Richards Sheffield England

[Meridian_Mike]

Just picked up this one.
"Richards Sheffield Emgland"

I like the "Lamp post" stamp on the blade.

I think I read where some of these were made by Imperial (??)

Comments?

[Capt. Farrel]

Richards is a major knife supplier and was founded in 1839 - and of course resides in dear old Blighty!
Mine came today as goody when I purchased another knife. Not quite a quality knife but fun anyway. It seems to be a souvenir knife from Blackpool, England.

[Meridian_Mike]

I agree Capt.
Not quite quality but fun anyway!

[jerryd6818]

I love that light post tang stamp.

[Meridian_Mike]

I love that light post tang stamp.

Yep, me too Jerry!

[Capt. Farrel]

As it seems Richards of Sheffield is of German origin: The company Richartz started around 1900 in Solingen. It was members of the Richartz family, Stephan and Wilhelm Mueller (1932) joined by Paul (1937), that started the company that became Richards in Sheffield. The name was changed just before the war from Richartz to Richards. They brought the lampost trademark with them.

I copied this information from british blades forum member "smiling-knife" (thank you for that!)

Now I wouldn´t have though this as Richards seemed so british to me as plum pudding!

[Meridian_Mike]

Thanks for that history Captain!!
I too would have never suspected a name or place so "English" would have those German roots!
Well done Captain... Well done!

[Capt. Farrel]

That´s kudos to the guys at british blades!

[Cookyboy1]

I just recently bought an old richards knife and was surprised how good it was made .,much better than my other ones.what do you think.

[Cookyboy1]

I just recently bought an old richards knife and was surprised how good it was made .,much better than my other ones.what do you think.

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[edge213]

I've never seen a Richards with bone handles or of that quality.

[philco]

That looks to be a well made knife Cookyboy1

[Cookyboy1]

Thanks for that coment..it is a lovely knife.I have several other richards knives but this is the first one I've seen like this .seems to well made for a Richards and in excellent condition.oh by the way ignore the last 2 photos as they were a mistake by me.the are just made in sheffield knives with no makers name stamped.

[New_Windsor_NY]

I'm bringing this topic or thread back from the dead, to the land of the living, because this pocket knife fits it so well.
This arrived very recently in a group of pocket knives that I bought. This particular pocket knife was NOT the target of my purchase. It is a Richards SHEFFIELD ENGLAND, single blade, 2 tools (cap lifter/bottle opener & screwdriver), single tang stamp (lamppost), 2 3/16" closed (not including the bail), all metal, fob/key ring pattern or style pocket knife. It is in EXCELLENT condition. It didn't require any cleaning. I took some pictures, the pictures do NOT do it justice, and here it is.
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

[Meridian_Mike]

Nice grab Skip!
That one does look like a real treasure! I love those all metal knives!

[New_Windsor_NY]

Nice.....

Thank you, Mike.

[New_Windsor_NY]

This arrived very recently in a group of pocket knives that I bought. This particular pocket knife was NOT the target of my purchase. It is a RICHARDS SHEFFIELD ENGLAND, single blade, single tang stamp (block style), 1 7/8" closed (not including the bail), fob/key ring pattern or style pocket knife. Overall, it is in pretty GOOD condition. It required minimal cleaning. I took some pictures and here it is.
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

[New_Windsor_NY]

This arrived very recently in a group of pocket knives that I bought. This particular pocket knife was NOT the target of my purchase. It is a RICHARDS SHEFFIELD ENGLAND, single blade, single tang stamp (block style), 1 7/8" closed (not including the bail), fob/key ring pattern or style pocket knife. Except for some damage to the scales, it's in GOOD condition. The blade required a little cleaning. I took some pictures and here it is.
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

[edisdead]

Some nice examples, thought I'd add mine

[New_Windsor_NY]

This pocket knife arrived recently in a group of pocket knives that I bought. This particular pocket knife was NOT the target of my purchase. It is a Richards, SHEFFIELD ENGLAND, two blades (one is broken), one tang stamp (lamppost style), 3" closed, pocket knife. Overall, it is in good shape. It did require a little cleaning. I took some pictures and here it is.
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

[Jimny14]

Thought I'd add a couple newly acquired Richard's knives here. I've not done anything with them yet.

[Rannard]

RICHARDS RCMP FISHERMAN'S POCKETKNIFE


A recent purchase was a Richards fisherman's pocketknife with a single blade and a de-scaler/disgorger. With colourful pictorial scales, a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman on his horse, they were the pocket money knives of my boyhood in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Hollow chromed pressed metal scales are attached by tags bent into recesses stamped in the side scales. Unfortunately the scales often came loose and were lost. The bale pivots in the scales further helping loosen them. I graduated to an ex-army jackknife.

I wanted a Richards knife for my collection for the name, lamp standard trademark and nostalgia for my happy early years. The Richards Company closed in 1983 so this knife is at least 39 years old. Both scales were removed to polish the knife on a wire wheel without damaging their celluloid wrap. I re-attached them with epoxy adhesive and bent the tags back into position.

While these knives were disparaged for their scales, the Company was very successful, making knives that appealed to its young customers, economical manufacturing methods producing what they could afford. One sees Richards' earlier quality in this knife's main blade and springs. It 'walks and talks', so one keeps fingers and bale out of the way when the blade is being closed. Without solid bolsters to hold the hinge together it has limited strength but is adequate if one doesn't put unfair sideways load on the hinge.

Whilst epoxy strengthens the attachment of the scales, a purist collector might recoil from its use but it is not visible and the knife is now really useful, stronger than when new. With the scales secure the bale can be used with confidence. It is a knife a boy can learn to use and look after, cutting away from himself, not using the blade as a lever, oiling the hinge and honing it on a carborundum (silicon carbide) oil stone also known as Norton Crystolon.

I look back fondly at the freedom I enjoyed as a boy. It taught being responsible with potentially dangerous tools and toys. One knew that any irresponsibility would result in a prized possession being confiscated. My young grandsons have no catapults, air guns or knives. I hope they will make up for it when they are older and Scottish law allows them.

With suitable instruction, pocketknives should be part of growing up, the transition to responsible adulthood. Mark Twain in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin wrote of Tom's Barlow knife, one of his treasures. Life is poorer without them and gets even more restricted when people can't behave themselves. As a consequence it is illegal to carry this Richards in Scotland, having a blade longer than three inches. Oh for the freedom of the halcyon days of my boyhood!

13 February 2022

[danno50]

Great first post, Rannard. Richards were also many of the knives of my youth.
to AAPK.

[zed6309]

I'll have to take some pics of some of my Richards, I'm not a huge fan of them as build quality can be a bit wonky lol mostly tabbed on handle type, I usually pick these up at markets in the summer months , usually re sell them as pick them up for pennies

[Rannard]

ANOTHER RICHARDS KEY RING KNIFE

Here is another Richards key ring knife, 2.07inches (5.24cm) overall length closed, 3.42inches (8.69cm) open.
I suspect it has seen service on a keyring as both scales have suffered minor damage to their edges, probably from keys on the ring.

The red Cellidor of my Victorinox Classic has a hard time on my key ring. It has been repaired once.