By 1970, Dexter-Russell had captured approximately 40% of the US commercial kitchen knife market. Competitors like and Ontario Knife focused on hunting or consumer lines, but Dexter stayed with meatpacking plants, restaurants, and institutional cafeterias.
The Dexter Company traces its roots to 1818 when a blacksmith named established a small edge tool works along the Quinebaug River in Southbridge. Initially, the operation produced awls, blades, and shears for the shoe and leather industries – a critical sector in early Massachusetts manufacturing. dexter knives southbridge ma