Brian Alcock RIP

Its with deep sadness that I am writing about the passing of my friend Brian Alcock the last full time self employed grinder in Sheffield. I had so much admiration for this man and treasured every moment I spent in his company. In many ways he was very simple, he worked unbelievably hard still starting work at 6am and doing…

Read more

How to win on Instagram for craftspeople

I’ve been away from the blog for a while and one of the reasons is that I’ve been posting regular daily updates about my craftwork on Instagram instead. The blog is a great place though to share thoughts and I hope to do more of that starting by sharing what I have learned whilst growing an instagram following of over…

Read more

The great axe fundraiser

For the last five years we have been making tools from home. The garage is stacked to the ceiling with stock. The woodshed is full of axes being oiled up and the front room has been turned into a leather workshop. People want more tools but we just don’t have the space or capacity to do it from here. There…

Read more

Gorgeous spoon carving film

A few years ago I wondered if we would saturate the spoon carving market, now I realise we are only just starting. There are thousands of potters around the country and still only a few dozen serious spoon carvers. I think this gorgeous film sums up what it is about better than any I have seen. Wonderful.  

Read more