We have been selling handmade Yorkshire pocket knives for a few years now. Earlier this year we were lucky enough to visit our suppliers at the Taylor’s Eye Witness factory in Sheffield – a Yorkshire city famous for its industrial steelworks.
Sheffield has a rich history in knife-making and Taylor’s Eye Witness, a family-run business was born in 1838 when the Yorkshire town was thriving with British industry.
The business was founded by John Taylor, who created the original eye witness trademark, imprinted on each knife as a sign of quality craftsmanship. You will still find this logo on their knives today.
Throughout the 1800s most manufacturing happened within a square mile of Sheffield city centre.
Over the years the firm grew in size and advanced technologically, becoming widely known as pioneers in the mechanisation of all types of cutlery manufacture under one roof.
In 2018, they started a new chapter, moving to larger premises just outside the city centre.
This factory that still runs today, if you visit you will find a hive of workers, the hum of machinery and traditional methods still being used, at work benches dotted around the factory.
Over 180 years’ experience has given Taylor’s Eye Witness the edge when it comes to product development.
At the heart of the business, there are people still passionate about the traditional art of hand-making pocket knives.
Age-old techniques are used to produce precision made, intricate and timeless pocket knives. these knives are heirloom pieces, designed and made to be handed down through generations.
Recently, renowned craftsman Keith Moorby shared his passion and knowledge with Taylor’s knifemaker Lee White to create a very special pocket knife.
It took three months of training with Keith for Lee to get to grips with all the various stages required to make this knife.
In order for it to work seamlessly, each stage had to be done in a precise order, and of course rather than providing written instructions, Keith and Lee worked together to perfect the process through practice and repetition.
The design of the new five blade pocket knife is heavily influenced by a pattern originally made in the 1920s.
No expense has been spared in the building of this masterpiece.You will find every blade is perfectly centred and tensioned, while each of the three backsprings feature elegant hand-crafted file work.
Shop our full collection of handmade pocket knives made in Sheffield.
