Initially, the Company’s business was producing and trading in knives, swords, and other implements with a cutting edge.
The Company was a trade guild whose members’ produced items with a cutting edge, such as swords, knives and surgical instruments.
The Cutlers’ Company’s origins are to be found among the cutlers working in the medieval City of London in the vicinity of Cheapside. As was the case with the other trade guilds of the day, its function was to protect the interests of its members, to attend to their welfare, and to ensure that high standards of quality were maintained. Their business was producing and trading in knives, swords, and other implements with a cutting edge. Over time the emphasis shifted from implements of war to cutlery and other domestic wares such as razors and scissors.
With the demise of the sword making and cutlery trade in the City during the 19th century, the Company directed its attention towards supporting the surgical instrument trade by indenturing apprentices, and expanding its charitable activities with particular emphasis on supporting education.
Today the Company combines these charitable endeavours with maintaining the traditions of the City of London; supporting the Mayoralty; providing fellowship and hospitality; and preserving the Company’s Hall and other assets for the benefit of future generations. With a Livery of only 120 members, many of whom have been admitted by patrimony, it is in every sense a family Company and one which is justly proud of its ancient heritage and ancestry.
“A House of the Cutlers”, mentioned in 1285 as being on or near the site of the present Mercers' Hall, is the earliest recorded regular meeting place of the Cutlers. By the early part of the 15th century the Cutlers were settled in a building in what is now Cloak Lane (by Cannon St. Station).
During World War II the Hall was fortunate to survive the great fire bomb raid on December 29th 1940. The following morning only St. Paul’s Cathedral and Cutlers’ Hall stood virtually unscathed amongst the devastation.
On the outside of the wall facing Warwick Lane will be seen a finely carved terracotta frieze by the Sheffield sculptor Benjamin Creswick (1853-1946).