This stylish knife does not seem to have been made by an established cutlery manufacturer. A search of local directories has so far not revealed ‘F. H. Hydes’ in the cutlery sections. And no retailer, either locally or nationally, seems to have traded under that name. It may possibly have been the work of Frederick (Fred) Henry Hydes (1909-1998). He was apparently born in Sheffield, the son of Frederick Henry Hydes (a labourer in a steel works) and his wife, Sarah. Fred H. Hydes appeared in the Register of England & Wales (1939), living at Dial House Road, Wisewood, on the outskirts of Sheffield. He was a cutlery foreman in charge of glazing and mirror polishing machines.  Did Fred Hydes commission this knife (and perhaps others) as part of an attempt to launch an independent business? The trade directories do not seem to offer a clue, though Fred Hydes was still listed as a foreman into the 1950s.

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