© Ken Hawley Collection Trust - K.2843
At first glance, this knife appears to have been made by one of Sheffield’s most famous pocket-knife makers – George Wostenholm Ltd. A closer look reveals that the name is not quite identical. No Sheffield maker named ‘Wosternholm’ has been found. And the stamp is hardly likely to have been a ‘typo’. This style of knife and finish (with a glazed blade) was also not typical of George Wostenholm Ltd. This suggests that the marking may have been calculated to deceive. Reputable Sheffield cutlery manufacturers regularly complained about knives and other cutlery which had spurious markings – some of which were imported.