Military Knives

[Kalfred]

Hello, I was viewing an auction but could not find any spoons to interest me. I did get a good look at 2 knives with “marline spikes” though.The knife shown below is 5 inches long and marked “Wade and Butcher Sheffield England”.

Not illustrated but on the other side of the blade was 1936 but I could not see a War Dept broad arrow. However there appeared to be 2 other pictorial marks. There seemed to be a long arrow with quite a bit of “feathering” and also 3 black triangular marks.

 At home again and research. Wade and Butcher made razors and we can see the pictorial marks clearly.

We see an arrow and a Maltese cross on the examples above. I thought I would do a bit more chasing. Earlier in this post “Vox” said that “Wade” was an American agent so I had a look for “Butcher” in “Sheffield Indexers”. I do not like long lists but there are a great many “Butcher” makers of Sheffield “wares” to be found. I have put the names that I think could be chronological originators of the W and S Butcher part of the company. "Vox" said the company began in 1820, but the first reference I found was 1825 but if you consider their range of wares it does look like an established company by that time.

Butcher, William (, merchant and manufacturer of edge tools, skates, saws, files, hoes, trowels, joiners tools, West India and Brazil plantation tools and steel converter and refiner).
     Address: Eyre Lane, Sheffield in 1825.
     Recorded in: Gells 1825 Directory of Sheffield.

 Butcher, William (, merchant).
     Address: Broom Hill, Sheffield in 1825.
     Recorded in: Gells 1825 Directory of Sheffield.
     

Butcher, Wm. (, Merchant (&c)).
     Address: h,Broom Hill, in 1833.
     Recorded in: Whites History & Directory of Sheffield - 1833.

Butcher, William & Samuel (, merchants, steel converters and saw, file and edge tool mfrs.).
     Address: 15 Eyre Lane, in 1837.
     Recorded in: Whites Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham - 1837.
 

Butcher, Wm (~, File & Edge Tool Mnfr).
     Address: 41 & 44 Eyre Lane Hs. Stanton Broom, Glossop Rd, in 1841.
     Recorded in: Henry & Thos. Rodgers Sheff & Roth Directory - 1841.
 

Butcher, William & Samuel (, Edge tool maker(s)).
     Address: Eyre Lane and Furnival Street, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
 

Butcher, William & Samuel (, File Manufacturer(s)).
     Address: Eyre Lane and Furnival Street, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.

Butcher, William & Samuel (, Merchant(s), factor(s) and manufacturer(s)).
     Address: Eyre Lane and Furnival Street, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
     

Butcher, William & Samuel (, pen and pocket knife manufacturer).
     Address: Eyre Lane and Furnival Street, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
     

Butcher, William & Samuel (, razor manufacturer).
     Address: Eyre Lane and Furnival Street, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
     

Butcher, William & Samuel (, rolling mills).
     Address: Philadelphia, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
     

Butcher, William & Samuel (, steel converters and refiners).
     Address: Eyre Lane;Furnival Street and Philadelphia steel works, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
     

Butcher, William & Samuel (, Table knife manufacturers).
     Address: Eyre Lane & Furnival Street, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
     

 Butcher, William & Samuel (, Joiners Tool Maker(s)).
     Address: Eyre Lane, Sheffield in 1846.
     Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
    

Butcher, William and Samuel (, Merchant and steel, edgetool, file, razor, saw &c. manufacturer and tilters).
     Address: 41 Eyre Lane and Philadelphia Steel Works, in 1852.
     Recorded in: White's Gazetteer & General Directory of Sheffield - 1852.
     

Butcher, William Esq (, Merchant & manufacturer).
     Address: h. Five Oaks, Glossop Road, in 1852.
     Recorded in: White's Gazetteer & General Directory of Sheffield - 1852.
 

Butcher, W & S (, File Manufrs).
     Address: 13 Furnival Street, in 1871.
     Recorded in: White's Sheffield & Dist. Directory - 1871.
     

Butcher, W.&S. (, Merchants & Manufacturers).
     Address: 41 Eyre Lane, in 1871.
     Recorded in: White's Sheffield & Dist. Directory - 1871.

Butcher, W.& S. (, manufacturers of steel,files,tools etc.).
     Address: 41 Eyre Lane & 72 Arundel Street, in 1905.
     Recorded in: Whites Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham.
     

Butcher, Charles F. (, (W.& S.)).
     Address: h.Richmond Hill near Handsworth, in 1905.
     Recorded in: Whites Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham.
     

Butcher, Charles Fosbery (, manufacturer Sheffield).
     Address: h. Richmond Hill Richmond Handsworth, in 1905.
     Recorded in: Whites Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham. 

We can see that they were based in several addresses on Eyre Street along with other places. Also “W&S” was first referenced in the 1837, while William Butcher & C was mentioned in 1833. 1846 was the first reference to “pen and pocket knives” and was “Charles Fosbery Butcher” in charge of the company for the association with “Wade”.

Kalfred

 

 

    

[SteveHB]

Kelly's directory, published 1957.

[Kalfred]

The picture below is the 2nd knife I looked at before the auction. I will try to be a bit less boring with this one.

This knife was about 4 inches (10cms for younger readers) long. Excellent marks (don’t know about the blades) showing 1945 and the broad arrow. The maker was George Ibberson & Co, and shows their trademark of a “violin”. They are referenced to have been based at the “Violin Works” on “Rockingham Street” 1912-32. Do we know if the “trademark” became the ”works” or if the “works” became the “trademark”?

Kalfred

 

 

[tozzin]

Look and see what's on the far back wall, a violin, their trademark as large as life.

[Edmund]

Ibbersons were at the Central Works (102 West Street, Bayley Lane corner) until 1910, but by June 1911 had moved into the Sycamore Tree Works at 112-116 Rockingham Street.  Their trademark Violin was in use in 1901 (see Whites Directory 1901 below).  By February 1912 their new premises in Rockingham Street were being referred to as the Violin Works.

[Kalfred]

Thanks Edmund In this case it seems the "mark" became the "works". I found another item, sorry not military and not a knife, but sharp non the less. A composite of marks on some scissors below.

Kalfred