. ▁ ▁B irmingham ' s ▁expand ing ▁metal ▁indust ries ▁included ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁weapons . ▁In ▁ 1 6 3 6 , ▁one ▁Benjamin ▁Stone ▁pet ition ed ▁that ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁s words , ▁which ▁he ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁made , ▁should ▁be ▁purchased ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁in ▁the ▁King ' s ▁service ; ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 7 , ▁the ▁Wor ship ful ▁Company ▁of ▁C ut lers , ▁in ▁London , ▁counter ed ▁this ▁by ▁stating ▁that ▁these ▁were ▁actually ▁" b rom ed g ham ▁bl ades " ▁and ▁foreign ▁bl ades , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁former ▁" are ▁no ▁way ▁service able ▁or ▁fit ▁for ▁his ▁Majesty ' s ▁store ". ▁John ▁F . ▁Hay ward , ▁an ▁experienced ▁historian ▁on ▁s words , ▁suggests ▁that ▁London ' s ▁sn ob ber y ▁towards ▁these ▁bl ades ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁" may ▁have ▁been ▁due ▁to " ▁commercial ▁rival ry ; ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁London ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁provider ▁of ▁weapons ▁in ▁Britain , ▁and ▁B irmingham ▁was ▁fast ▁becoming ▁a ▁vi able ▁commercial ▁threat ▁to ▁their ▁trade . ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁passed ▁into ▁political ▁sl ang ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 8 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁Protest ant ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁Ex clusion ▁Bill ▁were ▁called ▁by ▁their ▁oppon ents ▁B irm ing h ams ▁or ▁Br um mag ems ▁( a ▁sl ur , ▁in ▁all usion ▁to ▁counter fe iting , ▁imp lying ▁hyp oc ris