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.

The first film in the series features a range of knives made by Joseph Rodgers in their 100 year heyday between 1822 and the end of the First World War. Rodgers’ catalogues were packed with every type of knife imaginable. Pocket knives were made in scores of different styles. Their slogan remained ‘The Knife of Kings – The King of Knives’.

The downfall of Rodgers was fed by their reluctance to invest in new methods of production to save costs and their insistence on high quality at high cost faced a shrinking market.

For further details about makers of Sheffield knives see our website at https://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: https://www.hawleytoolcollection.com/