The Joseph Rodgers Year Knife (2023) - Showcasing Pen & Pocket Knives 4

To celebrate 200 years of excellence in cutlery making in Sheffield since the original creation of the Joseph Rodgers Year Knife in 1821 a series of short films showcasing pen and pocket knife making was commissioned by the Ken Hawley Collection Trust. This was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
2023 also marked the transfer of ownership of the knife to the Trust from its previous owners, Stanley Black & Decker. Their generosity of gifting the knife to the Trust now ensures the knife will be kept in Sheffield in perpetuity for future generations to enjoy. The Rodgers Year Knife is truly one of Sheffield's Treasures, representing the amazing craft skills and heritage of the city for which it has a world wide reputation.
Although 4th in the series, it is the first film to be released. Filmed in high definition for the first time it offers a 360° view of the knife without visiting Sheffield to see it.
In the nineteenth century, Rodgers had an unsurpassed reputation and a history that was said to have been synonymous with the cutlery trade itself. In 1724, a ‘house workshop’ was rented to John Rodgers (1701-15 January 1785) for seven guineas a year, at Holy (or Hawley) Croft, a backstreet off Campo Lane, near the present Cathedral (Leader, 1905). In 1724, the Company of Cutlers ‘let’ a mark to John Rodgers - a Star and Maltese Cross (originally registered to another cutler in 1682) - which the family was to make world famous. The mark was confirmed in 1764.
Following an introduction to King George IV in 1821, Rodgers was awarded its first Royal Warrant the following year. The exhibition knife which came to be known as the Year Knife, was made in 1821-22, probably for the opening of their Norfolk Street showroom which opened around that time.
There is no evidence to suggest when it was created that blades would be added. The structure of the knife is based on 'cubes' of springs and blades, a system which seems to have been developed James Crawshaw and referred to as 'quadrangular'. Thomas Champion's advert in the 1828 trade directory mentions this as “the principle of which is adapted to any number of uses, and which has been adopted for all the show knives in various parts of the kingdom”.
It is not known whether the knife was exhibited at the Great Exhibition 1851, along with the Norfolk Knife. In fact nothing is heard of the knife from the late 1820s in the trade directories until the late 19th century when the story of adding a blade for every year is firmly established. There are many references to this and the putting in of blades every five years. The Norfolk Street showrooms were disposed of in 1929 after which the knife was possibly less in public view.
With the decline and eventual closure of Joseph Rodgers as an independent business in 1968 both the Year Knife and Norfolk Knife were put up for sale. No doubt to the consternation of many at the time no attempt was made to acquire the Year Knife for the city from public funds. However, Stanley Tools stepped in and acquired the knife in 1969 for £2,500 at Sotheby's.
The knife was restored by Stan Shaw at the time and the knife was exhibited by Stanleys at their Woodside Works as well as being used in promotions and loaned out for exhibitions.
Following the closure of Woodside, Ken Hawley gained a promise that the knife would be entrusted to the care of the Hawley Collection. This was achieved when the new Hawley Gallery opened at Kelham Island Museum in 2010. Until then the knife was housed at Cutlers Hall.
For further details about makers of Sheffield knives see our website at hawleysheffieldknives.com/ which provides essential data for anyone interested in Sheffield's knife heritage.
To find out more about the Hawley Collection and to donate, visit our website: www.hawleytoolcollection.com/

[@plakor6133]

Amazing.

[@gizmocarr3093]

Beautiful is not enough to describe seeing this knife example. 👑

[@ianrosie4431]

I take it the majority of blades are made of carbon steel. Yet there is no hint of tarnishing. Is some poor soul charged with cleaning it?

[@KenHawleyCollectionTrust]

You are indeed correct. The knife is usually displayed in a high security case and is only occasionally cleaned - it has shown remarkable resilience to tarnishing

[@ianrosie4431]

It really has. Thanks for that. @@KenHawleyCollectionTrust