Rare Joseph Rodgers & Sons Pocket Knife

Joseph Rodgers & Sons has a lengthy and fairly epic history. Through the centuries (yes, centuries), Rodgers & Sons managed to become synonymous with the utmost quality. There are a multitude of historical anecdotes about the impeccable materials and manufacture that surrounded these knives. Some include prisoners managing to cut through their iron shackles using their trusty blades or British Royalty cutting the arms off Joseph Rodgers himself, to prevent him constructing more of these dangerously excellent knives. In fact, the impeccable quality of these knives even formed new words in far-flung lands. It is stated that in and around India and Sri Lanka, 'Rujjus' became a sort of slang meaning 'top quality.' It even found itself entered into the Sinhalese dialect as a general expression of superlative quality. Some restaurants even advertised their food as being of Rujjus quality. Whether these stories are true or not, they speak volumes about the impeccable nature with which these items were built.

The origins of the company are a little foggy. The standard markings are the Star and Maltese Cross and find themselves stamped on all Rodgers pieces. We can trace the origins of the company by looking into the history of these marks. Luckily, British monarchy insisted on registered maker's marks (for ownership, but frankly, more for the income from taxing these items) which makes tracing histories infinitely easier.
Joseph Rodgers first registered the mark as his own in 1764. A small cutlery company, Joseph Rodgers prided himself on providing the absolute best that money could buy. The quality of his wares were, in themselves, the best advertising. Although limited to strictly pocket knives, in 16 short years, they had enjoyed immense success and had outgrown their premises. At this time, they purchased their No. 6 Norfolk Street property, which would be added to and expanded until the famous Norfolk Street Works took up the entire plot and became the largest factory in the city!
Around 1800, they broadened their product line to include razors, cutlery and scissors. By now, Joseph's two sons - Joseph Jr. and Maurice had taken up the mantle and were effectively running the family business. However, in 1800, there was a falling out and Maurice left. The company was renamed Joseph Rodgers & Sons, but despite the name change, their quality remained steadfast. It took only 20 years for the Royal family to notice, and Rodgers were appointed cutlers to the Royal family, an honour they would keep through 5 consecutive monarchs - George IV, William IV, Queen Victoria, Edward II and George V. By the mid-1800s, they were Sheffield's largest factory, constructing wares for the Royal Family, and their name was synonymous with some of the best quality pieces on the planet. Innovative, as well, they were the first to open their doors to the public, allowing the layman to enter their facilities and purchase products straight off the shelves. It was such a departure from standard retail practice that upon opening, customers didn't know what the goods lining the cabinets were for. Their showroom was splendid, attracting nobility and gentry from all over the world. Even King Edward VII and the Shah of Persia sought entry into what was quickly becoming a major draw for Rodgers & Sons.
They remained an admirable organization, never wavering from their roots of utmost quality and workmanship. However, with the turn of the 20th century, tough times loomed ahead. Rodgers provided some truly excellent blades for the British armed forces during the First World War, but that wouldn't save them from the same fate that affected millions of businesses around the world. The Great Depression hit Rodgers & Sons, and hit them hard. In 1914, near the peak of their production capabilities, the company employed 1500 people. Only 15 years later, in 1929, their financial state was such that they were forced to sell their No. 6 Norfolk Street address and by mid-century, their workforce had plummeted to a mere 325 employees. Although eventually purchased by a conglomerate in 1971, they were never able to regain their former glory. They exist today only as a small portion of a company under the Egginton Brothers name - a company founded in Sheffield in 1871, but managed to avoid the financial windfalls of the Great Depression using a combination of shrewd business practice and acquisition of surrounding, floundering companies.

Although the fate of the company is quite sad, I am thrilled to be able to provide this beautiful piece of history for sale.
The piece itself is quite handsome. Measuring almost 9.5 cm in length, it opens to 16.25 cm long. The handle is bone or antler, despite looking like wood (the darkened colour is from over a century of use). Originally, this was a 2 blade knife, with the second blade being thin and sharp on the end. It would have been used for repair of leather items, opening cans or any task where a thin, sharp implement would work. Although it broke off at some point in the past, the root of the blade is still there, allowing us to read some very valuable information - the hallmarks.
Firstly, we can clearly see the Star and Maltese Cross on both blades. On the reverse, we see the same imprint found on a multitude of their knives - 'No. 6 Norfolk St Sheffield England,' and 'G [crown] R Rodgers Cutlers to His Majesty.' These seemingly innocuous stamps are actually the only part of the knife that helps us date the piece. Being cutlers to the Royal Family since 1821, this quote had been stamped into Rodgers' wares 200 years ago and continued to be applied to all their pieces. As such, we are lucky to be able to read the 'his' portion of the stamp. If the knife had been made during Victoria and Albert's reign, the quote would read 'Their Majesties.' If it were made during Victoria's reign, it would read 'Her Majesty.' Ordinarily, this would make dating the knife fairly cut-and-dry, but the design of the knife gives me pause. We have to remember the years of reign of the various monarchs and line it up with the company's chronology. Given that Rodgers basically folded in 1929, Edward VII and George V are the only options. Or are they? The designs of Rodgers' pocket knives changed in only one real way, from the 19th to the 20th centuries - the blade hinge locations. You'll notice, on modern knives, the blades would be situated on either end of the knife handle, allowing the blades to be opened at either end of the knife. That's not to say that late-19th or early-20th century knives weren't constructed the way ours is, but the probability is decreased. As well, knives made for the war effort had a metal loop built into the handle. As such, we have a bit of a quandary... this knife could have been built during the reign of George IV or William IV, placing it firmly in the early part of the 1800s. Despite my exhaustive research, I haven't been able to concretely identify the date of manufacture. Sadly, not enough of these knives exist to be able to properly compare concretely identified samples with ours. As such, I've reflected the uncertainty in the pricing of this item.

The condition of the piece is not pristine, of course. The handle is slightly cracked, the handle is separated slightly from the bone and the second blade is missing but I'm staggered at the solidity of the item. It is as strong as it was emerging from the factory - very impressive build. You'll notice some patina on the blade and surrounding metal - I have left this on the blades on purpose. Patina is something that can only be regained by age, so I leave it up to the new owner to clean it to a burnished shine.

As always, I'm happy to answer queries almost immediately, so don't be shy to write.
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