Worshipful Company of Cutlers
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| Location | Cutlers' Hall, 4 Warwick Lane, The City. EC4M 7BR |
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| Date of formation | Thirteenth century |
| Order of precedence | 18th |
| Master of company | Richard Herbert |
| Motto | Pour parvenir a bonne foy |
| Website | http://www.cutlerslondon.co.uk/ |
The Worshipful Company of Cutlers is one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London. It ranks 18th in the order of precedence of the Companies.
Coordinates: 51°30.93′N 0°6.056′W / 51.51550°N 0.100933°W
The trade of knife-making and repairing was formed in the thirteenth century as a guild; the Cutlers' Company received a Royal Charter in 1416. The Company, like many other City Livery Companies, no longer has a strong connection with its trade, which for the most part relocated north to Sheffield, where a similar association, the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire was established. Thus, the Livery Company remains primarily as a charitable institution. The Company funds and administers a variety of educational initiatives such as scholarships and awards.
The Cutlers' Company Arms have been in use since 1476. Its current Elephant and Castle crest was granted in 1622: this features two elephants and three crossed-swords, a helmet and a smaller elephant and castle. The original heraldic blazon read: Shield: "Gules, three pairs of swords in saltire argent, hilts and pommels, or; Crest: An elephant's head couped gules, armed or". The elephant probably relates to the ivory used in hafting swords, knives and other weapons — an expensive material employed for the best of implements. The elephant and castle crest gave rise to a pub of the same name on the site of an old cutlers' inn at Newington, south London which in turn gave its name to the well-known area Elephant and Castle.
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