The originator of cutlery stainless steel was Harry Brearley (1871-1948), who was the director of the Brown-Firth Research Laboratories in Sheffield. In 1913, he discovered the rust-resistant properties of a steel low in carbon and containing about 12 per cent chromium. Brearley and cutlery manufacturer R. F. Mosley made the first prototype stainless table blades. Brearley’s account of his discovery in his autobiography, Knotted String (1941) alleged that Firth’s were slow to exploit stainless steel and intent on denying him due credit. In 1915, Brearley (who already had a private consultancy, Amalgams Co Ltd) left Firth’s and joined another big steel firm, Brown Bayley’s.

The disputes between Firth’s and Brearley were mostly resolved by the formation in 1917 of the Firth-Brearley Stainless Steel Syndicate. This organisation issued licences for the supply of Firth’s stainless steel to cutlery firms. Thus ‘FIRTH STAINLESS’ became one of the commonest trade names on stainless cutlery in the early twentieth century, sometimes with a cutlery manufacturer’s name, sometimes not.  Interestingly, Firth’s were using this mark as early as December 1914, as part of an advertising campaign for stainless table knives.  However, it seems that Firth’s did not register the name formally with the Company of Cutlers until 1924 (R. T. Doncaster, ‘Stainless Trade Names’ Cutting Edge, Magazine of the Sheffield Trades Historical Society, No. 6 1990). This questions Brearley’s assertion that Firth’s were tardy in recognising the importance of stainless steel for cutlery.  Brearley was determined, though, that stainless knives should carry his name. He ensured that his employers Brown Bayley’s had the right to have cutlery made from its steel marked ‘FIRTH-BREARLEY STAINLESS’.  It proved another point of issue with Firth’s, but many knives marked with Brearley’s name have survived (though the mark is not as common as ‘FIRTH STAINLESS’).