Top of the line knife manufacturers during the early part of the 20th century

[sigman]

Who were the top of the line manufacturers of the early 1900's? ............Who else was at the top of their game?

As you didn't actually specify USA made manufacturers......may I be so bold and say - Joseph Rogers. Sheffield !!

 

[canoe2]

My bad. Below are the leading international manufacturers from his list.

Brookes & Crookes (Bell)
G. & J. Butler & Co. (Art, Key)
John Clarke & Son (Wm. Rodgers, John Holmes)
Jonathan Crookes & Son (Heart and Pistol)
Thomas Ellin & Co. (Vulcan, Era J. Barber)
Joseph Elliott
Alexander Fraser & Co. (Fraser Knife, sold by Hudson's Bay Co.)
Enoch Furness & Sons
Harrison Bros. & Howson (Crown Alpha) (office in San Francisco)
George Ibberson & Co. (Violin, Double Sharp)
Charles Ibbotson & Co. (Slash, Early Bird)
Mappin & Webb (Trustworthy
Marshes & Sheperd (Pond Works)
Needham Bros. (Repeat)
Needham Veall & Tyzack (Taylor's Eye Witness)
Francis Newton & Sons (Premier, Swan)
John Newton & Co. (Manhattan Cutlery, Frog)
J. Nowill & Sons (Krosskeys, *D)
W. K. Peace Co. (Eagle)
Joseph Rodgers & Sons (Star & Cross)
Saynor Cooke & Ridal (Saynor, Obtain)
Singleton & Priestman
Slater Bros. (Bee Hive)
Southern & Richardson (Nest, Cigar, Squatter)
William Thomas Staniforth (Wings, Ascend)
Thomas Turner & Co. (Encore)
John Watts (B4*ANY)
Geo. Wostenholm & Son (I*XL
Gottlieb Hammesfahr (Pyramid)
J. A. Henckels (Twins)
Peter Daniel Krebs (Lobster)
Krusius Bros. (K. B. Extra, Primrose)
P. Daniel Peres (Barrel)
Wester & Butz
Franz Frenzel (F anchor F)
Ignaz Rosler's Sons (Crowned Eagle)
Demetrius Kondratov (Imperial Eagle), Vyatka
Alexis Zavialoff, Pavlov

One correction to the legendary Levine list is the knives sold by the Hudson's Bay Co. were marked 'ALEX FRASER SHEFFIELD' but the mark 'Alexander, Fraser & Co.' is "simply a fictitious name used to distinguishes a certain quality of goods".
See this 1888 Senate hearing testimony by knife makers: http://books.google.com/books?id=AItQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1669&lpg=PA1669&dq=ALEX+FRASER+SHEFFIELD+knife&source=bl&ots=rDSaFKfKew&sig=kiIk1o1XAQM20IaKkZ2N8zQ7Eag&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1IYzUbmwDMK6yQG_qIG4AQ&ved=0CFgQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=ALEX%20FRASER%20SHEFFIELD%20knife&f=false
If one reads on in this document many cutler names & their marks were used illegally in America at the request of marketers. The same was true In England. As we all know these congressional investigations led to the 1891 McKinley Act requiring the country of origin being required on imported goods. People didn't always follow the trademark infringement laws in the countries involved. These names and marks can be much more complicated than this equals that.