Rising Sun

Good tailors need good scissors. At Rising Sun we have some great shears to keep us sharp. We are particularly proud of this antique Wilkinson. The Wilkinson & Son name dates back to the 18th century and at the height of its popularity it was appointed Manufacturers of Scissors to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s cutlers in 1840.

According to The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts by Gordon Campbell, “The best quality English scissors were made in Sheffield from the end of the 18th century to the end of the 19th century by such companies as Josephine Rodgers & Sons and Thomas Wilkinson & Sons. In 1837, to commemorate her coronation, Queen Victoria was presented with elaborately decorated scissors (which apparently took four months to make) by James Atherton, who was the chief scissor-maker for Wilkinson. The firm also had a fine display at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, including six pairs of scissors less than 50 mm long; the smallest were only 1.5 mm long and weighted 0.04 g, in contrast to a pair 600 mm long, weighing almost 4 kg.”

While this particular Wilkinson in our haberdashery is not quite as long as 600 mm (a whopping 23.6″) it does not fall short on
beauty. It features a brass grip riveted to the harden steel blades. We particularly love the bow and arrows emblem. Although it is in impeccable condition we reserve its use strictly to special occasions.