TAYLORS EYE WITNESS
Original & Traditional English Spring-back Folders (Pocketknives and Penknives). Still made in their country of origin - Sheffield, England.
AKC Mailorder Knives
(since 1990)
Back to AKC Mailorder Knives our contact details AKC payment options |
All knives priced in Australian dollars ....
|
Click here for a closer look |
Satin-finished carbon blades; slick-black delrin scales; polished steel shield, spring-back & pins; brass liners; 10-cm closed.  
AKC Mailorder: $89.00 + $8.50 post |
TAYLORS EYE WITNESS SPRING-BACK BUNNY BLADE
During the pioneering and settlement years of Australia, the thousands
of imported English-made pocketknives with 6-cm clip-point blades became
generally referred to as ‘bunny knives’, because they were used to skin
& gut millions of rabbits. The famous model T260, synonymous
with Australian settlement, is still produced to this day in Sheffield
by Taylors Eye Witness, just as it did over 200 years ago!
 |
Clip point, satin-finished carbon blade; slick-black delrin scales; steel bolster, spring-back, liners & pins; 9-cm closed. AKC Mailorder: $33.00 + $8.50 post |
TAYLORS EYE WITNESS GENUINE BARLOW SPRING-BACK POCKETKNIFE.
The original Barlow style pocketknife was produced by Obadiah Barlow
in Sheffield about 300 years ago. Obadiah started in business in 1667 and
the firm continued to run under the family name until 1798, when the last
Barlow of the lineage died. The concept was taken up by John Russell Cutlery
Company of the USA (1834 Green River Knives fame), which popularised the
Barlow pocketknife shape and style from the mid-eighteen hundreds.
The Barlow is characterised by a long, strong steel bolster that forms
perhaps 1/3 of the handle length. The master blade (Barlows may be 2-bladed)
can be any of a number of configurations, although in Australia, we’ve
always favoured the clip-point, otherwise known by us as the ‘bunny’ blade.
In fact, imported English-made pocketknives, including Barlows, with 6-cm
clip-point blades used during the pioneering and settlement years of Australia
became generally referred to as ‘bunny knives’, because they were used
to skin & gut millions of rabbits.
The most common twin-bladed Barlow, the traditionally-styled 9-cm closed
T421 Barlow Bunny (clip and pen pocketknife) and T422 Barlow Bunny (clip
and castrator) are still manufactured by Taylor's Eye Witness of Sheffield.
.
 |
Clip and pen satin-finished carbon blades; flat-black delrin scales; steel spring-back, barlow bolster, liners & pins; 9-cm closed. AKC Mailorder: $49.00 + $8.50 post |
 |
Clip and pen satin-finished carbon blades; African Rosewood scales; steel Barlow bolster, spring-back, liners & pins; 9-cm closed. AKC Mailorder: $49.00 + $8.50 post |
 |
Clip and castrator satin-finished carbon blades; African Rosewood scales; steel Barlow bolster, spring-back, liners & pins; 9-cm closed. AKC Mailorder: $49.00 + $8.50 post |
TAYLORS EYE WITNESS ETTRICK POCKETKNIFE
The Ettrick pocketknife came into being sometime in the 1700's and found fame during the halcyon days of Sheffield-made cutlery during the 1800's. Popularised as the Wharncliffe pocketknife by Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield early in the nineteenth century, the same pocket knife appeared in old knife catalogues of Taylors Eye Witness as an Ettrick knife .... and Taylors Eye Witness, along with other Sheffield manufacturers (such as A.Wright & Sons and Littlemester Trevor Ablett) continue to manufacture the original blade and handle configuration.
When the blade is open the whole knife concept is serpentine in profile from the tip of the blade to the butt of the handle. The blade must have a straight (angled-down) edge, the back of the blade must follow a serpentine curve flowing on from the handle, and the back of the blade towards the tip is after the style of sheepfoot. The curve, though, is longer to provide a more pronounced tip to the blade.
Ettrick/Wharncliffes have been made with multiple blades such as horseman’s knives and sportsman’s knives, but the flowing master blade-handle shape must faithfully follow the serpentine concept. (In modern times, there has been a tendency, particularly in America, to call any pocketknife with a serpentine shaped handle a Wharncliffe, irrespective of the blade shapes. Correct terminology for bastardised Wharncliffes should have been properly observed, for example, serpentine jack, serpentine pen, and so on, the second half of the name being determined by the shape of the pocketknife blade. There is only one definitive Wharncliffe/Ettrick style pocketknife!)
T34 - Ettrick
Ettrick satin-finished carbon blade;
grippy worm-pattern delrin scales;
steel bolster, spring-back, liners and pins;
9-cm closed.AKC Mailorder: $33.00 + $8.50 post
Yes, we combine postage! Purchase upto 3 pocket knives for $8.50 (3-day express) postage....
|
Professional Quality Commercial-style Kitchen Bladeware
|
Molybdenium stainless steel blades for superior edge retention and directly moulded-on polypropylene safe-grip handles. Also excellent as campsite companions for processing fish, game and vegetation.
(Purchase both items for $12.00 combined postage). |
What is a SPRING-BACK Knife? Popularized
Worldwide as POCKETKNIVES - single and multiple blades that fold.
Roman knives that fold date back to the first century AD. By the time of the Restoration [re-establishment of the Monarchy in England] in 1660 the folding knife mechanism had changed. The plain metal back, against which the open blade rested, was replaced by a strip of spring steel [spring-back], which enabled the blade to be held open or closed more firmly, thus eliminating the risk of the knife opening or closing accidentally. This innovation caused the renaissance [transition from medieval to modern world] of the folding knife." |
TAYLOR'S EYE WITNESS HISTORY |
| In 1820 Mr John Taylor made pen and pocket knives in a workshop near
the top of St. Philips Road, Sheffield, and in 1838 he registered the trade
mark "Eye Witness" at the Cutlers Hall - the headquarters of the Company
of Cutlers in Hallamshire, who looked after the interests and the trademarks
of the Sheffield cutlers.
John Taylor's son died as a teenager but his daughter Sarah, who had married the boy next door - also a cutler - Thomas Needham, inherited the Eye Witness mark when John died in 1854 and they continued in St.Philips Road for several years as Thomas Needham (late John Taylor). By 1868 the address was Exchange Works, Headford Street (very near the present works), and still within a quarter of a mile of Sheffield Parish Church. A few years later James Veall joined the firm and it was known as Needham & Veall. James Veall had been a Customs Tax Collector and was probably involved in the financial side of the company. In 1879 Walter Tyzack became a partner and the firm took the title Needham Veall & Tyzack. Walter Tyzack was a younger son of William Tyzack the toolmaker of Tyzack Sons & Turner. |
photo by Keith M. Spencer |
 |
By 1883 the address was Eye Witness Works, Milton Street, the same
address as today. Mrs Sarah Needham and her son Edwin were still connected
with the company but Edwin was living in Birmingham.
Mr Tyzack was responsible for mechanising some of the many processes involved in the manufacture of knives. In an article written in 1897 it was stated that only the finest quality of steel, specially hardened and tempered, was used in the factory to make pen and pocket knives, table, butchers and carving knives, scissors and razors. Approximately 50 patterns of pocket knives, including the 3-blade stock knives which are still produced, 75 of pen knives and 30 of sports knives, with different handle coverings, were illustrated in the catalogues. The company was also beginning to make nickel plated ware, including spoons and forks, fish eaters and carvers. There was still a great deal of handwork and the firm employed approximately 1,000 people in the early 1900's. Other firms, with the trade marks and goodwill, taken over by Needham Veall & Tyzack include Michael Hunter, Parkin & Marshall, Abram Brooksbank, Joseph Haywood, Nixon & Winterbottom, Wheatley Bros, J.Blackwell, and W.Hawcroft. |
Mr Walter Tyzack died in 1925 and Mr W.C.Veall in 1941. From 1926 the
directors in charge of day to day management were from Southern & Richardson.
Mr Samuel Richardson (died 1934) and Mr Harold Willey, who visited Australia
between the Wars (died 1973) and the Southern & Richardson workers
all moved into Eye Witness Works which by that time occupied all the premises
between Headford Street and Thomas Street fronted onto Milton Street. The
factory was damaged by bombs during the 1939-45 War and the Thomas Street
end had to be rebuilt.
Today, production of all types of knives is carried out here and the
scissor production is in Ceylon Works behind, fronting on Thomas Street.
The marks of Saynor Cooke & Ridal and W.Saynor were purchased by Needham Veall & Tyzack and the production of horticultural knives was increased at Milton Street. In 1965 the trading name of the company changed to Taylor's Eye Witness Ltd. Today the company is part of the Harrison Fisher Group, Eye Witness Works, Milton Street. [On 1st June 2007, Harrison Fisher & Co Ltd changed it’s name to Taylors Eye Witness Limited.]
The present workforce is about 200 but there is still a lot of handwork involved in the production. The patterns produced number many less than the 19th Century but the emphasis is still on high quality. Our knives are exported to many overseas countries particularly Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada.
Currently, the firm is concentrating on the manufacture of quality kitchen
knives for U.K. multiple retailers, but still maintains a department dedicated
to the production of pocketknives; mainly single bladed farmers lambfoot
for the U.K. market, but also 2 and 3 piece stock knives for the Aussie
market.
The firm continues to focus on the development of the Taylors Eye Witness
brand - high quality well designed products from the cutting edge experts.
|
Lyric writer unknown.
The Song of the Eye Witness ( Tune to The Lincolnshire Poacher.) When I was bound apprentice in good old Lincolnshire, |
|
for the AKC's range of recommended kits & systems, diamond plates and ceramic benchstones - GATCO, Eze-Lap, Spyderco, and Diamona. Click here for a look at our sharpening page. AKC's recommended Knife Sharpening kits, benchstones, ceramic and diamond plates |
|
|
|
Australasian Knife Collectors
(AKC)
(reg 1990) - AKC
Mailorder Knives
PO BOX 149 CHIDLOW WA 6556
AUSTRALIA
We accept orders by email, phone, fax or post - and payments by Visa or Mastercard, cheque & money orders (payable to 'AKC') or direct deposit (bank details supplied upon confirmation of order availability and postal charges confirmed.) order form (PDF)
|
|
|
flag images www.fg-a.com |
AKC Mailorder Knives 
or MASTER Card 
