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

Thanks for the positive comments on the Levick wagglebee & Robin :thumbup:.

Hi Steve, thanks for the book reference, not seen it, I knew Hawley had described the Rodgers as a "carrot Knife" but I've always been a little skeptical, until now :D.

Mick
 
Here's an interesting old knife, marked REPEAT, NEEDHAM BROTHERS, SHEFFIELD 3 1/2" C1880s ?, the penknife has five blades, a long spear point master, sheepfoot, two pen blades and a manicure/nail file. Presentation quality pearl scales, brass liners, n/s escutcheon plate. The backsprings are very finely chased, and may have a silver overlay, not sure.

I believe in the US these five bladed knives are sometimes referred to as "five blade whittlers", these knives were high quality, top end knives, usually made in a shadow pattern, pearl, fileworked etc, but I know they were made in stag and even with bolsters, never seen one though.

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Here's a pic that shows the Needam Bros five blade alongside a 3 1/4" senator made by the same firm.
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Thanks for looking ..Mick
 
Beautiful knives Mick. It is like a history lesson when you post.

Were the blade portions of the nail files actually sharpened?
 
That Needham brings tears to my eyes. What an astounding piece!
It's like gazing at the Venus de Milo!
 
Thanks for the comments guys...:D

The tip/manicure part of the nail files are fairly sharp, but not sharpened as such ?.

Mick
 
wellington said:
Thanks for the comments guys...:D

The tip/manicure part of the nail files are fairly sharp, but not sharpened as such ?.

Mick
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Thanks. It is nice to see these peices. I was always curious why the clip point did not take off in Europe like it did in the US at the turn of the century.
 
tomcrx said:
I was always curious why the clip point did not take off in Europe like it did in the US at the turn of the century.
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Dyson's "A Glossary Of Old Sheffield Trade Words and Dialect" 1934 Quotes Clip Point, a blade like that of a putty knife, with the point trimmed off at an abrupt angle. :D

Good question, I guess the clip point is more often seen on the larger folder, hunting and Bowie knives preferred in the US ?, not sure.

Mick
 
Mick, throughout this astounding thread you have repeatedly shown us why the "Sheffield Golden Age" is the absolute zenith of folding knives.
My lifelong ambition will now be to own even just one Sheffield knife comparable to those presented here.
Thank You Sir !
roland
 
Hi Roland, really pleased you have enjoyed seeing the items shown on this thread, many of the old Sheffielders were phenomenal craftsmen, who using different skills, combined to make a vast range of cutlery items of wonderful quality, some of the finest knives ever made, I wish you well in your quest to find a good example, they are out there, somewhere.

Delighted you like the Needhams Rob :thumbup:


I would just like to show this four blade senator pattern penknife, marked W MILLS & SON, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND C1920s-30s.

This knife is slightly larger than the two Needham Bros, measuring 3 3/4" and made thirty or forty years later, stainless blades, milled brass liners, presentation quality pearl scales nickel silver tipped, fileworked backsprings, really nice.

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Thanks for looking..Mick
 
wellington said:
I would just like to show this four blade senator pattern penknife, marked W MILLS & SON, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND C1920s-30s.

This knife is slightly larger than the two Needham Bros, measuring 3 3/4" and made thirty or forty years later, stainless blades, milled brass liners, presentation quality pearl scales nickel silver tipped, fileworked backsprings, really nice.

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Thanks for looking..Mick
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I don't typically care for filework on the spines, but with this exquisite MOP it looks perfect!

Thanks for all of the fantastic knives, it's amazing the talent these craftsmen had! :thumbup:
 
Beautiful knives Mick. The Needham especially is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

Here is another example of a 4-blade senator. It is stamped Baxter & Son.

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Hi Steve, thanks for adding pics of your wonderful old Baxter & Son senator to this thread, high quality, attractive filework, the oldest knife shown on this page, perhaps 1870s-1880s ?, very nice.

Mick.
 
Thanks for the comment and information Mick. With the long nail pulls I was thinking that it dates circa 1880s or so too.
 
The filework is deeply impressive, must have taken longer to make than the rest of the knife! Did one cutler make a single knife throughout in those days or was there an Adam Smith style Division of Labour?
 
Hi willgoy,

All these knives would be classed nowadays as "bench-made", made in batches of varying size.

The five blade Needham has chased backsprings, that work would have been done using small fine punches and chisels, perhaps a specialist little mester doing that kind of work and nothing else. The filework on the other knives would have been done using files or wheels.



While we are on a senator theme, I would like to show these few examples all marked W MILLS & SON, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND, these penknives were made later than those shown above, perhaps from the 1930s onward.

All these knives were made by father and son Willis and Ernest Mills, who both worked at Thos Turner & Co before starting out on their own C1922, Willis, once a top man at Brookes & Crookes and Thos Turners retired in 1947, Ernest in 1985 at the age of 85. The two man firm made finer types of pen and pocket knives for companies such as Wostenholms and Rodgers, plus high end retailers Harrods, Clements, Landells, Dunhill etc.

Top, 1. ivory n/s tipped 3 5/8" 4bl, 2. t/shell 3 1/2" 4bl. 3&4 pearl 3 1/2" 4 bl. 5&6 stag n/s bolters 4bl, all knives have brass liners, stainlass blades.
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Thanks for looking..Mick
 
Thanks for the info Mick:thumbup:

Always a treat to see Tortoiseshell, my favourite 'luxury' scale.

Regards, W
 
Wonderful collection Mick and great photos too. I like the little tip bolsters on the ivory-hnadled knife. Thanks.
 
Mick,
That's a fine collection W. Mills & Son knives. An earlier era's fine craftsmanship made up until the 80s.
Here's my only Mill's knife, made circa 1960.

Joe

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