‘Kitchen Devils’ is a brand of kitchen knives, which was particularly popular in the 1970s. Its originator was Harold George Bearston (1916-1990), who was born in London. The Bearstons seem untraceable in the Census before the First World War. It seems that the family was Jewish. In the Register of England & Wales (1939), Harold was enumerated as living with his parents – Bernard (1882-1943) and Ray nee Werberg (1883-1970) – at 252 Westbourne Grove, Kensington. Bernard was an antiques dealer; Ray worked for a dress agency; and Harold was a motor driver. After the War, Harold began a career in the hardware trade as a demonstrator-salesman of kitchen gadgets. In 1960, he became interested in knives and devised a range of cutlery made from the hardest cutlery steel with scalloped edges. He first had these knives made in Germany, after his approaches to English cutlery firms were rebuffed (Aberdeen Press & Journal, 4 November 1971).  In 1965, with sales expanding, he successfully approached Taylor’s Eye Witness (formerly Needham, Veall & Tyzack).  From 1967, this Sheffield cutler manufactured ‘Kitchen Devils’ as a range of kitchen knives. One selling point was that they were made from surgical steel and precision-honed. The polypropylene handles were moulded onto the blade by another company at Huddersfield. The range included paring knives, all-purpose salad knives, steak knives, bread slicers, and tomato and cheese knives. The range was distributed by Bearston Cutlery Ltd, from an office at Chiswick. Kitchen Devils Ltd was also registered as a company name.

Kitchen Devils scalloped knives were distinctive and proved highly successful. Bearston made a fortune. In 1984, he sold out to Wilkinson Sword, which in turn was acquired by Swedish Match.  Despite the input of leading designers, such as Robert Welch, sales began to stagnate. By 1986, Richardson Sheffield had overtaken Kitchen Devils as the market leader in kitchen knives. Harold G. Bearston, of 45 Harrowdene Road, Wembley, died at Poole, Dorset, on 15 October 1990, aged 73. He left £207,962. A friend commented that ‘he made money out of kitchen knives, and gave it away, just as easily as he made it, to peace and justice organizations’ (Bruce Kent, Undiscovered Ends, 1992). In 1990, Fiskars, the Finnish conglomerate, acquired Kitchen Devils from Swedish Match, so ensuring the continuance of the brand.