Pretty simple really: A handle. A blade. And 200 years of experience.

We’ve learned many lessons since we started in 1818. Everything from remembering to watch our fingers to how to perfectly balance our knives and tools. One thing we’ve known from jump street, though: There are many knives out there. Our customers choose our knives, and because they do, we honor the responsibility that comes with it.

Expertly diced potatoes are no less expertly diced after being smothered in ketchup.

Accordingly, we obsess over details. Despite knives being our bread and butter, we don’t tolerate shortcuts. Our proprietary American steel blades meet the demands of professional kitchens as well as home kitchens—even those with notoriously picky eaters.


The vast majority of our knives and tools—including more than 1,000 unique styles—are made by about 250 craftspeople in Massachusetts. Some of them blush when we call them that, but it’s exactly what they are. And the craft of knifemaking is one that our family has darn-near perfected by combining tradition with technique and modern technology. Oh, and over 200 years of fine-tuning.

Always cook with wine. Sometimes, you can even add it to the food.

Like in most aspects of life, doing things right makes for the highest quality. The concept is simpler to adhere to than the practice, but we insist on both. The only folks who care more about the quality we craft are our customers. Because in hour-two of prepping for the dinner shift, it doesn’t matter to them that we’re the largest manufacturer of professional cutlery in the world. They just want to be sure their mince isn’t drifting toward a dice. A great knife helps.


Our History

Drag the blue line to see our product evolution

1818

Henry Harrington starts the first American cutlery company in Southbridge MA.

1834

John Russell establishes the John Russell Cutlery company, ultimately replacing European brands and becoming the leading American cutlery company of the post-Civil War era.

1933

The two companies come together and eventually become Dexter-Russell.

1941

The first SANI-DEXTER knives are introduced, eventually evolving into the SANI-SAFE series that remains the gold standard in foodservice today.

1959

The iconic Ted Williams fishing knife launches, receiving instant acclaim from outdoor enthusiasts.

1994

The new Offset Bread Knife launches, and delis are forever changed.

2022

The ROSS-1™ robotic sharpening system, which sharpens thousands of knives a day, revolutionizes the processing industry.

  • 1818

    Henry Harrington starts the first American cutlery company in Southbridge MA.

  • 1933

    The two companies come together and eventually become Dexter-Russell.

  • 1959

    The iconic Ted Williams fishing knife launches, receiving instant acclaim from outdoor enthusiasts.

  • 2022

    The ROSS-1™ robotic sharpening system, which sharpens thousands of knives a day, revolutionizes the processing industry.

  • 1834

    John Russell establishes the John Russell Cutlery company, ultimately replacing European brands and becoming the leading American cutlery company of the post-Civil War era.

  • 1941

    The first SANI-DEXTER knives are introduced, eventually evolving into the SANI-SAFE series that remains the gold standard in foodservice today.

  • 1994

    The new Offset Bread Knife launches, and delis are forever changed.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT.

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