Question on pattern history.

[Blues]

No apologies necessary, Ron. Us old timers have got to stick together and show the young whippersnappers a thing or two.

 

[jackknife]

In my reading the "big Boom" in multiblade's from a "world wide" perspective came from the Crystal Palace exhibition at the "Worlds Fair" in London in the mid 1800's where the Sheffield firms displayed some of the most exquisite knives ever made according to many modern knife historians of today.

They were made before then, but this very significant event which corresponded to a period when transportation across the world and world trade became more common place than in the past put them in a world wide perspective..

I wonder if there has ever been any production figures printed on the heyday of Sheffield? Like it was published that Victorinox makes 35 million knives a year. I wonder how many G. Wostenholm or Rodgers made in any given year in the mid-1800's?

The number must ahve been huge.

 

[Trent Rock]

I wonder if there has ever been any production figures printed on the heyday of Sheffield? Like it was published that Victorinox makes 35 million knives a year. I wonder how many G. Wostenholm or Rodgers made in any given year in the mid-1800's?

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA94&lpg=PA86&vq=%22a+mark+used+or+proposed+to+be+used+upon+or+in+connection+with+goods+for+the+purpose+of+indicating+that%22&sig=oVZCpVvite4xp5j6BxwgIUjcQUM&id=u18NkBy2IfoC#PPA32,M1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_of_Cutlers_in_Hallamshire

8 gross a week by one guy===>
59,904 a year
That was in 1742
I too would also be interested in some production estimates around 1850 for Sheffield knives
In the books I have read all they say is "Sheffield was exporting 'massive amounts of Bowies to feed the Bowie craze in the U.S"

Here is an interesting article on Sheffield cutleries ===>
http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/matshef/symonds/MSsym.htm

 

[sunnyd]

.. In flipping through a reprint of the 1885 Wostenholm catalogue, there are categories creatively named 1, 2, 3 & 4 blade knives although the variety with these includes most of the patterns we know today..

S-K,

Please advise where one would likely purchase a re-print of the 1885 Wostenholm catalogue?

Thanks,
Anthony

 

[smiling-knife]

Hi Anthony... I found it about 6 mos ago on a well-known internet auction site. Published by Beinfield Publishing Inc, 1976, ISBN 0-917714-08-3.

I was hoping to contribute to the recent discussion here but have not found any specific numbers on knife production. If there is interest I can post some stats on sales, employees, materials etc.

 

[sunnyd]

Thanks for the prompt reply smiling-knife!.

And in addition, I am very interested in those statistics and details you mention. I would imagine others here are also interested in such facts as well!