A set of 12 steel and antler knives and forks by Taylor’s ‘Eye-Wittiness’ cutlers of Sheffield.

England c1860

Knives 11” / 28cm Long –  Forks 8” / 20cm Long

£325.00

From Wikipedia –

John Taylor founded a knife and edge tools firm around the year 1820 in St. Phillip’s Road in the Netherthorpe area of the city. In 1838 Taylor applied for and was granted the Eye Witness trade markfor his goods, it is said he chose it after being inspired by the line “No eye hath seen such” from Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1. In 1852 Taylor moved to the newly built Eye Witness Works on Milton Street. At the time the works only consisted of five single-storey bays and were driven by steam power with a 40-foot chimney stack which is still in place today. Upon the death of John Taylor in 1854 the firm passed to his daughter who had married into the Needham family who were also knife producers