"Made in Sheffield" 1830-1930, A golden age ?

[Campbellclanman]

What an old Beauty Glenn

 

[Jack Black]

I don't think I've shared this one here before. Can't quite make out the name, maybe Jack or another brother across the pond can help with the maker.

It's not a museum piece, but nice enough I guess. It does need some work, the center pin is sheared in the middle...those blades have no snap, but the other ones on either side do, LOL.

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Wonderful find Glenn

The 'XLNT' mark is familiar, but not with that cutler. That's an unusual name. John Wragg & Sons are the cutler I associate with the XLNT mark, and they were using that mark in 1849 (it was later used by Moulson Brothers). If I get time later, I'll see if I can find anything further on the history of the mark

 

[Jack Black]

William Harmar & Co:

William Harmar & Company

<p>Born in Sheffield in about 1828, William Harmar was listed as an American merchant in West Street in 1868. Besides spending periods in New York (whe...

www.hawleysheffieldknives.com

 

[glennbad]

William Harmar & Co:

William Harmar & Company

<p>Born in Sheffield in about 1828, William Harmar was listed as an American merchant in West Street in 1868. Besides spending periods in New York (whe...

www.hawleysheffieldknives.com

Excellent! Thank you for that bit of detective work. Now I have a name to go with the knife.

 

[Jack Black]

Excellent! Thank you for that bit of detective work. Now I have a name to go with the knife.

Took me a while to read it! I'll try and remember to do a bit more digging later

 

[WinMag775]

Harrison Bros. & Howsen, Sheffield. 3 5/8in Smooth Black Horn c.1870-1880's.

 

[herder]

I don't think I've shared this one here before. Can't quite make out the name, maybe Jack or another brother across the pond can help with the maker.

It's not a museum piece, but nice enough I guess. It does need some work, the center pin is sheared in the middle...those blades have no snap, but the other ones on either side do, LOL.

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That's a great old survivor. While that is not a common knife to find, it was actually a popular model sold in the United States in the late 1800s.
I have a few advertisements showing similar Sheffield-made congress models for sale by American retailors in the 1870s and 1880s.
Here is one such advertisement from 1879.

 

[herder]

Harrison Bros. & Howsen, Sheffield. 3 5/8in Smooth Black Horn c.1870-1880's.

That's a nice example, but it's about a century newer than you had stated.
This model was produced after 1959 when Viners acquired the Harrison Bros. & Howson company.

 

[WinMag775]

That's a nice example, but it's about a century newer than you had stated.
This model was produced after 1959 when Viners acquired the Harrison Bros. & Howson company.

Thanks for the clarification Neal. It was cataloged as 1870-80's when it was purchased.

 

[Will Power]

Harrison in its heyday had knives stamped ALPHA on the blades, I was wondering why this one had BETA....thought it might refer to some obscure product, but hearing it was made under the Viners era may well account for perceptible build issues.

 

[WinMag775]

W. Saynor Sheffield, Pressed Horn Popcorn Stag Hawkbill.

 

[herder]

W. Saynor Sheffield, Pressed Horn Popcorn Stag Hawkbill.

That's a great example and certainly unusual with two uncommon features for an English pruning knife.
First, very interesting to see pressed horn on that model which gives it quite a unique look.
Second, also quite unusual to see a bail on a Sheffield pruner. It certainly looks like a factory addition which many English companies would do for a small charge.

Saynor models were a standard in the horticulture world both in Europe and the U.S.
Here is one of my favorites with wonderful old stag.

 

[wlfryjr]

More astounding treasure. The Horn on the Swayback is extraordinary , what is that pattern 3rd down please with the long Spear? Anglo-Saxon? As for the Barehead Spear with Rat-Tail and Stag, this is what this thread should be about, Golden indeed.

Early on in the thread some contributors mooted the possibility of a different race of Stag for the exemplary Antler of the age. Parallel with the specialist skills in hafting and bending. Select Deer Parks in India whose inhabitants may have vanished leaving no descendants with the same antler traits. Chital Deer were mentioned together with Sambar & Scottish Red Deer. Somebody noted that some of it is close together in bark texture, which Bonestag tried to emulate, quite unlike Grooved or Popcorn -beautiful as they are. Possibly the origins of Pressed Stag?

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Ahh... The extinct pressed stag deer. It was come and gone before we knew it .

Will,
This Greenhough knife was in Titusville, PA at last year's GEC Rendezvous. I was fortunate enough to get to handle it. It's amazing how good photography elevates one's perception of something. It's an impressive specimen at 4 1/2 " , we like big knives. That's a big piece of stag isn't it Glenn.

 

[wlfryjr]

What a small world. I have that exact Cold Finger EO and 5 other Lockwoods from this display. The board is pictured on page 196 in The Heritage of English Knives.

Here's a picture of the EO I took a while back. I'll post a group picture of the lot tonight if I'm home before dark.

Just a teaser pic.

A Joseph Elliot that Hayden-Wright didn't have in his collection, but from a board or salesman sample. I miss British Blades , which is now defunct , those contributors had first hand accounts and intimate knowledge of cutlery there. I'm just thankful we have Jack.

 

[WinMag775]

That's a great example and certainly unusual with two uncommon features for an English pruning knife.
First, very interesting to see pressed horn on that model which gives it quite a unique look.
Second, also quite unusual to see a bail on a Sheffield pruner. It certainly looks like a factory addition which many English companies would do for a small charge.

Saynor models were a standard in the horticulture world both in Europe and the U.S.
Here is one of my favorites with wonderful old stag.

View attachment 2803214

Thank you for the information Neal. At the time, it was the first pressed horn covers I've came across. I've seen less than a handful, and all were in a less than desirable condition. I would assume this material is not very environmentally friendly either.

I wasn't aware that most Sheffield pruners were made without a bail. That's a great piece of information to judge if a knife is original or not.

The stag on your Saynor is absolutely stunning. To me, it seems the stag of yesteryear is higher quality vs. what's put out today.

 

[WinMag775]

A Joseph Elliot that Hayden-Wright didn't have in his collection, but from a board or salesman sample. I miss British Blades , which is now defunct , those contributors had first hand accounts and intimate knowledge of cutlery there. I'm just thankful we have Jack.

What an outstanding knife Lyle. I would have loved to see English Knives keep the same presence today as they did through out the golden age. Immigration, the war, and changing technology was ultimately it's demise.

Here's a interesting read from an interview of Mrs Buckingham, who worked at the American Shear & Knife Co. It's shows that some knife makers from Sheffield made it to the states, and continued their craft. I'm sure there were quite a few working for American makers during this time.

She worked in a Connecticut knife factory from 1888 to 1914

During the Depression folks were hired to travel the Country documenting American Life as part of the Federal Writers’ Project. These interviews are now in the Library of Congress. The follow…

cutlerynewsjournal.wordpress.com

 

[black mamba]

Here is one of my favorites with wonderful old stag.

This may be the understatement of the year.

 

[herder]

What an outstanding knife Lyle. I would have loved to see English Knives keep the same presence today as they did through out the golden age. Immigration, the war, and changing technology was ultimately it's demise.

Here's a interesting read from an interview of Mrs Buckingham, who worked at the American Shear & Knife Co. It's shows that some knife makers from Sheffield made it to the states, and continued their craft. I'm sure there were quite a few working for American makers during this time.

She worked in a Connecticut knife factory from 1888 to 1914

During the Depression folks were hired to travel the Country documenting American Life as part of the Federal Writers’ Project. These interviews are now in the Library of Congress. The follow…

cutlerynewsjournal.wordpress.com

Always interesting to read actual accounts and stories from anything cutlery related. Too bad that "Cutlery News Journal" is no longer around.
Scott King was the fellow who hosted and ran that online publication which offered some great information over the years. Well worth visiting that expired site.

 

[herder]

This may be the understatement of the year.

Thanks, the various stag used on so many old Sheffield knives often takes my breath away.

 

[wlfryjr]

What an outstanding knife Lyle. I would have loved to see English Knives keep the same presence today as they did through out the golden age. Immigration, the war, and changing technology was ultimately it's demise.

Here's a interesting read from an interview of Mrs Buckingham, who worked at the American Shear & Knife Co. It's shows that some knife makers from Sheffield made it to the states, and continued their craft. I'm sure there were quite a few working for American makers during this time.

She worked in a Connecticut knife factory from 1888 to 1914

During the Depression folks were hired to travel the Country documenting American Life as part of the Federal Writers’ Project. These interviews are now in the Library of Congress. The follow…

cutlerynewsjournal.wordpress.com

Thanks Mike , that's a great read. I've had that link for several years now( I think years ago from AAPK or research like I got this one below) and occasionally read it again. Here's another you might find interesting concerning Schrade and how I found it was researching the "Stag Shop" ,a coop handle company of NYK , Walden Knife Co. , and Schrade. It's the handle factory that produced some of the finest pick bone handled knives ever.

https://www.thewaldenhouse.org/LHD%202012/Knife%20Industry.pdf