The "Bushy Tailed Fox" story

Jim McDougall · 3rd September 2024, 08:29 PM

OMG Norman!!!!
Thats exactly what I was talking about....back then we had no clue about the BTF! While Cloke was doing research on the running wolf he was keeping 'cards close to his vest', so no idea if what he was pursuing paralleled my study.
Wonderful example! Thank you!

It would seem Oley (of Shotley Bridge) was supplying blades to Birmingham and likely Harvey simply added his initials to the BTF. For some time there was some consternation about the examples of BTF found WITHOUT the SH initials....so the deduction was that perhaps Dawes was applying the mark as such (but without initials). Various blades are known with simply SH initial or sometimes his name with first initial. To add to the confusion his son also was involved. The use of the BTF seems to have waned in a few years altogether, but we know that Oley was still supplying blades into the 1790s as he was named as a participant in the blade trials of the so called sword scandals.

3rd September 2024, 08:29 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	OMG Norman!!!! Thats exactly what I was talking about....back then we had no clue about the BTF! While Cloke was doing research on the running wolf he was keeping 'cards close to his vest', so no idea if what he was pursuing paralleled my study. Wonderful example! Thank you! It would seem Oley (of Shotley Bridge) was supplying blades to Birmingham and likely Harvey simply added his initials to the BTF. For some time there was some consternation about the examples of BTF found WITHOUT the SH initials....so the deduction was that perhaps Dawes was applying the mark as such (but without initials). Various blades are known with simply SH initial or sometimes his name with first initial. To add to the confusion his son also was involved. The use of the BTF seems to have waned in a few years altogether, but we know that Oley was still supplying blades into the 1790s as he was named as a participant in the blade trials of the so called sword scandals. Last edited by Jim McDougall; 3rd September 2024 at 09:10 PM.