Antique early 20th centuryboxed set of six fish knives and forks in original box

Antique early 20th century boxed set of six fish knives and forks in original box probably shagreen truly stunning the quality and craftsmanship is outstanding handles are probably bakelite the blade is marked firth staybrite with beautiful engraving to ends velvet interior 23 cm wide 18 cm width 6 cm tall some age related wear to box I don't think the cutlery has ever been used

Firth Staybrite is the trade name for a stainless steel alloy developed by Thomas Firth of Sheffield in 1924. The alloy is made of 18% chromium and 8% nickel, and is also known as 18/8 stainless steel.

Discovery of stainless steel

Harry Brearley discovered stainless steel in 1913 while working at the Brown-Firth Research Laboratories in Sheffield

Dr. W. H. Hatfield developed the 18/8 stainless steel alloy in 1924

Use of Staybrite

Staybrite was used in cutlery, kitchen equipment, and kitchen utensils

Staybrite was also used in watches and jewelry

History of Staybrite at Old Hall

Old Hall began producing tableware in 1928 using Staybrite

Pre-war Old Hall items were marked "Staybrite" or "Olde Hall Staybrite"

After the war, Old Hall changed the marking to "Stainless Steel"

History of Staybrite at Firth Brown

Firth Brown sponsored a large area at the 1934 "Daily Mail" Ideal Home Exhibition called "Staybrite City"

Firth Brown continued to develop new uses for Staybrite products

Shagreen is a type of leather with a pebbly texture and raised pattern. It's made from the rough, untanned skin of various aquatic animals, such as sharks, rays, or stingrays. Shagreen is often dyed green.

How it's made:

Shagreen is made from the rough, untanned skin of aquatic animals.

The skin is covered with small, close-set tubercles.

The skin is then dyed, usually green.

What it's used for:

Shagreen is used to make furniture, boxes, and cigarette cases.

It's considered a luxurious material, especially when paired with polished chrome or brushed brass.

Man-made replicas:

Man-made replicas of shagreen are widely used.

Faux shagreen is available in a variety of colours, including eggshell, linen, oatmeal, and more.

-

If purchasing this item, as a buyer, we will require you to verify your age and confirm that you are not under the age of 18 years. This item will require the recipient of the delivery to provide the courier with ID confirming their age. The package can only be delivered into the hands of a person aged 18 or over, as it contains a bladed item and/or something which may be construed as an offensive weapon. As a seller, we exercise all due diligence to fulfil this requirement. If for any reason we doubt the age of the buyer to be over 18, we may refuse to complete the sale. Any loss of fees will be entirely at the buyer's own risk.