Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver Souvenir Penknife from the Voyage of RMS Tarquah - Sheffield 1910

This is a well made and quite scarce piece of souvenir ware from the early 20th century. The penknife has been manufactured from sterling silver and carries hallmarks for Sheffield 1910 with the makers mark for Walker & Hall. Both the handle and blade are sterling silver and are subsequently both hallmarked - a real quality piece. The handle has been hand engraved and states that it is a 'Souvenir of voyage by R.M.S. Tarquah'. R.M.S. was first launched in 1902 as part of the Elder Dempster Shipping Line (formally The African Steamship Co). Tarquah would of journeyed from Plymouth to the Canary Islands and West Africa, carrying passenger and mail. It was later torpedoed and sunk near Bull Rock, off the coast of Ireland in 1917 - there was no loss of life. It's not clear at which point souvenirs such as this would of been purchased - it may of been while en-route or possibly when safely back in port. The penknife follows the traditional design with its folding blade riveted in place. The internal core of the handle appears to be steel, and this has darkened in colour over time (seen in picture 10). The item measures 8.8cm in length (blade closed) - with the blade open it is 15.3cm. This is a nice item for someone who collects maritime related items, and it is certainly a scarce item. All of the silver Elder Dempster items I've seen appear to have been made by Walker & Hall, so presumably they had the contract to manufacture the souvenirs. If you have any questions, please ask.