Joseph Rodgers & Sons Cutlers to Her Majesty Bread Knife 1837-1901 pre 1890?

Interesting Joseph Rodgers & Sons bread knife with Victorian ‘cutlers to her majesty’ markings (used 1837-1901). The lack of ‘England’ suggests that this was made prior to 1891 but the blade shape also suggests an earlier production. Most large manufacturers who imported to the USA in large numbers changed their marks to include the country of manufacture after the US Tarrif act demanded all imports bear the country of origin marked, however Joseph Rodgers did not oblige on all their products, many made post 1891 do not say ‘England’.

The large table knife style of the blade suggests an earlier manufacture as well. The shapes of bread knives did not become codified into a serrated version of a slimmed down German Hamburg style bread knife until much later in the mid 20th century, however it seems that the German Hamburg bread knife shape (minus the reverse handle) did become influential in the later 19th early 20th century. It is not inconceivable that this one is a much earlier 1850’s to 70’s manufacture.