George Wostenholm became a Freeman in 1826 and was granted the maker's mark - I*XL - a mark originally granted to William A.Smith at 29th June, 1787.  The I*XL letters are pronounced phonetically "I excel" .

The third George Wostenholm (b1800) served his apprenticeship under his father at Rockingham Works. The first entry in The Sheffield City Directory (which incorrectly spells the name!) confirming the father and son partnership comes from 1825;

"WOLSTENHOLME, GEORGE & SON, manufacturers of table knives and forks, pen, pocket and sportsman’s knives, and general dealers in cutlery, 78 Rockingham Street"

In 1834, following is father’s death, the third George Wostenholm took the company reins. Although the company had achieved considerable success under his father, it was the third George that catapulted Wostenholms to the head of Sheffield knife making. He was an incredibly astute and fiercely determined businessman.

Wostenholm and the USA

Wostenholms were selling knives to America as early as 1830 through a partnership with a William Stenton. George’s sales trips to America began soon after, and subsequently he established offices from New York across to San Fransisco through which he could service growing demand for his craftsmen made I*XL knives. George himself is reported to have made a great many visits to America at a time when trans-Atlantic passage would have been arduous to say the least. 

Washington Works

The company, driven by George’s domination of the American market, expanded rapidly such that it was moved, in 1848 to the larger Washington Works on Wellington Street. This left the firm perfectly placed to cope with demand from the following decade; the 1850’s would prove to be the peak of the great American Bowie knife era.

The name of the factory was a clue to how enamoured George had become with America. Earlier, in 1845, he had built his home, Kenwood Hall, amongst leafy streets of Sharrow and Nether Edge which he also designed, in collaboration with a Thomas Steade, to replicate those of Kenwood Village by Oneida Lake in New York State.

Washington Works was the largest cutlery works of its time, placing cutlery manufacture under one roof of a reported 800 employees and breaking with the established method of small scale cutlery production by Sheffield’s “Little Mesters”. 

The Great Exhibition Bowie Knives

It is important to note that expansion was never to the detriment of quality. To demonstrate his firm’s mastery of the art of cutlery, for The Great Exhibition of 1851, Wostenholm made three exquisite Bowie Knives which he had commissioned the eminent English artist Alfred Stevens to design. The company won the highest prize medal; the first of many awards bestowed upon Wostenholms throughout the world for outstanding quality.

George served as Master Cutler to the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire in 1856. His dedication to his company had meant that he had previously declined the role on two separate occasions. Sheffield lost one of its most famous sons George died in 1876 but his legacy lives on and Wostenholm is still one of the world’s most instantly recognisable knife brands to this day.

The I*XL Trademark

The I*XL trademark had originally been registered in 1787 to a W A Smith. The mark books of The Company of Cutlers show I*XL being registered to Wostenholm’s in 1831.  I*XL was not only present on Wostenholm’s Bowie Knives. Wostenholm also made a vast range of folding knives which also proudly bore the I*XL markings and were carried in the pockets of a great many Americans.

For a limited time we are offering our wrapped shaving brush and George Wostenholm razor as a set for a discounted price! These are perfect to add that certain something to your field impression or at any historic home. They also make a great gift!