Sheffield Museum Knives - A Taster (Pic Heavy)

[Jack Black]

I was over in Sheffield to see my daughter today. The plan had been to go to the Botanical Gardens to take some pictures for PMEW, but we had to postpone that as the weather was really awful. My daughter is heavily pregnant now, and can’t stay on her feet too long, but I did manage to nip into one of the museums to take a few snapshots before her patience with me ran out! Sheffield has surprisingly few knives on display in its museums, and the placement of the lighting in this particular one, makes the contents of the glass display cases hard to photograph, particularly with my rotten digital camera. Here’s a few taster shots anyway. I was only able to record information (which is sparsely given anyway) on a few of these knives for now, but I can return if anyone is interested in a particular blade.

Stockman knives produced in 2007 by the Eggington Group using the George Wostenholm name they acquired some years ago.

The large knife on the right is a sugar cane knife produced in Sheffield in the 1900’s for export to the West Indies. The other is a machete from 1875, with a cast iron handle designed to imitate pressed horn.

Produced by Wythers of Sheffield in 1778 for export to the Far East. Some were found in the wreck of a ship off the coast of South Africa.







The last knife is from 1530.

And finally (for now), here’s a big old Bessemer Converter

 

[BriantheBlade]

Sweet pics Jack! Wish I had a cutlery museum around here to go to, that would be combining my two favorite things, knives and museums(I got my degree in historic preservation and museum studies). One of these days I hope to make it to England's knife mecca myself and we will have to meet for chips and a pint Thanks for sharing.
Brian

 

[Jack Black]

Sweet pics Jack! Wish I had a cutlery museum around here to go to, that would be combining my two favorite things, knives and museums(I got my degree in historic preservation and museum studies). One of these days I hope to make it to England's knife mecca myself and we will have to meet for chips and a pint Thanks for sharing.
Brian

I'll look forward to that Brian. Earlier today, I had Mushroom & Ale Pie and a pint of Kelham Island Pale Rider in 'The Fat Cat' (http://www.thefatcat.co.uk/), which is next to the Kelham Island Museum where the Bessemer Converter in the last pic is. Of course I had Henderson's Relish with it, and I was telling the landlord about you getting hold of some

 

[Curtis_Lowe]

We got an old bessemer converter down in Station Square. Good to see we're not the only ones.

What are those things next to the knives? Bone slabs?

 

[Jack Black]

We got an old bessemer converter down in Station Square. Good to see we're not the only ones.

What are those things next to the knives? Bone slabs?

Great pic of the Bessemer Converter :thumbup:

Yeah, the blocks are just slabs of handle material. I don't recall seeing those knives before, and think they're a recent addition. They look nice enough, but bearing in mind the number of older knives they must have that aren't on display, I think they could make better use of the cabinet. It would, however, be interesting to know who actually made those knives.

 

[zippofan]

Very cool pics guys, the Bessemer's really interest me as does the whole steel making process. I've studied and it's way over my head.
The iron furnaces we have in my hometown are considerably older, iron and steel making left here for New York state (Lackawanna NY) long before the Bessemer converter was invented. There's some good pics and info here http://www.oldindustry.org/PA_HTML/Pa_Scranton.html

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if the cutlery companies developed here instead of Western Pennsylvania.

I love the knifes pics Jack, it would be great to know who made them. It's hard to find anything good at the local flea markets here, all the decent old knives have been snapped up by the antique dealers who treat them all like they're gold and charge accordingly.

 

[meako]

great pics jack . i have to ask . will this be your first grandchild? either way hope all goes well.
recently in england but could not find a decent english knife(excluding customs). ended up buying an opinel!!!
whats the deal with the brand of knives named after a pyke? they didn't seem the full quid to me.
doubt if they're made in england.
with that in mind I opted to go to paris with the mrs rather than Sheffield (I'm from Nottingham so I hope you understand)
where they actually have knife shops!

 

[Jack Black]

I love the knifes pics Jack, it would be great to know who made them. It's hard to find anything good at the local flea markets here, all the decent old knives have been snapped up by the antique dealers who treat them all like they're gold and charge accordingly.

Thanks. I'm really sorry the quality is so poor. The information on the museum displays was very sketchy in several cases, for example, 'Sheffield knife, steel and wood'. One of the displays also had a group of people in front of it, who didn't seem to want to budge, and my daughter was wanting a rest, but I'll try and get more info the next time I go over. Most of the old junk shops changed their name to 'antique shops' in the 1960's here, and put their prices up accordingly. I saw a couple of nice old pearl-handled Sheffield knives a few days ago in a shop near where I live, but they were pricey. There are still a few junk shops in the smaller towns, so I'm hoping to pick up a few bargains there, but they'll be mainly limited to British knives, and most I guess will be Richards.

great pics jack . i have to ask . will this be your first grandchild? either way hope all goes well.
recently in england but could not find a decent english knife(excluding customs). ended up buying an opinel!!!
whats the deal with the brand of knives named after a pyke? they didn't seem the full quid to me.
doubt if they're made in england.
with that in mind I opted to go to paris with the mrs rather than Sheffield (I'm from Nottingham so I hope you understand)
where they actually have knife shops!

It WILL be my first grandchild Meako, a girl, due early December, so I'm looking forward to being a grandfather Yes, the situation with English knives is terrible, there are almost no shops at all selling them, even in Sheffield, where most of the knives turned out today are sadly overpriced, junk or both. Even when they're decently finished, you can only rarely trust the steel quality and HT, while the phrase 'handmade' is widely abused. It's a very sad state of affairs. I always come back from abroad with more knives than I buy over the counter here.

 

[Humppa]

Thanks for showing it off, Jack. I really like the look of the knives - the old ones are amazing.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

When you sit back and think about it, a lot of the big name companies in the US over the past hundred years were started by cutlers looking for a better life. These men and women came from Sheffield and Solingen, among others. It is really a treat to see these pics and read some of the information. Thanks for sharing Jack.

Makes me want to visit Bradford, Tidioute and Titusville even more! See a long weekend in knife country next year.

 

[wellington]

Thanks for showing those pictures Jack, sounds like you and your daughter had an enjoyable visit to the Millenium Galleries. I think the museum tries to show representative examples of metal work made in Sheffield over the past three hundred years or so, some incredible things are on display. Those 17th and 18th century folding knives you show are rare, great to look at. Other items on show include large multibladed knives, one of which was bought by SCC at the Rodgers Sotherby's sale in the late 60s, large exhibition razors, oversize scissors that once were displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851, gilded tables, candlesticks..plate etc etc..the place is well worth a visit as is the Cutlers Hall just down the road.

Mick

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks for the kind comments guys

Thanks for showing those pictures Jack, sounds like you and your daughter had an enjoyable visit to the Millenium Galleries. I think the museum tries to show representative examples of metal work made in Sheffield over the past three hundred years or so, some incredible things are on display. Those 17th and 18th century folding knives you show are rare, great to look at. Other items on show include large multibladed knives, one of which was bought by SCC at the Rodgers Sotherby's sale in the late 60s, large exhibition razors, oversize scissors that once were displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851, gilded tables, candlesticks..plate etc etc..the place is well worth a visit as is the Cutlers Hall just down the road.

Mick

Hi Mick,

Yes, it's the Millenium Galleries, I always try and call in when I'm over in Sheffield. On the whole, I think there were more knives on show in Sheffield years ago though, I've got pics of the giant razors if anyone wants to see them (they're several feet long, but unfortunately the photos don't show how big they are). The large multi-bladed knives have been on display since I was a kid, as have many of the others, but the pics I took yesterday were spoiled by the reflection from the glass. I'll try to get them next time. You should nip in Mick, they're selling off the postcards at 20 for a quid, some nice ones. Also you've probably got a better camera than me! That's a beautiful part of the world you live in by the way, I miss having it on my doorstep, even though I still get over regularly.

Jack

PS If you're over in Sheffield, Stan Shaw is working a few hours a week at the Kelham Island Museum.

 

[pmew]

That's a trip down memory lane, haven't seen that big old cauldron for years. I remember being taken to the museum when I was a youngster, and having steel explained to me in great detail. Then being bought a 'British Army Knife' which I still have and keep in my kitchen because it has one of the most vicious and effective tin openers I've ever seen.
Thanks Jack

 

[Clem Kadiddlehopper]

Thanks, I really enjoyed the photos of the old knives.
Congrats on being a grandfather soon - :thumbup:
Great post guys - thanks again.

 

[Jack Black]

That's a trip down memory lane, haven't seen that big old cauldron for years. I remember being taken to the museum when I was a youngster, and having steel explained to me in great detail. Then being bought a 'British Army Knife' which I still have and keep in my kitchen because it has one of the most vicious and effective tin openers I've ever seen.
Thanks Jack

The Kelham Island Museum was closed after the big Sheffield flood some years ago. It looked as though it wasn't going to re-open, and only did so quite recently. You sound as if you're too young to have been taken round the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet Mick. It's a World Heritage Site and the real 'jewel in the crown'. Typically for Sheffield, the site was "moth-balled" in the early 90's

Those can-openers are vicious!

Thanks, I really enjoyed the photos of the old knives.
Congrats on being a grandfather soon - :thumbup:
Great post guys - thanks again.

Thanks a lot Al. Great work by the way :thumbup: