Walter Blackwell (1883-1955) was born in Sheffield, the son of Isaac (a spring knife cutler) and Eliza née Hudson.  Walter became a table knife hafter.  During the early 1920s, he made ‘hand ground’ stainless table knives, marked with his own name.  In about 1924, when he lived at Lydgate Lane, he launched Blackwell & Marsden. His partner was Joseph Marsden (1872-1956), who lived at 53 Holme Lane, Hillsborough. The latter had been born at Unstone, Derbyshire, and was the son of William (a horseman and collier) and Fanny. By 1901, Joseph was living with his wife Ada at Wisewood and had found work as a stone waller.

Blackwell & Marsden was based at Acme Works, 98 Button Lane. Its products included stainless table and bread knives, sometimes marked ‘M&B’ and ‘hand-ground’, alongside ‘Firth Stainless’.  Marsden’s wife, Ada, died in 1933 and was buried at Loxley Chapel. In 1935, Blackwell & Marsden was dissolved, though the firm continued for a couple of years under Marsden.  By 1939, Joseph Marsden had moved to Oxclose Lane, Dronfield, and had retired as a cutlery manufacturer. Meanwhile, Walter Blackwell was living at Arbourthorne Road, with his occupation listed as a ‘cutler (table knife)’ (Register of England & Wales, 1939).  Until the start of the 1940s, he was apparently working at Eyre Street.  Walter Blackwell, of St Aidan’s Road, died at City General Hospital, Sheffield, on 2 May 1955.  He left £1,808.