Frederick Arthur Kirk (1904-1987) was born in Sheffield, the son of Frederick Arthur Kirk (a table knife hafter), and his wife, Ethel née Mitchell.  In the late 1930s, Frederick Arthur Jun. was listed as table knife manufacturer at 245 Rockingham Street. His business was incorporated in 1947 as a manufacturer of cutlery canteens, cased goods, picnic sets, table cutlery, and butchers’ knives. The Rockingham Street premises were destroyed by a fire, so Kirk relocated to Petre Street in Brightside. The firm also had a wholesale office in Chancery Lane, London, but this was liquidated in 1950.

Kirk’s management team consisted of chairman George Arthur Millns (1904-1986) – who lived at Rotherham and before the War had managed a firm involved with building railway rolling stock – and Frederick Arthur as managing director. The latter was helped by his son, Anthony (1930-1968), who had returned from duty with the RAF to manage export sales. Kirk’s was committed to supplying overseas markets, particularly in North America. In 1950, it was said to be exporting 4,000 knives a month, with special consignments of stag-handled carvers destined for Canada (Sheffield Telegraph, 25 March 1950). The Petre Street business was featured in an illustrated article in International Cutler (February 1953) under the heading, ‘Go-Ahead Firm’s Export Drive’. It emphasised the growing importance to Kirk’s of the USA.  Stockrooms had been opened in New York and Canada, where the company’s distinctive lines were marketed under the name of ‘Kirk’s Sheffield Cutlery’. These items were said to have pioneered the use of ‘Nacrolaque’ (‘Nu-Pearl’) as a man-made handle material.  It was reported that by 1953 Kirk’s had become associated with an American importer. This was probably Herman V. Matz.

The Petre Street business must have encountered problems, because by 1959 the F. A. Kirk name had been acquired by cutlery manufacturer I. S. Dearden at Dacre Works, Liverpool Street.  The Kirk’s had apparently decided to throw in their lot with Matz. At the start of the 1960s, Kirk’s Ltd, Toledo Works, was established at Danbury, Connecticut (where Matz was based); and Kirkanson of Sheffield Ltd was launched at Toledo Works, 79 Hollis Croft. In 1967, the American company was restyled Kirk & Matz Ltd.  It seems that the Sheffield Hollis Croft factory was a ‘feeder’ for the American firm. Toledo Works was a modest two-storey building (William Howe was a previous tenant), which would have mainly been a warehouse and packing facility for cutlery that had been ‘bought in’. It specialised in boxed sets of cutlery, especially 3-piece stag-handled carving sets. Advertisements featured ‘Kirk’s Indian Stag Stainless Hand-Forged’ cutlery. Tragically Tony Kirk died at The Royal Hospital, Sheffield, on 20 December 1968. He was only 38. He was buried in Roman Catholic ground at Abbey Lane Cemetery, leaving £12,048.

Kirkanson’s moved to nearby 48 Garden Street, where it continued to operate into the 1970s. Frederick Arthur Kirk died at 1 Sunningdale Mount, Sheffield, on 25 May 1987, aged 83. His estate was valued at £59,004.  His funeral was at Hutcliffe Wood, Crematorium. In 1992, the assets of Kirkanson’s were sold to Chimo, a Sheffield cutlery manufacturer.