About
Samuel Staniforth Ltd
Our Farm
A Sheffield Company, Crafting Knives Since 1864
Samuel Staniforth Ltd was founded in Sheffield — the "Steel City" — in 1864, and we've been forging cutlery here for over 150 years. We're still a small, family-run team and every blade that carries The Smithfield mark is designed, ground and finished by hand, right here in Sheffield.
The Smithfield mark — our bull emblem — stands for reliability built the right way, through learning from the people who actually use our knives every day.
Our ranges are shaped by feedback from working butchers, slaughtermen and caterers across the world, not just tested in a showroom. That's why our blades are built to handle a full working shift, we use quality steels that hold their edge for longer, and every knife is balanced to feel comfortable in the hand for hours at a time, without fatigue.
Whether you're outfitting a butcher's block, a professional kitchen, or a catering operation, we work with you directly — offering the flexibility to tailor a knife to your exact needs, the same way we have for generations of trade professionals before you.
Born in the year 1840, Samuel Staniforth opened the company in 1864. As stated by a Sheffield directory in 1871, Staniforth was listed at No.49 Carver Street in Sheffield as a manufacturer of fancy pens, pocket knives, scales, blades and springs. Forged blades became Staniforth’s speciality and the company soon gained a reputation for consistency and high quality.
Staniforth wasted no time in installing machinery for blanking knife blades from steel sheets, enhancing the factory’s capabilities and ensuring a broader product range. The company’s focus shifted to crafting ‘fancy shape carvers, shell blades and forks of every description.’
Although Staniforth retired in 1894, his legacy endured. Thanks to his groundwork, the company seamlessly transitioned into manufacturing various knife blades. By 1940, it had expanded its repertoire to include trade and military knives, now renowned worldwide. Staniforth paved the way for versatility, a path the company has embraced to adapt from its competitors and become the progressive company it is today.
Staniforth’s company continued to manufacture knife blades, initially under the management of T Merrill Hughes and W. Marshall. The company was then bought by the Osborne family, who owned Heathcotes and Arkote.
This is where our journey with the business begins. Samuel Staniforth Ltd was purchased from the Osborne family by Chris Hopkinson and was relocated out of the City Centre to Halfway, Sheffield. With over 20 workers and using German, French and English Steel, the company continues to make knives for butchers, chefs, the military and hunters.
