Dexter-Russell
Encyclopedia
Dexter-Russell, Inc. is a cutlery
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
manufacturing company in the town of Southbridge, MA
Southbridge, Massachusetts
The Town of Southbridge is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,719 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, It is the largest US manufacturer of professional cutlery, and is also the oldest cutlery manufacturer in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Harrington Cutlery Company
The Harrington Cutlery Company was established in 1818, in Southbridge, MassachusettsSouthbridge, Massachusetts
The Town of Southbridge is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,719 at the 2010 census.-History:...
by Henry Harrington, a New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
craftsman and inventor. The Harrington Cutlery company was the first cutlery
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
manufacturing company established in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Harrington manufactured surgical equipment, shoe knives and firearms. Some of his firearms are on display at the Old Sturbridge Village
Old Sturbridge Village
Old Sturbridge Village is a living museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, which re-creates life in rural New England during the 1790s through 1830s. It is the largest living museum in New England, covering more than 200 acres . The Village includes 59 antique...
Museum in Sturbridge, MA
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census...
. In 1884, Harrington introduced the Dexter trade name. Named after one of his sons, Dexter Harrington, the Dexter line of kitchen and table cutlery became known for its high quality in American homes and restaurants.
John Russell Cutlery Company
The John Russell Cutlery Company was established in 1834, in Greenfield, MAGreenfield, Massachusetts
Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,456 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Franklin County Fair...
by John Russell. Russell built his water powered factory on the banks of the Green River. He first produced chisel
Chisel
A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal. The handle and blade of some types of chisel are made of metal or wood with a sharp edge in it.In use, the chisel is forced into the material...
s and axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
heads, but as the company grew, he began to produce large quantities of high quality hunting knives to supply the needs of the American frontier.
Russell Harrington Cutlery Company
In 1933, the Harrington Cutlery Company and the John Russell Cutlery Company merged to form the Russell Harrington Cutlery Company. The newly formed company was relocated to its present location in Southbridge, MA.Dexter-Russell, Inc.
In 2001, the company changed its name to Dexter-Russell, Inc. to reflect its history.V-lo
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
ed handle with a unique texture made two types of soft rubber joined to a high-carbon steel blade. V-lo knives are NSF
NSF International
NSF International is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based not-for-profit public health and environmental organization that provides standards development, product certification, auditing, education and risk management services.-History:...
certified.