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

[mike Berkovitch]

This knife is not from Sheffield golden age, but the maker is surely is.
I hope it's appropriate to post it here


Mike

 

[Campbellclanman]

Mike my friend - WOW!!!

 

[Will Power]

danno50 The obvious quality of construction in your knife would suggest to me that it is very likely pre 1918. It's also enjoyed a sheltered life as the MOP seems unmarked, unusual.

 

[mike Berkovitch]

Mike my friend - WOW!!!

Thank you Duncan, it was pure luck to lay a hand of a Stan Shaw knife. It is truly amazing.

Mike

 

[herder]

Here is a Sheffield made lobster. At 3 3/8", it is a little larger than the average lobster. Stamped "Carrick Bros/237 Argyle St/Glasgow", or portions of that, on the three cutting blades. It is also stamped "Sheffield/Made" on the pile side of the master blade. I could find very few references to Carrick Bros on the internet. There was a Carrick Bros at 237 Argyle St from 1922 to 1934. They were plane makers. I also found reference to a Carrick Bros Cutlers straight razor, which claimed it was made in the middle of the 20th century. My impression is that this knife is a little older than 1922??

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danno50, wonderful old Sheffield knife. The name is probably a retailer rather than a maker as Jack suggested. I went through many old Sheffield cutlery catalogs and found a pretty good match to your knife.
Francis Newton produced a wide selection of knives including many fine gentleman's models. Enclosed is a picture from a 1908 Newton catalog showing a pretty close image to your model. Except for one blade difference (a cigar fork) all other features including pin and cut out placements in the handles are very close. Other Sheffield cutlery companies offered similar models, but none as close as Newton. I would date your knife between the two world wars or possibly a bit earlier.

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[herder]

This knife is not from Sheffield golden age, but the maker is surely is.
I hope it's appropriate to post it here
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Mike

Mike, while it is a bit modern, it certainly falls into the spirit of this thread.
And what good fortune to own such a wonderful knife from the last of the old Sheffield cutlery masters, Stan Shaw.

 

[danno50]

Beautiful Stan Shaw knife, Mike! As herder said, great to own a knife made by Stan Shaw!
Thanks for the comments Jack, Will Power and herder. I was fairly sure that Carrick Bros were most likely the retailer, not the manufacturer. The fellow who sold it to me believed it may have been made by J Nowill & Sons, as he had seen similar made by them. However, I believe herder has got it with the suggestion of Francis Newton. The catalog cut is a dead ringer for mine, with the one blade exception. Thank you very much for taking the time to look through your Sheffield catalogs, herder. Your estimated date of between WWI and WW2 fits with the dates (1922 - 1934) that Carrick Bros were in operation, as plane makers, at 237 Argyle St, Glasgow. It would seem that they sold knives and tools, other than the planes which they manufactured.

 

[Jack Black]

Beautiful Stan Shaw knife, Mike! As herder said, great to own a knife made by Stan Shaw!
Thanks for the comments Jack, Will Power and herder. I was fairly sure that Carrick Bros were most likely the retailer, not the manufacturer. The fellow who sold it to me believed it may have been made by J Nowill & Sons, as he had seen similar made by them. However, I believe herder has got it with the suggestion of Francis Newton. The catalog cut is a dead ringer for mine, with the one blade exception. Thank you very much for taking the time to look through your Sheffield catalogs, herder. Your estimated date of between WWI and WW2 fits with the dates (1922 - 1934) that Carrick Bros were in operation, as plane makers, at 237 Argyle St, Glasgow. It would seem that they sold knives and tools, other than the planes which they manufactured.

There are many factors which make Sheffield knives very difficult to date Dan, and people commonly overestimate their age, because they think that hand-forged blades for example (still going on at least as late as the 1960's), or hammered pins (Sheffield knives are still made like that today), belong in the 19th century. Because even the largest Sheffield cutlery firms relied on outworkers for much of their production, you will often see identical patterns with different manufacturers names on the tangs, and of course the Sheffield cutlers used the same patterns for decades. So being able to date your knife to 1922-1934 is not bad, and a respectable age for a Sheffield knife. Mike's Stan Shaw knife demonstrates that, while the Sheffield cutlery industry went into decline after WW1, and even more so after WW2, fine knives were being produced long after. Stan didn't finish his apprenticeship until after WW2, and even Stan struggles to tell his own work from that of his mentor Ted Osborne

Here's an Ibberson Sleeveboard Lobster. It COULD have been made in the 1930's, but it could just as easily have been made in the 1960's

 

[r8shell]

I can see why it's so hard to date the Sheffield knives, Jack!
I have a little shadow penknife marked George Ibberson, with the violin stamp on the reverse. I believe this dates it to between 1880 and 1988. I would think that having ivory scales would make it an older knife, but that's just an assumption on my part.

 

[Jack Black]

I can see why it's so hard to date the Sheffield knives, Jack!
I have a little sleeveboard pen marked George Ibberson, with the violin stamp on the reverse. I believe this dates it to between 1880 and 1988. I would think that having ivory scales would make it an older knife, but that's just an assumption on my part.

That's a nice one Rachel, Ibberson were a great cutlers. I sent Charlie an ivory one a few years back. Sometimes, the knives have a date on the inside of the brass liners, sometimes the cutler's initials too

 

[r8shell]

That's a nice one Rachel, Ibberson were a great cutlers. I sent Charlie an ivory one a few years back. Sometimes, the knives have a date on the inside of the brass liners, sometimes the cutler's initials too

Thanks, Jack. I remember you mentioning that in the Old Knives thread, and I've put on my reading glasses and looked with a jeweler's loupe, but couldn't find any such marks.

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks, Jack. I remember you mentioning that in the Old Knives thread, and I've put on my reading glasses and looked with a jeweler's loupe, but couldn't find any such marks.

They're not always there Rachel, that absence probably means a knife made before the late 1940's. I'd guess that knife was pre-WW2 (1939) anyway

 

[Jack Black]

Here's an old Joseph Rodgers Quill Knife, which was very kindly gifted to me by Duncan Campbellclanman

 

[r8shell]

Here's an old Joseph Rodgers Quill Knife, which was very kindly gifted to me by Duncan Campbellclanman

That's a kind gift, indeed. Really interesting handle shape.

I wonder if that's where GEC got the idea for their "hotdog" shield?

 

[Jack Black]

That's a kind gift, indeed. Really interesting handle shape.

I wonder if that's where GEC got the idea for their "hotdog" shield?

LOL! Yes, it's a common design on early Quill knives, old cutlery catalogues contain pages of them. Two-blade versions are generally older and rarer, but sadly the only one I have had lost the main blade, just retaining a nail-file

Later Quill Knives, often included in reticules long after quill pens passed out of use, tended to be smaller, and of more simple form

Of course, you'd also need an Ink Eraser to go with your quill pen

 

[danno50]

There are many factors which make Sheffield knives very difficult to date Dan, and people commonly overestimate their age, because they think that hand-forged blades for example (still going on at least as late as the 1960's), or hammered pins (Sheffield knives are still made like that today), belong in the 19th century. Because even the largest Sheffield cutlery firms relied on outworkers for much of their production, you will often see identical patterns with different manufacturers names on the tangs, and of course the Sheffield cutlers used the same patterns for decades. So being able to date your knife to 1922-1934 is not bad, and a respectable age for a Sheffield knife. Mike's Stan Shaw knife demonstrates that, while the Sheffield cutlery industry went into decline after WW1, and even more so after WW2, fine knives were being produced long after. Stan didn't finish his apprenticeship until after WW2, and even Stan struggles to tell his own work from that of his mentor Ted Osborne

Here's an Ibberson Sleeveboard Lobster. It COULD have been made in the 1930's, but it could just as easily have been made in the 1960's

Thank you for this information, Jack. Beautiful Ibberson!

 

[Jack Black]

Thank you for this information, Jack. Beautiful Ibberson!

Thanks Dan

 

[herder]

Jack and r8shell, some wonderful Sheffield pen knives shown.

But that Pearl Ibberson sleeveboard lobster of Jack's is an absolute show stopper. Smaller gentleman's knives such as that don't get nearly the attention or credit they deserve.
Only the best cutlers could produce such a fine knife which would often cost more than a large multi-blade stag handled sportsman's knife.
Beautiful example!!!

 

[Jack Black]

Jack and r8shell, some wonderful Sheffield pen knives shown.

But that Pearl Ibberson sleeveboard lobster of Jack's is an absolute show stopper. Smaller gentleman's knives such as that don't get nearly the attention or credit they deserve.
Only the best cutlers could produce such a fine knife which would often cost more than a large multi-blade stag handled sportsman's knife.
Beautiful example!!!

Many thanks for your kind words my friend

 

[r8shell]

Jack and r8shell, some wonderful Sheffield pen knives shown.

But that Pearl Ibberson sleeveboard lobster of Jack's is an absolute show stopper. Smaller gentleman's knives such as that don't get nearly the attention or credit they deserve.
Only the best cutlers could produce such a fine knife which would often cost more than a large multi-blade stag handled sportsman's knife.
Beautiful example!!!

Yes, thank you. I was so excited to find an Ibberson in any condition around here, but Jack's example is stunning.