very elaborate and would have been used as a decorative as well as functional item. It would have been used at a desk alongside a wide range of writing equipment including an inkstand for storing ink, tapersticks and wax for sealing letters, and a box for holding stamps. The blades of this penknife are made from steel and the scales are made from ivory. The knife is unusual as it has four separate ivory scales, giving it a cylindrical shape. Most knives and razors have only two scales, one on each side of the handle. Joseph Rodgers & Sons used expensive imported materials for the manufacture of decorative hafts and scales. They bought mother of pearl from the Philippines, stag and buffalo horn from India and tropical woods from the West Indies. The firm also used vast quantities of ivory (elephant tusks) that was bought in bulk from traders in London, Antwerp and Liverpool. It is said that four or five men were employed by the firm to continuously saw ivory into small pieces for making handles. Revealing the object's Hidden History As part of the DCF funded Living Metal project, we visited cutler Trevor Ablett to find out more about how the penknife was made. Hidden History: how was it used? Trevor described the object as a "gentleman's penknife"; a decorative item not for everyday use. Hidden History: how was it made? "[I've] never attempted to make a knife like that! Never made anything like it". Trevor examined the knife and concluded it was made on the same basic principal as putting a single bladed knife together. The blades would be fitted to forked springs. There are two of these springs at each side of the knife. However, the knife would have taken days to put together as there are so many blades to dress. Trevor stated that the cutler would need to be "very delicate to do this kind of work", as it requires a light touch and is "very skilfully made". Each of the scales has been carved from a single piece of ivory. Hidden History: About Trevor Ablett Trevor began his working life making knives with his uncle, Emile, after leaving school. His uncle's workshop was on Athol Road in Sheffield. After five years Trevor went on to make open razors for A Myers, who worked in the same building. Trevor made open razors for five years, before returning to work with his uncle. He has made knives ever since. From 1980 Trevor Ablett worked for Joseph Elliot's on Sylvester Street. In 1990 he began working on his own from premises on Egginton Lane, before moving to Randle Street. He is now based at Norfolk Barracks. Trevor has made every type of common knife since being taught the trade by Harry Wragg ("I owe my career to Harry"). Trevor has an incredible fifty years of experience in the industry. He is one a small number of cutlers working independently in the city today. Find out more Learn about the history of the company in a fascinating publication produced in 1911: (unknown) c.1911 Joseph Rodgers & Sons, Ltd., Sheffield, Cutlers to their Majesties. Under Five Sovereigns. (Reference RBR PAM Q 338.478382 (R), Special Collections Department, Sheffield University Library) Read more about the importance of Joseph Rodgers & Sons: Tweedale, G. 1996 The Sheffield Knife Book. A History and Collectors' Guide. Sheffield: The Hallamshire Press. Information from the marks registry courtesy of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.
Plenty of interesting stuff to look at and learn about beside the knives too
