Henry Birks & Son

[Bill A]

Attached is a link to the Silver Forums which outlines the history of Henry Birks & Sons Ltd. Birks took over both P.W. Ellis and Ryrie Bros in Ontario. In Winnipeg, Birks took over Dingwall. All were Canadian badge makers, Birks and Ellis and Dingwall being very well known, while Ryrie was a somewhat obscure maker from Toronto. Birks still operates as a jeweller today. http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19623

[Phillip Herring]

I have several cap badges with the Birks mark.

Prince Rupert Regiment
BC Dragoons
Westminster Regiment
Canadian Scottish Regiment

Phil

[DavidS]

There really isn't any connection between the Birks of today and Henry Birks & Sons of yore. Birks basically ran into the ground in the 80s. The company is now part of Birks Group/Birks Mayors. I don't think any Birks family members have anything to do with this new company, and haven't for some time.

In the 90s when I got all badge-itchy, I contacted the 'new' Birks head office, looking for historical information. The folks I spoke with had no idea Birks had even made military badges in the past, and there was no archival material at all left with the new company. They thought it had all been retained by the family. I then tried to get archival info from the Birks family through its foundation, but to no avail.

[Bill A]

Thanks David. The other sources were not clear on the lineage of the company. I had a similar experience when doing some research on Birks bars about ten years ago. They had no idea what they were or that they had made them.

[Pylon1357]

A couple of things came to my mind as I was reading this thread. It is a real shame, all of their company history has been lost. Thanks Bill and DavidS for bringing this to light.

The other thing that came to mind was in regards to Phillip's post..... WHat??? No Irish Regiment of Canada Birks marked badge??

[QSAMIKE]

Many years ago I used to do the court mounting of medals for the local Birks and when they changed ownership they decided not to offer the service.....

They decided to sell off all the Ribbon, Miniature Medals, Officers Cap Badges (for Calgary Highlanders and King's Own Calgary Regiment) and miniature crests that would have been used on signet rings, cig. cases, I.D. Bracelets etc. so I bought the lot.....

All the badges are gone but I still have a number of the silver miniature crests and miniature medals.....

Mike

[Michael Dorosh]

As a member of the Calgary Highlanders regimental pipe band in the 1990s, I recall that "Birks" oak leaf shoulder badges were highly prized. Strangely enough, I was having a conversation with the regimental QMSI and the regimental adjutant the other weekend regarding unit clothing, and the subject of the Birks oak leaves came up while standing in clothing stores where I am currently employed. Birks has long ago ceased supplying us with the insignia, but those that are "in the know" still look for the distinctive hall-mark on the back of the badges, as they were superior in quality to those supplied by other manufacturers.

[SRDJUG]

I recently had a conversation with Birks in Montreal...the gal I spoke to confirmed the company has retained the dies for hundreds of Cap and collar badges and other military insignia in "the Tower," but refused to give access to these, citing that DND - and not the Regimental Association tasked with purchasing badges for a given Regiment - was the only authority that could access the dies. Will Scully even offered to weigh in and examine the dies, as his office is just down the block and around the corner, but Birk's wouldn't have any of it...our history, simply left to rust away.