Knives (set of six)

1825-1850

Maker

William Sanderson (c. 1796-1858)

Measurements

8-1/4 in x 1 in x 1/2 in

Materials

Steel and bone

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp

Accession Number

1959.4158

Inscription

“SANDERSON / SHEAR STEEL” is stamped into the blades of five knives.  (The mark on 1959.4158.4 was photographed.)  “SANDERSON” is stamped into the blades of the sixth knife (accession no. 1959.4158.2).  

Condition Notes

Two knives (1959.4158.5 and 1959.4158.6) have more heavily oxidized blades than the other four knives.

Provenance

Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp

Comments

The knives have slightly curved blades and rounded tips.  Bone handle halves are riveted to each side of the blade tang with brass rivets, which don't oxidize or stain the bone.  Each knife is stamped by the maker on one side of the blade.  The top edge of that side of the blade is lightly chamfered from the left end of the mark to the tip.

William Sanderson was first listed in a Sheffield directory in 1825 as a maker of forks, knives, and other utensils.  The business name was changed to “& Sons" in 1850 and later.

One of the two Sanderson marks references "shear steel," which references a way of manufacturing the steel that is advantageous to various types of cutting blades.

These knives appear to be a set with four two-tine forks (accession nos. 1959.4159.1-.4).  Both knives and forks have the same pinning pattern on the handles.