Joseph Rodgers & Sons Carving Set Carbon Steel Sheffield (Argentine Export?) 1880s-1900

Joseph Rodgers (est 1682) and Geo Wostenholm vie for top seat in Sheffield knife making by many estimations. This set is testimony to the quality of Rodgers work. Blade is nice and full with a fresh edge. Likely between 1880s and 1900 possibly for export to Argentina (a major export market for Sheffield) with the mark ‘El Trinchante Incomparable’ which is acid etched while the Rodgers mark is hot stamped.

9″ blade with 8″ cutting edge

While not marked ‘shear steel’ it most likely is made with shear or ‘cast steel’ (shear steel melted in a crucible then re-worked) it shows a ‘puddle weld’ near the bolster at the beginning of the blade opposite side as markings, almost looking like a thumbprint, this is where hard shear steel is forge welded to the mild steel or iron bolster and tang. Forks were forged in a small mold and ground by hand and knife blade forged by hand to shape and then hand ground on a saddle grinder to finish the geometry being finished on smaller buffing wheels. Many of these process were in use for hundreds of years in Sheffield which really held its strength through the massive amount of low priced skilled labor available in Sheffield. 

Shear steel was a 19th and early 20th century steel that was made by case hardening bars of iron in ceramic boxes packed with charcoal, large numbers of these were heated for days on end at high temperatures and the resulting bars were broken up (it would break or shear rather than bend once carbon added hence ‘shear’ steel) and forged welded into a larger mass. This process was done twice on double shear steel creating a steel with a higher carbon content. 

Like all other culinary knives this should never go in the dishwasher, carving knife handles will come loose with high heat (dishwasher, stove top etc), carbon steel can rust if left wet or dirty, expect a patina to form with use.