For over 207 years, Dexter-Russell has been designing and manufacturing tools in Southbridge, Massachusetts. From kitchens to fisheries, workshops to construction sites, our knives and tools are trusted wherever precision and durability are needed. Each Dexter product is built to work hard and last long. We don’t just make cutlery — we make tools you can count on, generation after generation.
OUR HISTORY
Drag the yellow line to see our product evolution
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1818
Henry Harrington starts the first American cutlery company in Southbridge, MA.
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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.
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1933
The two companies come together and eventually become Dexter-Russell.
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1941
The first SANI-DEXTER knives are introduced, eventually evolving into the SANI-SAFE® series that remains the gold standard in foodservice today.
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1959
The iconic Ted Williams fishing knife launches, receiving instant acclaim from outdoor enthusiasts.
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1994
The new Offset Bread Knife launches, and delis are forever changed.
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2022
The ROSS-1® robotic sharpening system, which sharpens thousands of knives a day, revolutionizes the processing industry.
