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Crisford & Norris

Crisford and Norris was founded in Birmingham by Harold Crisford and William Norris and their first mark was registered at the Birmingham Assay Office on the 28-th January 1896. By 1915 the firm had expanded to occupy both 117 and 118 Vyse Street, which they retained until the WWII when the premises have been bombed and the company had to move to the building next door.

All the Crisford and Norris buttonhooks were assayed between 1896 and 1931 and most of them were hallmarked at the Birmingham Assay Office. The company was one the most prolific of the Birmingham buttonhook makers. There are more than 100 different patterns of silver handles made by Crisford and Norris. Most of the patterns were unique to the company, including figural handles such as teddy bear, owl, jester and Peter Pan.

The demand for Crisford and Norris production was very high and constantly growing, but in the years between 1916 and 1920 (during the WWI and years after it) the production of buttonhooks was stopped. Although it resumed in the 1920s buttonhooks went out of fashion on the 1930s and the latest hallmarked buttonhook by Crisford and Norris was registered in 1931.

The company remained independent company firm until the late 1950s, when it was sold to Ward Bros. Ltd from Birmingham.