Wilkinson Swords Sold To Named Retailer/Outfitters

[Mark McMorrow]

This thread is for the purpose of discussing matters germane to outfitter/retailer Wilkinson swords.

[Robert Wilkinson-Latham]

Wilkinsons DID supply completed swords to outfitters, tailors etc etc but NEVER sword parts such as blades. Replacement scabbard obviously YES but no components. Change over hilts YES but not separate Hilts.
It was basically a complete sword or nothing.

The Proof marks used by Wilkinson were:
BEST PROVED @ £3-15-0 (HW in slug)
PROVED - OUTFITTER'S QUALITY @ £2-2-0
The OUTFITTERS QUALITY which were used for colonial contract swords as well as Outfitters who wouldn't pay the BEST PROOF price used a variety of slugs including
PROVED over a Crown -
PROVED over a Fleur de Lys
PROVED T

The Crown, Fleurs de Lys and T were in common use, the earliest being the Fleur de Lys (circa 1860's) followed by the Crown (circa 1880's) and the T (which stood for Tested rather than proved) in the 1870 period.

In Observations on Swords from the 1870’s Wilkinson warned about other copying his proof marks. They also wanted to differentiate between their BEST PROOF and the others blades and came up with these designs. Immediately the other makers started using them, so Wilkinsons thought up another etc but by the early 20th century Wilkinsons just etched a fancy W in the double triangle on OUTFITTERS QUALITY sword so saving the cost of milling the hole for the proof slug.
Here are two lists of retailers supplied, one from an Index page and the other from the etching plates.

The Name of the retailer would usually be on one side and Wilkinson Sword logo on the other and Wilkinson Number on the back of the blade for BEST PROOF swords which also had the HW proof slug.

For OUTFITTERS swords, the name of the retailer would appear with Wilkinson Logo, maybe a sword number on the back of the blade (Sometimes this may be the retailers order number as one finds with Hawkes swords etc) and one of the ordinary pattern proof slugs, depending on the date of the sword (see above) or after about 1910, just a W etched within the double triangle.

NOTE- This list is NOT exhaustive and there are others NOW-listed below in Word document. The names range in date from the 1870's onward and I apologise for any repetition with these two lists below
Robert

[Robert Wilkinson-Latham]

Here are some more details.
These are drawings from Locket/Top Mount/Scabbard shields. I found a small number of these some years ago, blackened with dirt and age. They are brass stampings and would be either gilt. nickel or polished and lacquered brass.

There may well be others, differing designs etc with other names and addrsses of Wilkinson approved retailers. Just because the scabbard has one of these lockets, it is not complete proof that the sword is a Wilkinson as I think that the retailers themselves may well have supplied these 'shields' to the manufacturers as the designs are different and the thickness and quality of brass varies as well as the quality of the stamping too.

They were not photographable so my wife did these pen and ink drawings of them which are shown here. they are faithful to the originals.

[Robert Wilkinson-Latham]

Here is a list of Wilkinson Etchers:
The dates overlap because there were usually two who worked together, the younger becoming Head Etcher when the older man retired or died.
Henshaw 1844-1864
Howall (joined Henshaw in1854)
Appleby 1866-1884
Rowe 1871-1910
Argyll 1885-1945
J Riley 1910-1930
C Web 1938-1969
Adamovitch 1961-1983

There may be others who worked for shorter period under the Head Etcher of the time who's name may appear on the Proof stubs,

[Mark McMorrow]

Hi Robert,

So then only one or two etchers was employed at any given time?

[Robert Wilkinson-Latham]

Originally Posted by Mark McMorrow

Hi Robert,

So then only one or two etchers was employed at any given time?

Yes, from the information on staff, photos and names on the proof stubs it appears that only two full time etchers were employed.But I am sure that when needed others helped out but they would have been doing work such as pulling the transfers from the plates,and perhaps, if they were skilled, laying down the transfers on the blades.

[Robert Wilkinson-Latham]

I came across this correspondence about a sword order which itself is interesting but even more so shows that not just tailors and outfitters ordered swords possibly with their name on!

John Latham (Great Great Grandfather) received this letter on 23rd February 1854


The 'Memo' referred to specified 6 Infantry style swords.
The reverse of the letter had the note that the swords were for Corrie & Co (Corrie were situated at 24 Mincing Lane, London and described in an Insurance document from the Sun Fire Office as 'merchants')
The writer of the letter was a J Harman, obviously a friend of John Latham (Who was only called jack by his friends) by the tone of the letter.


John Latham replied the same day with a quotation and the following day 24th February 1854 received the following





So we find that Johnson & Simpson of 10 Little Britain London got the order. They were described as Gold and Silver Lacemen, Accoutrement Makers and Sword Cutlers so who supplied them with the swords (which they didn't make themselves) is a guess. Probably from Solingen and available in a few days as the latter stated,in the Trade.

Another interesting thing was that the writer, 'Jud' Harman at 29 Mincing Lane worked for Czarnik & Co who were Sugar Brokers (Theye were located at No 29 at this period)- In Fact Mincing Lane was the centre of the Sugar and Allied Trades!
Not a ground breaking discovery but fun! Enjoy with a cup of coffee and sugar!
Robert

[R. Lowe]

Robert,

I have another head etcher name for you. Not sure when he took over the etching shop but Ray Humphries was head etcher until the factory closed in 2005 and he'd been there for over 20 years.

Originally Posted by Robert Wilkinson-Latham

Here is a list of Wilkinson Etchers:
The dates overlap because there were usually two who worked together, the younger becoming Head Etcher when the older man retired or died.
Henshaw 1844-1864
Howall (joined Henshaw in1854)
Appleby 1866-1884
Rowe 1871-1910
Argyll 1885-1945
J Riley 1910-1930
C Web 1938-1969
Adamovitch 1961-1986
Ray Humphries 1986-2005(New addition see post below)

There may be others who worked for shorter period under the Head Etcher of the time who's name may appear on the Proof stubs,

[Robert Wilkinson-Latham]

Originally Posted by R. Lowe

Robert,

I have another head etcher name for you. Not sure when he took over the etching shop but Ray Humphries was head etcher until the factory closed in 2005 and he'd been there for over 20 years.

Many thanks! How could I have forgotten Ray!!!!
he will be added