Brookes & Crookes

[Mason]

Sheffield certainly produced some fine knives in the 1800s and early 1900s. Enclosed is a nice example from Brookes & Crookes which existed from 1858 to 1957. While they were relatively small in size, they were large in quality and would rival the top competition such as Rodgers and Wostenholm. Brookes & Crookes won awards at several world exhibitions in the late 1800s. This shown five blade pearl handled model is 3-1/4 inches closed and has some beautiful file work as well as gold wash on the back springs.

[knife7knut]

Beautiful little knife Mason! Magnificent file work. I have a couple of Brookes & Crookes;one of which is an ivory handled smoker's knife.The blade is long and very thin and features a cigar piercer and a tobacco tamping device that stores on the side of one scale and when needed slides back and pivots 90 degrees.Has the name of (possibly)a tobacconist in Halifax etched on the blade.

[wlf]

The Brits were proper,some more than others.Thanks for the knife and the information Mason.What a wondrous collection you have.

Always a treat to have an ivory knife Ray,I'd like to see your collection in all it magnitude.

[0078]

Some beatiful knives you fellas have here. I wonder how the file work was done back then? Machine or hand?

[LongBlade]

Beautiful old Sheffields ... Awesome file work on that one Mason!! If that was hand file work no doubt the craftsman at Brookes & Crookes must have been quite proud of that end result... Wonder how many they made like that one as well and whether it was common file work on a certain line of their knives or just on a special few...

[knife7knut]

File work was quite common on multiblades of that era. Here's a few that I have.

[btrwtr]

Awesome little knife Mason! File work, gold wash and all.

K7K that smoker's knife is a gem!

Wayne

[Mason]

Thanks all and very nice examples K7K.
Enclosed is an auction catalog shot of a Brookes & Crookes "Stanley Knife". This sportsman's model was introduced by B&C in 1878 in honor of the famous Welch explorer, Sir Henry Morton Stanley. Stanley is credited with the notable quote, "Doctor Livingston, I presume?"

[wlf]

Looks like that beaute has a raised(I forget what that pivot pin is called) pivot pin "Mason". I think there is a term for it.??

Wouldn't mind owning that one.

[glennbad]

Thought I would dredge up this old thread. I picked this up at a show recently. Really interesting piece (to me anyways)...brass bolsters, Lambsfoot blade, jigged bone, rough steel pins.

[LongBlade]

That’s a stunner Glen ... great old pattern with nice bone and a double blade version as well - superb!!

[wlf]

Glen, are you sure they are brass. The Brits nickel silver seems to have much more copper in it than is typical in many later knives for sure,but you probably already know this.

Cool knife Glen.