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$2,500.00
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$2,500.00
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$2,500.00
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$2,500.00
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$2,500.00
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$2,500.00
Wostenholm’s Early History
The Wostenholm cutlery legacy began with George Wolstenholme (b. 1717), a cutler in Stannington near Sheffield, later known for the Barlow pocket knife. His son Henry, apprenticed under him, was granted the right to use “spring knife” (early folding knife) by the Company of Cutlers in the 1750s.
Henry’s son, George (b. 1775), trained under cutler John Mickelthwaite before joining the family business. After Henry’s death in 1803, he continued production and shortened the family name from “Wolstenholme” to “Wostenholm” for practical branding.
Around 1810, George moved operations to Sheffield and founded the Rockingham Works. Knives stamped “Rockingham Works” are now highly prized by collectors.
Wostenholm and the USA
Wostenholm began exporting knives to America around 1830 and soon expanded operations with offices from New York to San Francisco. George Wostenholm made multiple transatlantic trips himself, helping establish I*XL as a symbol of quality in both the U.S. and Britain.
Washington Works
In 1848, driven by George Wostenholm’s success in the U.S. market, the company moved to the large Washington Works on Wellington Street to meet rising demand—especially for Bowie knives in the 1850s.
At its height, Washington Works employed around 800 workers and became the largest cutlery facility of its time, marking a shift from small “Little Mester” shops to industrial-scale knife production.
The factory, named Washington Works, reflected George Wostenholm’s admiration for the United States. In 1845, he built Kenwood Hall in Sharrow, designing nearby streets with architect Thomas Steade to mirror Kenwood Village near Oneida Lake, New York.
George Wostenholm (1800–1876)
The third George Wostenholm began his cutlery career apprenticing under his father at the Rockingham Works. Their partnership is first recorded in the 1825 Sheffield City Directory—albeit with a misspelled name—
“WOLSTENHOLME, GEORGE & SON, manufacturers of table knives and forks, pen, pocket and sportsman’s knives, and general dealers in cutlery, 78 Rockingham Street.
When his father passed away in 1834, George assumed full control of the company. Though the firm had already seen success, it was under his leadership that Wostenholm rose to the very forefront of Sheffield’s cutlery industry. Known for his sharp business instincts and relentless drive, George Wostenholm transformed the family enterprise into a global powerhouse, especially in the lucrative American market.
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