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- Dec 2, 2005
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I hope its apparent from my posts on the topic in Carls Lounge, that most of us here in Gods Own County do not take Yorkshire Day, August 1st, entirely seriously. Its a relatively recent invention, something for the tourists and for the old blokes in flat caps. However, seeming as I am now one of those old blokes in a flat cap (well sometimes), I reserve the right to use largely nonsensical phrases such as Theres many a mickle makes a muckle, to take pride in embarrassing my offspring by breaking into choruses from the Yorkshire anthem On Ilka Moor bah tat, and to correct Home Counties posh boys too thick to know that if the word scone was correctly pronounced scon, it would not have an e on the end of it!
This year, as there were no local bouts of ferret wrestling or clog sparking to be found, I took our lass over to Sheffield and the Kelham Island Industrial Museum, something Ive already posted about extensively - and then some!
While there, my girlfriend surprised me with a knife. Not between the shoulder-blades thankfully, but in the form of a slipjoint purchased from a very limited selection on sale in the museum shop. The knife in question is made by local cutler Trevor Ablett, a Little Mester to use local parlance, or jobbing cutler, who only started putting his name on the knives he makes a few years ago.
The slipjoint in question is not a typical Sheffield pattern, of which these days there are a relatively small number. This is not only due to a lack of imagination on the part of the remaining firms, but because most of their wares are produced by Little Mesters like Trevor Ablett . These men know the patterns well, and have the tools at hand to make them. Those that machine-grind the blades have the machine-tools already, and many of the blades are stamped out en masse. Still, putting a couple of stock Sheffield blades together is common enough, and in the case of my knife, these are stock Sheffield blades.
Trevor Abletts knives are seen alongside those made under the Wostenholm and Rodgers names, and by Arthur Wright and Taylors, in the few remaining shops which sell slipjoints in the city, which these days are essentially tourist shops. His knives are a step up in terms of quality and materials than those made by Arthur Wright for example, and that is reflected in the price. While he puts the knives together himself using age-old skills and tools, the blades themselves are ground elsewhere, so while they are certainly more handmade than many of the knives sold elsewhere under that description, I would say they are benchmade, not handmade. In my opinion that description should be reserved for knives where the cutler grinds the blades by hand.
This is the first of Trevors knives that Ive owned, and the quality of it actually greatly surprised me. I dont know if this is because it was the display model from the museum shop or simply because Mr Ablett makes a very fine product, but it is certainly the best manufactured contemporary Sheffield folder I have seen. Fit and finish is excellent, the blades are centred, the springs sit flat, there arent even any gaps. This is a Sheffield knife as it should be.
Now to the pattern, which is unusual in Sheffield. Sheffield folk are simple souls, (Too simple? Yes, I can hear you ScruffUK!), they make pen knives, and pocket knives, jack knives and clasp knives for the most part. Many of the classic patterns may have originated in the city, but their names have largely been forgotten. This knife was described simply as a Farmer/Clip, but Im sure it has a more exciting name than that. Besides, thats not a Farmer blade, Trevor makes knives with a Farmer blade, but this isnt one of them. I like it though, and its pinchable.
Im not a big fan of the Sheffield clip. Sheffield cutlers have been using the same pattern for years, and it works well enough, but its rather stubby and plain, ugly even. Nothing compared to the clips on those lovely Charlows for example, which are a work of art. Or on that Trapper, you folks came up with the other year, and which GEC put together. Is this a Sheffield Trapper?
The covers are walnut, very nice. Then theres that big Barlowesque front bolster. Brass is relatively cheap, its easy to work, its shiny when its been polished and its undoubtedly popular with tourists. Mr Ablett uses a LOT of brass. I really dont like it though, and think it spoils his knives. Still, this is a nice looking knife I think, and one of quality.
So a big thumbs up to Trevor Ablett, a working cutler, who deserves to have his name on the knives he makes, hope hes making some brass out of it, as they say roundabouts, and thanks to our lass for surprising me with an example of his craft.
) I had to clean my stag Barlow up a bit (some brass shards in the liners ouch!) and the edge was not there. After that it's a VERY decent knife: no gaps at all or play and a good match between spine and spring, flush spring on open. Like it a lot and it's something a bit different, very worthwhile member of the stable.
Don't men, when not down t'pit or at mill still go in for champion vegetable growing contests. You need a good knife to harvest giant marrows or leeks I believe..
