BRITISH EMPIRE EPISODENOWILL & SON . THE BOOK OF THE SAILOR KNIFE

Nowill & Son

 

 Dates: founded 1700

 Biographical Account: This family business was first established on Meadow Street, but then moved to Scotland Street around 1840. It was in 1842 that the first of John Nowill's sons, William, joined the business after completing his apprenticeship .  Its creators' marks of 'D*' and 'KROSSKEYS' remain company marks to this day.  At the Great Exhibition in 1851, the company won a Prize Medal for its selection knives for 'the Levant trade'.  The Levant is a historical term for the Near East, encompassing modern countries such as Syria, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon.  The company maintained strong business links with this area, with agents in Turkey, Egypt and Greece.  In 1851 there were fifty men and boys working for John Nowill & Son, however constant expansion meant that by 1881 they employed one hundred men, ten boys and fifteen women.

 In 1881 they also registered their first silver mark, which showed that they were moving to make valuable silverware and electroplates.  They registered a second mark for silver in 1901.

 1928, John Nowill & Sons became a limited company.

 However, during the Second World War, the Scotland Street factory was heavily damaged in air raids.

 

 The firm was sold to FE & JR Hopkinson Ltd created in 1947

 

 the company moved to London Road (Trimils Works).  By the early 1950s, John Hopkinson (whose death was reported in February 1955, aged 63) controlled the company, as well as owning the Hopkinson and Frank Mills interests.

 This is a Frank Mills, Sheffield Knife, military pattern, no WD stamp, stag handles.

 

 

 This model is very difficult to get...the ones I've seen are generally from ALLEN...

 

 .  Commercial knives and Bowies continued to be made at Nowill's into the 1960s

 

 57 advertising

 , but slowly the company declined.  Ultimately, the Nowill and Hopkinson names were acquired by Jack Adams Ltd.

 Now the knife in SI

 I have gotten it by glancing I was with the Chinese knives There was no there and taking this photo it appeared

 

 

 There were, above all, many Belgians and British, they were interesting, but I don't give enough

 

 the one i got today

 

 In perfect condition they cost €100 .. this one is a little off the edge ... but for €12 you can't ask for elm pears

 

 made in england

 

 

 The marking

 

 With a cousin of hers from Adams

 

 

Adams cutlery.