Vintage silver plated knife with beautiful floral engraving, handcrafted and shaped carefully to fit beautifully on the wrist displaying a lovely high polish and the original textured pattern. I have added two sterling silver loops at either end to give the cuff more stability.
AUD $75.00 + Shipping
These are made from vintage silverware & some signs of a previous life may be visible.
Gothic, Witchy, Talon, Statement, Witchy Aesthetics, Boho, Hippie, Butter Knife Cuff, Flatware, Silverware, Up-cycled Cuff, Cuff Bracelet.
Bit of History:
Silversmith's mark A & DS with hourglass - Charles James Allen & Sidney Darwin (Sheffield). This particular set of marks was in use from about 1893 onward. So the piece is most likely late Victorian or Edwardian English silverplate.
Charles James Allen & Sidney Darwin trading as Allen & Darwin.
Listed at 7 Hatton Garden, (1893-1894) and 12 Bartlett's Buildings, London (1897-1900).
Active at Portland Works, 55 Arundel St, Sheffield (1898-1912).
In 1928 the firm was changed to Allen's.
Allen & Darwin first registered with us on August 18th 1887. The partners in the firm were Charles James Allen & Sidney Darwin. The firm's address was Portland Works, 55 Arundel Street, Sheffield. The first mark they registered was C.A over S.D. They registered their A&D mark on September 15th 1892.
After the death of Sidney Darwin in 1928, Charles James Allen continued the firm on his own, as Allen's. At this time the mark changed from A&D to CJ/A.
After his death in 1938, his son Laurence continued as Sole Proprietor & the mark changed to LA. There is a note in our Register in April 1961 which reads:- "Proprietor deceased. Business now Lee & Wigfull Ltd." Lee & Wigfull themselves are no longer in business.
I am attaching some information on the firm from an article on 'The Electro-Plating Trades' in 'The Ironmonger' November 12th 1887.
"Allen & Darwin are probably the youngest firm in. the Sheffield trade, having only commenced business this year. Their specialty is all sorts of case goods, such as fish-eaters, knives, spoons, fish and meat carvers, with silver caps and ferrules. They are selling many jam spoons, a pair in each case, some being gilt and others silver-plated. Most of the small goods. such as fish-eaters. have pearl handles, silver-mounted, and on carvers the firm's new patent ball-cap is being used. The demand for carvers so capped, with handles formed of the tips of ivory tusks, is so great that the firm experience difficulty in procuring as many tusk tips as they require. A commendable feature in the productions of this firm is the desire to beautify and improve existing patterns. In cases the newest designs with the latest fashions in satin and plush linings are procured. So far, Allen & Darwin have every reason to be gratified with their success. Stocks have been cleared out, and they experience some difficulty in meeting current orders."