The Cutlers - Heritage

Coat of Arms

The Cutlers’ Company’s coat of arms was formally granted in 1875, two hundred and fifty years after the Company was incorporated. 

The Company drew inspiration from the Worshipful Company of Cutlers in London, whose coat of arms was old by 1624, when the Hallamshire cutlers wanted their own coat of arms. The coat of arms shows, in picture form, aspects of the cutlery industry – the crossed daggers or swords standing for all knives. The elephant’s head represents ivory – a high quality material once used for top quality knife handles. The green band across the middle of the shield is taken from the Sheffield Coat of Arms and depicts a sheaf of arrows and two sheaves of corn – a play on the word ‘Sheffield’ or ‘Sheaffield’. 

There are several examples of the Coat of Arms in the Hall, the earliest seems to be a very primitive rendition with a full bodied elephant and the motto “ Pour parvenir a bonne foy”. This is probably the painting about which the Company Accounts for 1638 show a payment of 1/- for ‘a frame for the Armes’

A later depiction is a large and fanciful rendition of the Company's Arms is painted in oils on wooden panels. The Arms stand on top of a Grecian Urn, supported by Justice and Truth and the foot of the urn bears the inscription “F.Fenton, inv.& p. 1739” and on a panel below is a quote from the 10th Book of the Aeneid “Famen extendere factis hoc virtutis opus” translated  “to widen renown by deeds, this is manhood's work”. This was probably commissioned by the Company as part of the refurbishment of the Second Hall that was undertaken in 1739-40, during which year F. Fenton was paid £23.16.0.

An early 19th century version shows the Arms in the old colours of blue and red. On each side of the shield are eagles holding the ends of the scroll which bears the motto and below is a lion or leopard's head.  It was donated by W. Nicholson who was Master Cutler in 1804.

The Company was finally given a Grant of Arms, 13th August 1875 and is described as:

Argent on a fesse indented Vert between three pair of Swords in saltire proper pomels and hilts Sable eight Arrows interlaced saltirewise banded of the field between two Garbs Or And for the Crest On a Wreath of the Colours In front of an Elephant's head couped or two Swords in Saltire as in the Arms”

The early depictions of the Coat of Arms have the background colour in red, the same as the London Company, but this was changed to green when the Sheffield features were included. The motto was originally the same as that of the London Company ‘Pour parvenir a bonne foi’, but the Hallamshire cutlers changed it slightly to ‘Pour y parvenir a bonne foi’. This is variously translated as ‘For the attaining of good faith’ and ‘To succeed through honest endeavour’.