John Joseph Mechi was born in 1802. A maker of high-end cutler's wares, dressing cases, vanity boxes, razors and corkscrews, Mechi formed a partnership with Charles Bazin in 1860, and between 1860 and 1865 traded under the name of Mechi & Bezin from premises at 112, Regent Street, London. After the death of Bazin in 1865, Mechi reverted back to his own name and retailer's mark: I. J. Mechi, Maker.
John Joseph Mechi's products are noted for their quality: in Victorian England, coromandel (or calamander wood) was highly prized as an exotic Indian wood of the most exquisite figuring. It is now extinct.