Traditional generosity given in the spirit of learning! Stan Shaw DVD

ken erickson

ken erickson

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Aug 27, 2004
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A while back I received a email from Mick (Wellington here on BF) and asked if I was interested in him sending a copy of Stan Shaw building a exhibition 15 blade slipjoint. Of course I said yes, already excited. Fast forward to a few days ago and in the days mail is the dvd. It was a bit cantankerous in my laptop but I was able to get it to play fine.

Stan is a very hard working Sheffield cutler whom stays active to this day building slipjoints. Stan is in his 80's now and the dvd was produced 5 or 6 years ago.

Stan's shop to me seems fairly crude, even to the point that he still uses a hand powered hacksaw to cut all parts out! :eek: I did the same for a few years and never would go back to hand cutting. I know just how hard and time consuming hack sawing blades and springs out of SS or high carbon steel can be. I had the impression that Stan has a very high degree of a work ethic. Stan's grinders and polishing machines would be considered crude by most makers standards here in the states, be they full time or part time makers.

I was also amazed at the ease of which Stan worked at his bench. Toward the end of the DVD Stan made a comment about how he is still amazed that he can produce such a knife, even after all the years of experience. He goes on to say that means he must really still love what he does. :thumbup:

I wanted to pass on a big "thanks" to Mick for taking the time and expense to send me this DVD. It was a nice learning experience for me and also inspirational.

Mick had sent me a link to some pictures of the same pattern knife that he once owned but for some reason I was not able to get them to post. Hopefully Mick will add to this thread with his thoughts about Stan, the Dvd and pictures!:D
 
Thanks for sharing Ken. There is something liberating in manual work. While power tools give you results faster... you still lack the feeling that you achieved something or you don't get it in such extent.

I want to also believe that a true craft's man doesn't use just his eyes when he makes things but he uses all of his senses to produce superior product with spirit in it. Lastly no fancy machines will do anything if you don't have skill. It seems Stan is not just a craftsman, but he is master craftsman in true sense of the word.
 
Delighted you enjoyed watching the DVD Ken :D.

It's a decent two hour long video, he tells us a little about himself, shows a few of his knives, works in the old traditional ways, the knife he makes is the large nine inches long "Hallamshire Knife".

Eight backsprings, fileworked inside and out. (cut out of a sheet of spring steel by hacksaw !)
Nine brass liners, milled all the way around the outer edges, the seven inner liners jimped on the inside.
Fifteen blades with fileworked back edges, again all cut out of sheet by hacksaw.
Four large silver bolsters, two silver bars, four large slabs of premium slabs of pearl for the handles.

It takes Stan around forty hours to work and fit together all these parts, in the video, he's shown hammering the final balance rivet into place, everything held under tension in the vice....:eek:

The knife made and featured in the video is almost identical to this one.

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Opened out..15 blades
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I can add a few more details and pics if anyone wants to see more..

Mick
 
What a treat to see such old school methods in action.
Thanks for filling us in. :thumbup:
 
It really makes you think about the beauties that have been shown in the Sheffield thread - they were all made by hand this way. Those old cutlers were pretty talented.
 
Here are a few more pics of the above knife that show Stan's filework, all done by eye using small files.

Stan has made these large display knives in various patterns, he usually makes one large Hallamshire knife a year, I think he's made 26 of the 15 blade 9" versions ?, not certain though.

Stan once made 50 !! 9" 11 blade Hallamshire knives for Steel City Manufacturing, each inividually numbered, thier pearls scales were mounted over gold leaf, lovely things, talk about graft ! :eek:.

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Mick
 
Mick...that knife is just...just fantastic, and I'm just clicking onto the fact ( sorry to be very slow here ) that you are what I would call a high-end collector..BUT very approachable, and a great guy......a member of this knife forum who is very valuable.
Well done!!
 
mqqn said:
Hi ken -

Cool!

I did a little searching after you post and after seeing Mr. Shaw's work in Mick's post - WOW!

Here is a neat link I found with an interview with Mr. Shaw -

http://www.mylearning.org/jpage.asp?jpageid=833&journeyid=117

best regards-

mqqn
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that link mqqn, the four part Stan Shaw interview video is really good, gives a little insight, tells us a little of his life, work, and his way of doing things :thumbup: .

I've posted pics of this knife before, so I'll only post this one picture, this knife one of only a couple I've ever had specifically made, love it, similar to the one shown above but measuring only 7" long, one of a kind, gold bolsters and bars, abalone scales. All the fifteen blades walk and talk perfectly, the super engraving was done by Simon Lytton.

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Mick
 
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wellington said:
Thanks for posting that link mqqn, the four part Stan Shaw interview video is really good, gives a little insight, tells us a little of his life, work, and his way of doing things :thumbup: .

I've posted pics of this knife before, so I'll only post this one picture, this knife one of only a couple I've ever had specifically made, love it, similar to the one shown above but measuring only 7" long, one of a kind, gold bolsters and bars, abalone scales. All the fifteen blades walk and talk perfectly, the super engraving was done by Simon Lytton.

091eb5f5-1-1.jpg


Mick
Click to expand...

Absolutely gorgeous. That is no longer a knife. That is a piece of art belonging to museum or art gallery next to Rubens, Picasso, Van Gogh etc!
 
Amazing work. Is the DVD generally available for sale anywhere. I reckon it would be a good one to look at from the sounds of it.
 
wellington said:
Thanks for posting that link mqqn, the four part Stan Shaw interview video is really good, gives a little insight, tells us a little of his life, work, and his way of doing things :thumbup: .

I've posted pics of this knife before, so I'll only post this one picture, this knife one of only a couple I've ever had specifically made, love it, similar to the one shown above but measuring only 7" long, one of a kind, gold bolsters and bars, abalone scales. All the fifteen blades walk and talk perfectly, the super engraving was done by Simon Lytton.

091eb5f5-1-1.jpg


Mick
Click to expand...

Hi Mick -

My pleasure, you are welcome!

I am taken aback at the beauty of the knives that are made by Mr. Shaw.

These works of art are serious jaw-droppers!

Do you know if Mr. Shaw is still taking orders for knives?

Thank you for your pictures!

best regards -

mqqn
 
mqqn said:
Do you know if Mr. Shaw is still taking orders for knives?
Click to expand...

Hi mqqn,

Yes, pretty sure Stan's still taking knife orders, could be a fairly long waiting time though, several years.

I'll just add this picture, just to show he does make workaday knives that can cut, the two knives carry Stan's own "Stan Shaw" mark, both have old hand forged blades, strong and sharp, the rope knife measures about 5", the stag jack knife 4".

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Mick
 
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