Pocket Knife by John Oxley, 1850.

A refined Victorian folding fruit knife, made in Sheffield in 1850 by John Oxley, combining a fully hallmarked sterling silver blade with mother-of-pearl scales.

The knife has an elegant simplicity typical of the finest Sheffield pocket cutlery of the period. The gently shaped mother-of-pearl handle displays attractive natural iridescence in tones of silver, pink and green, and is fitted with a vacant oval cartouche suitable for engraving. Fine linear detailing to the silver bolster and decorative work along the backspring provide understated ornamentation without detracting from the quality of the shell.

The sterling silver blade is clearly hallmarked, including the maker's mark for John Oxley and Sheffield assay marks dating the piece to 1850.

Silver-bladed fruit knives became fashionable personal accessories during the Georgian and Victorian periods. Silver was particularly suited to cutting fruit because, unlike the carbon-steel blades commonly used at the time, it was resistant to the corrosive effects of acidic fruit. Their folding form allowed them to be conveniently carried in a pocket, reticule or travelling case.

At approximately 13 cm long when open, this is an attractive and highly collectable example of mid-19th-century Sheffield craftsmanship, distinguished by the beautiful natural mother of pearl and the survival of its original hallmarked silver blade.

Maker: John Oxley
Origin: Sheffield, England
Date: 1850
Period: Early Victorian
Materials: Sterling silver and mother of pearl
Length: Approximately 13 cm open
Form: Folding fruit knife