Thread: Who Makes Sheffield Silver Steel for TI?

I read the paragraph below in the Thiers Issard wikipedia article:

A razor blade starts, at the Thiers Issard factory, as a shape called the blank supplied by the steel manufacturer. Thiers Issard traditionally has used Sheffield silver steel, long considered a superior quality.
(Thiers Issard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

So my question is; Who is the steel manufacturer? Is it actually made in Sheffield are is that just a generic description?

I don't think the steel actually comes from Sheffield any more. I imagine Sheffield Steel is defined by its composition so any custom refiner can make whatever formula you want be it Sheffield or swedish or anything else. As far as who makes the blanks or ingots who knows.

I don't know about "Silver Steel" but if something is marked as Sheffield Steel then Sheffield Steel it must be.

"Made in Sheffield" is trademark-protected. Sheffield is a protected name, protected by international law. Even the word "Sheffield" is brand-marked and protected, the Companies Act and the Trade Descriptions Act applying. Under the Trade Descriptions Act, although it is not compulsory for goods to bear the mark of the place of manufacture, if the place is stamped on the article it must be accurate and truthful. If the TIs have "Sheffield Steel" markings, then that falls under the Act.

The book "Mesters to Masters" (which gives a great account of the rise of Sheffield, makers marks, the Company of Cutlers, etc) documents the widespread fraud - in Egypt, America, Canada, Italy and even Solingen in the 1890s of marking non-Sheffield steel items as Sheffield Steel, and how steps were taken to protect the reputation of Sheffield steel.

In the 1920s the US firm of Fairbanks, Morse & Co tried to incorporate "Sheffield" into its own trademarks, taking out registrations in other countries - the Federal Trade Commission was asked to step in and an agreement was reached - Sheffield retained the name and copyright.

The issue is,like, I have many razors including old English types and not a single one says made in Sheffield even though the blade is marked Silver steel. A few have a Sheffield address for the razor maker but that doesn't mean the steel was made there.

I thought one of our members had said all the mills had closed down there.

Silver steel is a steel blend that is high-carbon and very, very silver-colored. It was created in England by a man named Benjamin Huntsman - but after its creation it became a very popular choice for razors and cutlery abroad, while English cutlers complained that it was 'too hard'. I believe it was created in the 1740s or so, and it paved the way for the straight razor- the first hardened steel. That said, it can be made anywhere- "Sheffield Silver Steel" is like "Damascus"-a name, not a place.

I heard once that a town in China actually changed its name to Sheffield so it could put 'made in Sheffield' on its cutlery!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The issue is,like, I have many razors including old English types and not a single one says made in Sheffield even though the blade is marked Silver steel. A few have a Sheffield address for the razor maker but that doesn't mean the steel was made there.

I thought one of our members had said all the mills had closed down there.

I have very many too, Glenn, and a lot of them have "Sheffield Steel" or "Made and Ground In Sheffield" and a some have both Silver Steel and Sheffield Markings, so that is the issue.

Also, that member was woefully wrong about Sheffield as a short googling episode will reveal: here which says "...Genuine Master Cutlers since 1887 [...] There are many companies claiming to sell Sheffield Cutlery, but make sure it is actually made in Sheffield. William Turner supplies ONLY cutlery wholly made in Sheffield. Any company other than William Turner making this claim, may only ‘finish’ the cutlery in Sheffield. If they claim that it is wholly made in Sheffield, they may not be telling the truth..."

How about this company?

Then there are the small craftsmen, such as this one here.

The industry went into near-terminal decline, admittedly, but although it is a shadow of its former self it still exists. They even make Stainless sheffield steel wedding rings there!

In short, if it says Sheffield Steel or Made In Sheffield and it is after the trade descriptions protection date and legit, then it is what it says. You might find fake Sheffield Steel abroad, but the UK customs will impound it and destroy it if they find it being imported here.

Originally Posted by BKratchmer

Silver steel is a steel blend that is high-carbon and very, very silver-colored. It was created in England by a man named Benjamin Huntsman - but after its creation it became a very popular choice for razors and cutlery abroad, while English cutlers complained that it was 'too hard'. I believe it was created in the 1740s or so, and it paved the way for the straight razor- the first hardened steel. That said, it can be made anywhere- "Sheffield Silver Steel" is like "Damascus"-a name, not a place.

WRONG - not so in the UK or anywhere that can successfully be prosecuted. Sheffield is trade-marked. Silver Steel isn't.