Cutlery Patterns

Posted in The World Of Metal on 13th March 2011

Cutlery makers and designers have found inspiration for their designs in many areas.

The Dubarry pattern, for example, is believed to have been inspired by the curves of Chippendales chairs, whilst one of the older patterns, Rattail, came about as a cosmetic way of hiding the fact that the handles and bowls of spoons were joined together rather than one piece of metal.

The Old English pattern was seen in and around the 1750s, however the Kings and Queens pattern was much later onto the market - around 1820 - and was the work of brothers John and Henry Lias.

Hester Bateman, considered by many to be one of England's greatest silversmiths, invented the famous Bead pattern, the classical look of which still makes it a favourite today, her pattern of the 1770's being inspired by the beaded jewellery that was fashionable at that time.

Always looking to increase sales by complementing modern tastes and styles, it was in the art deco period of the 1920s and 30s that we saw a flush of new designs make their way on to the table tops.

In 1925, W. Pulling brought out the Jesmond pattern. Then, in the 1930s, W. Butterall's Harley pattern started to appear, whilst the Grecian pattern, designed in Sheffield around 1929, had preceded it.

Today, quality silver, electro-plated nickel silver and stainless steel cutlery is still produced in and around Sheffield, as cutlery has been since 1297.

New designs and contemporary shapes continue to appear in the shops alongside the more traditional, classical lines of yesteryear.

For a more in-depth history of the Cutlery Industry in Sheffield, take a look at the following articles:

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