Silver Hallmarked Ring-Opening Single Bladed Gentleman’s Penknife by William Needham -Sheffield 1928

Here on offer is a scarce example of silver hallmarked ring-opening single bladed gentleman’s penknife by William Needham, Sheffield 1928.

This ingenious single bladed folding penknife can be easily opened by turning the large ring which rotates the blade pivot. This is really useful for people with delicate or too short finger nails, or even gloved hands.

The penknife has a 2” stainless steel blade with a 1.6” cutting edge. It is also stamped on one side if the ricasso with:

STAINLESS
SHEFFIELD

The penknife’s grip plates are made from hallmarked sterling silver, both of which are hallmarked.
On one side there is a full set of English hallmarks, the Lion passant that certifies sterling silver (925), the crown for the Sheffield Assay Office and the date letter “l” for the year 1928.

There is also a maker’s mark:

W.N

On the other side it just has the Lion passant that certifies sterling silver (925) and the date letter “l” for the year 1928, along with the maker’s mark, W.N.

This maker mark relates to the well-known silver maker, William Needham of Sheffield.

William Needham (1853-1915), was a maker of silver fruit-knives and was born in Sheffield, the son of Joseph Needham, a maker of joiner’s tools. As a teenager, he trained as a ‘silver cutler’ and by 1881 was working in Jessop Street.

By 1911, his business was in Eyre Street. Needham’s knives were well-made, sometimes high-quality, but his output was increasingly directed towards the mass market at a time when the demand for silver-fruit knives was fading. William Needham died, aged 62, at 7 Harefield Road on 21 July 1915 and was buried in Ecclesall churchyard.

The business continued in Eyre Street under his sons, William Henry Needham (1877-1963) and Ralph Clarke Needham (1883-1967). In 1929, they registered the Pocket Knife Material Co Ltd, with £500 capital. At the end of the 1930s, Needham’s had moved to Portland Works in Hill Street.

Needham still advertised silver fruit-knives, but sold other cutlery, such as table knives, electro-plate, and sportsman’s knives. W. H. Needham died on 5 May 1963. The firm was listed as a table cutlery manufacturer and jeweller at Portland Works in the early 1970s, possibly under W. H. Needham’s son, William Edwin (1903-1971) or R. C. Needham’s son, Ralph Clarke (1905-1991).

The penknife is in excellent condition and retains its silver swivel loop at the end so it can be connected to a keyring or chain.

The blade measures 2” (5.1cm) and closed it measures 2.5” (6.3cm) long, excluding the loop.

It weighs 18g.

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

Please see my TERMS OF BUSINESS regarding Deliver Charges and Insurance regarding additional insurance cover, should you require it, BEFORE the item is dispatched.

The responsibility lies with the customer to check with your Customs restrictions that this item can be imported into your country.

Code: 51954