Help with info about history of a F.Newton Sheffield antique knife

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SnailOffTheTrail

Joined
Aug 25, 2018
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337
My buddy snatched this beauty in an auction. It is quite unusual to see a Sheffield made knife where he lives and is thirsty for some background information about the origins and history of this pattern or piece. Basically anything. Therfore I kindly ask more knowledgeable memebers to help us out and point us to any sources regarding the knife.
Thank you in advance!

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I can’t help you with info about the knife, but you should also post it in this thread:

Horseman's/Sportsman's Knives!!

These interesting, often huge and complex, sometimes simple knives deserve a thread of their own!! In some ways they are predecessors to Leatherman, or SAK knives, or other tool knives!! Some are quite beautifully appointed, and I suspect, were costly in their day! If you have one, or some...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
I like the idea of considering them as predecessors (albeit elite) of SAKs and Leatherman-type tool knives and am glad to see that a thread already is in place.
 
Just Tom. said:
I can’t help you with info about the knife, but you should also post it in this thread:

Horseman's/Sportsman's Knives!!

These interesting, often huge and complex, sometimes simple knives deserve a thread of their own!! In some ways they are predecessors to Leatherman, or SAK knives, or other tool knives!! Some are quite beautifully appointed, and I suspect, were costly in their day! If you have one, or some...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
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I will, thank you!
 
Nice small horseman model which was made by "Francis Newton & Sons". That company had roots dating back to the early 1800s but was out of business by 1932.
Newton was a well regarded cutlery company, and "Premier" was Newton's primary trade mark which was acquired by George Butler after Newton went out of business.
This model would most likely date prior 1932, and probably dates to the early 1900s. Enclosed is a catalog illustration for this knife from a 1908 Francis Newton catalog.
Interesting to see that this model came with a chain. "Tweedale's Directory of Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturers 1740 - 2013" has much more information on the Francis Newton.

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herder said:
Nice small horseman model which was made by "Francis Newton & Sons". That company had roots dating back to the early 1800s but was out of business by 1932.
Newton was a well regarded cutlery company, and "Premier" was Newton's primary trade mark which was acquired by George Butler after Newton went out of business.
This model would most likely date prior 1932, and probably dates to the early 1900s. Enclosed is a catalog illustration for this knife from a 1908 Francis Newton catalog.
Interesting to see that this model came with a chain. "Tweedale's Directory of Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturers 1740 - 2013" has much more information on the Francis Newton.

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Thank you very much! I'm impressed by your knowledge.
meako said:
It was once owned by Alistair Mackintosh..👍
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And by yours powers of observation as well. ;)

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ea42 said:
Nice bolster block Jack! Geez it's an incredible rarity to find one of those old ones!

Eric
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Thank you Eric, feller who used to work at Joseph Elliott's uses it as a paper-weight! I could never seem to get a good pic of it unfortunately :rolleyes: A shame none of the Sheffield firms are interested in making those sort of bolsters anymore :( :thumbsup:

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Jack Black said:
Thank you Eric, feller who used to work at Joseph Elliott's uses it as a paper-weight! I could never seem to get a good pic of it unfortunately :rolleyes: A shame none of the Sheffield firms are interested in making those sort of bolsters anymore :( :thumbsup:

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Definitely a good paperweight! It's probably too time consuming nowadays for commercial makers to peen, file and finish the pinhead down in that grove. It seems to be a lost art! Really a shame, it makes for a beautiful knife.

Eric
 
ea42 said:
Definitely a good paperweight! It's probably too time consuming nowadays for commercial makers to peen, file and finish the pinhead down in that grove. It seems to be a lost art! Really a shame, it makes for a beautiful knife.

Eric
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The feller told me he made thousands of them when he worked at Elliott's, but wasn't interested in making them again, despite a good deal of petitioning. I even offered to pay for new tooling. Unfortunately, anyone working as a cutler in Sheffield today was trained when the industry had been in decline for a generation or more, and bad habits had set in :(

Charlie waynorth waynorth has a knife which was made at Elliott's in the period when that block was in use :) I don't seem to have taken a photo before sending it his way unfortunately :( :thumbsup:
 
Ernie1980 said:
You got lots of great information on a stunning knife! It would be an amazing conversation starter to have that block as a paperweight Jack:D
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Definitely Ernie :) As a young boy I spent many hours exploring old bombed-out cutlery works. Unfortunately, I was too young to know what they were, and never took any souvenirs :( Though I had been warned by my mother never to pick anything up on bomb-sites in case they exploded! :eek: :D ;) :thumbsup:
 
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