James Dixon and Sons was established in 1806, as a manufacturer of silverware. Today our craftsmen are honoured to maintain the traditional techniques of their forefathers, complimented by modern day practices.
Creating stunning silverware to the highest standard, our artisan craftsmen pride themselves on the classic and contemporary designs they produce. Every aspect of the process is completed in our Sheffield workshops from sand buffing, silver plating and engraving. At James Dixon and Sons, we have all the skills required to produce exquisite, high quality pieces which will be treasured for years to come.
James Dixon and Sons is a family run independent Sheffield business who is proud to manufacture in the home of silver. Our range of silver cutlery, jewellery, tableware, barware, trophies and gifts make an ideal purchase for yourself or as a gift.
Handcrafted, quality and luxury range of silverware products
Generations of superior craftsmanship all made in our Sheffield workshops
Free delivery on
orders over £100
Personalisation Available: expert engraving available on a range of products
Makes the perfect gift for yourself, a loved one or a corporate gift
All our products come packaged in our beautiful James Dixon and Sons presentation boxes
Quality Guaranteed – hallmarked
30 days returns available
Aftercare & Cleaning Products Available
Our History
James Dixon and Sons were founded in Sheffield, England in 1806 and were one of the major British manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution, helping to give the city its global reputation for manufacturing excellence.
Initially working in Pewter, Electroplated Britannia Metal and Nickle Silver the company honed their skills over the years and became synonymous with Sterling Silver and Silver Plated cutlery and holloware items. Established client lists across the world from Consulates to Royal Families have always been the clientele of the company, their demand for the highest of quality has always been the benchmark set for the workshops.
Today the workshops are still based in Sheffield and the highly skilled and dedicated team are immensely proud to be producing the silverware of their forefathers in the traditional ways. James Dixon and Sons are in the unique position that all of our silverware is still hand made every step of the way under one roof. From Spinning and Stamping through Buffing and Polishing to Silver Plating every process is approached with the greatest care and attention. Each step is carefully quality controlled and only the pieces of the highest class make it through to completion. The workshops live by a quote from James Dixon himself “nothing should go out of my hands, bearing my name, which could disgrace that name”.
In the 19th Century James Dixon and Sons became famed across the globe for a variety of items, but possibly the most renowned range were the shooting accessories produced in the workshops. Powder Flasks used in the American Civil War were produced on our shop floor alongside Hip Flasks and social shooting accessories. Today the workshops are still able to create many of these items from the original tooling and whilst we have brought the workshops into the 21st Century by incorporating new and innovative technologies and techniques the majority of the work is still completed using the traditional methods. This may be a slower approach but the overall finish fully justifies the time and effort put into every single piece.
Our website is a small snapshot of the silverware we are able to make, we have looked to incorporate traditional James Dixon and Sons items alongside more current gift ideas. Our cutlery patterns shown are just a small number of those available and are a mixture of traditional James Dixon and Sons private patterns, Parish patterns and modern day designs that should appeal to all tastes and manner of settings.
The aim of James Dixons and Sons today is to keep the traditional silversmithing craft alive, to produce the highest quality and well-designed silverware which will last for generations to come.
The Workshops.
To produce our quality range of silverware your products will be superiorly manufactured in our various workshops. Take a look at our various workshops and what they individually do.
Cutlery Production.
James Dixon and Sons has a huge collection of cutlery patterns in its range. The depth of designs varies from well-known English Parish patterns to a huge catalogue of private James Dixon and Sons designs. All of our cutlery is stamped in our Press Shop and once blanked out goes to the Hand Filing Department before being hand finished.
Holloware Stamping.
This department enables us to produce complimentary tableware to go with your cutlery.
The Stamp Shop produces a varied range of pieces from tea pots to hip flasks to candlesticks all in numerous shapes and sizes and offering a wide diversity of styles. These pieces can be further enhanced by our in house wire drawing service which allows for standard or unique wire patterns to be produced to match even the most bespoke design.
We also make Salvers and Waiters in this department which are the perfect award for any prestigious sorting presentation.
Spinning.
Our in house Spinning Department has a vast array of shapes and sizes in our standard tooling catalogue and the ability to make new chucks bespoke to a customer’s needs and specifications. This department also has the skillset to offer wood turning, a useful practice in the production of trophies.
The Silversmithing Department.
This department is made up of experienced and newly qualified bench trained craftsmen and women. Offering the knowledge and enthusiasm to tackle the varied and challenging work we are commissioned to undertake. The Smiths can turn their talents to the production of any object to suit the varied and diverse requirements of our clients worldwide.
Casting.
We cover the whole process from mould making, both hot and cold, to waxing and casting. We cast everything from animals to bespoke cream jug handles and cuff links.
Sand Buffing.
The use of pumice stone ground to a fine powder combined with oil enables a beautiful finish on our silverware. Many companies removed this practice out of their process in the last century but the quality we aspire to means this corner is not cut in our production of flatware and holloware.
Hand Raising and
Flat Hammering.
This rare skill provides the distinctive but vital skill to the production process. Using only hammers on a stake, Hand Raising is the art of taking a flat sheet of metal and fashioning it in to any shape. Flat Hammering is essential when working on Salvers and other flat surface pieces to ensure heat has not warped the base.
Hand Chasing and
Saw Piercing.
This incredible skill is essential if requiring individual bespoke decoration on silverware. The decoration desired by a client can be transferred to a single trophy which has been commissioned as a replica to bespoke private dining items or a unique centre piece.
Silver Polishing.
The preparation of our products first in the Buffing shop and the in the Polishing Department is all completed on spindles and by hand. Various compounds are used in conjunction with different polishing mops. Polishing by hand enables our craftsmen to ensure pattern definition is retained on our cutlery and holloware designs.
Electro Plating Department.
We complete all our Silver and Gold Plating requirements in this department. With in-house XRF certification testing carried out on every piece we are able to ensure the plating deposits specified are achieved.