The Collection

The Cutlery Collection

Cutlery, in Sheffield manufacturing terms, means ‘things that cut’. This includes, knives, scissors, shears, edge tools, etc. and the Company has a varied collection of knives, scissors and razors. Many of the knives have been given to the Company and survive from the 19th century, mainly because they are impressive with large blades and decorative handles. Typical of these are the ‘Bowie knives’.

Around 1914, Harry Brearley was a Sheffield metallurgist, endeavouring to produce a usable stainless steel for table knife blades. A framed group of knives, which shows his early experimental blades, was presented to the Company in 1936 by Harry Brearley.

In the 1990s, the Company received a collection of over 1,400 open razors, commonly called ‘cut-throat’ razors. These show a wide range of styles and materials, from the everyday razors to highly decorative items, which might have gilded blades and carved ivory handles.

The Paintings

The Company’s collection of paintings are mainly portraits of Masters Cutler and of men associated with Sheffield’s history. This is a portrait of Sir William Wood, by Dennis Fildes.

William was born in 1878, his mother came from the Bassett family (of Liquorice Allsorts fame). He began his career in a Sunderland marine engineering works. He was Master Cutler in 1924 and, at the outbreak of the Second World War, he was elected to serve again, from 1940-45.

His grandfather founded the Wardsend Steel Company in 1860 and William held a controlling interest, going on to become a director of Darwin’s Steel and Andrews Toledo Ltd. He was knighted in 1959 and died in 1963.

The Norfolk Knife

The Norfolk Knife, which is named for the Duke of Norfolk, has 74 different blades and implements. One man, William Bamforth, made most of the blades, while Charles Levesley carved the mother-of-pearl scales, depicting a deer hunt on side and a boar hunt on the other.

Acid-etched images on the blades include the Capitol, Washington; Arundel Castle; Chatsworth House and Windsor Castle. There are also a number of heads – including Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, the Duke of Wellington and Shakespeare.

The knife cost £900 to make – approximately £40,000 at today’s prices. It was displayed at exhibitions all over the world and some of the medals that it was awarded are around the base. These include Gold Medals from the Exhibitions in Paris (1878), New Orleans (1885), Newcastle (1887) and Melbourne (1888).

Brett Payne Candelabra

Stunning photo of candelabra designed by Sheffield silversmith, Brett Payne. The design is deceptively simple but the orientation can be altered. This is a photograph of ten pairs.

Domestic Knives

A variety of cooking knives – mainly carving and bread knives. Some have been sharpened so much that the blades are now very narrow. When stainless steel was introduced, people didn’t sharpen their knives and said they weren’t sharp anymore. So blades had serrations on the edge. The handles are cheap material, wood and early plastic. The yellow celluloid-type plastic tended to shrink and leave a gap next to the blade.

Stag Epergne

The ‘stag epergne’ is an ornamental silver centrepiece for the dinner table. It could hold flowers, sweets, candles, etc. It stands half a metre high and is modelled as an oak tree with clusters of acorns and leaves. It is inscribed “Presented to William Anthony Matthews Esq., Mayor and Master Cutler of Sheffield. By a few friends in testimony of Private worth and Public spirit 1853.”

Straight Razors

The boxed pair of straight razors has an interesting advert on the inside of the box. Boxed razors were often given as gifts and could be very elaborate. The grip is carved ivory.

The Company’s Sheffield Hallmarked Silver Collection

Until the middle of the 19th century, the Cutlers’ Company  had only a small collection of silver, most of which had been received as gifts. For its annual Feasts, silver items were hired from local manufacturers and shops. However, in the 1940s, a large private collection of Sheffield hallmarked silver was auctioned and Stuart Goodwin, a Company Member, purchased it and gave it to the Company. The collection had been assembled by Thomas Bradbury, whose firm was in voluntary liquidation in 1944, and he was concerned for the future of some 500 pieces, dating from 1773 to 1840. 1773 was the year the Assay Office in Sheffield was founded.

Discussions were held in the Company about how to bring the collection up to date in 1945, by seeking out hallmarked pieces for 1840 to the 1940s. Stuart Goodwin again gave financial support but it wasn’t until 1999 that the run of silver, 1840-1944 was finally completed. The next question, however, was how to acquire new pieces of silver for each year in the future.  Once again Stuart Goodwin generously sponsored a design competition for Sheffield silversmiths and students. The Company would set the design brief and choose the winning entry.  Stuart Goodwin (later Sir Stuart) funded the competition and gave monetary prizes.

Rosewater Dish

Left is a rosewater dish designed by Wallace Smythe, of Mappin and Webb, for the 1956 competition and was given to the Company by Lady Goodwin.

Tazza

In 1964, the prize winner was Barry Lee of British Silverware Ltd. with a design of a tazza (right). The annual design competition ended some years later, after Sir Stuart died in 1969.

Further gifts have been received and the concept of having a ‘Year Piece’ was taken up by retiring Masters Cutler – presenting a piece at the end of their year in office.  The Cutlers’ Company now has at least one piece of Sheffield hallmarked silver for every year since 1773.  The majority of the pieces are on display in the Cutlers’ Hall.