George III pocket fruit knife, 1817

Description

Made in Sheffield in 1817, this pocket fruit knife measures 3 1/8 inches in the closed position. Assayed at the Sheffield Assay Office with three hallmarks: the inverted Sheffield crown over the date letter ‘X’, lion passant, and George III duty mark. The knife is made with brass liners, rib-carved mother-of-pearl scales, silvered bolsters and end caps, an inlaid vacant cartouche and a stepped silver back bar sleeve. The knife is in excellent condition and is one of the illustrations in the recently published Encyclopedia of English Pocket Fruit Knife Makers 1770-1930.