A SHORT HISTORY OF FERRABY KNIFE MAKING
I knew Ferraby means 'Iron Forger' but I was surprised to discover my Grandfather's company was making knives from 1860! That could put my knife making vintage at 7th Generation.
I was chatting to my dear Grandma and she told me that the family company Ferraby and Hare celebrated their centenary in 1960. I mentioned this to my friend the next day and he found this rather fancy Victorian dagger stamped 'FERRABY and HARE' - the very name of my Grandfather's business.
The pommel is famous British hero Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington and there is a very worn royal crowned family crest on the solid ivory handle. We don't know why this blade was commissioned nor by whom but it must have been well looked after to have survived and must have been well used to have worn the crest markings off solid ivory. The foot long blade is designed for killing so may have been used for hunting animals as well as men.
Where is this knife now? I know not, but in this picture Wellesley looks likes he's definitely got something in his jacket!
My dad was very surprised too, he had no idea the family had such a long history of knife making.
Where is this knife now? I know not, but in this picture Wellesley looks likes he's definitely got something in his jacket!
My dad was very surprised too, he had no idea the family had such a long history of knife making.
I looked up Ferraby and Hare and found this photo. I clicked on it and it was an ebay photo....and still live! I prepared to spend my savings to secure possession of this window to the land of my ancestors, and they must have helped out as I got it for a tenner. I was expecting something smaller.
Here is my son with a knife made by his great great great grandfather.
One of the most uncanny coincidences was seeing the stamp next to FERRABY.
It features a hammer pointing the same way with the same words 'HAND FORGED'. I designed the one below a couple of years ago never knowing a Ferraby had designed the same stamp!
Ferraby and Hare was based in Hull near the village of North Ferriby where it probably all started. They sold thousands of knives over the years, most of which were made in Sheffield. My Grandfather David Lake Ferraby sold many knives after he retired his Spitfire Command. There were always a few kicking round when we were young, and this appears to be the only one surviving. (Knife throwing is an easy road to knife loosing.) Here it is. Thanks for the photo Dad.
It has had at least 50 years of hard use and still going strong. Good old Sheffield Steel. These knives were made as fish knives used by the Herring Girls who would follow the migrating fish down the East coast armed with just a sharp knife and a rag to protect their other hand. They could gut 50 herrings in a minute apparently!
So here is the oldest Ferraby (87), who started this story and the youngest, ( aged 2) who holds the future of Ferraby Knives in his little strong hands.
