Last December I wrote about a very special scissors factory in Sheffield here. Yesterday I went back to do help them take photographs for their new retail website. I am not a photographer but I have learned simple ways of using natural light and a simple background to show this sort of product off reasonably well. It is also quick…
Folks who have been watching my blog for a while may remember me visiting Stuart Mitchell a knifemaker in Sheffield. He works in Portland Works which was built in the 1870s as a cutlery works. It has an incredibly important part in Sheffield if not world history as the place where stainless steel was first manufactured in 1913. Today the…
Last night we rewatched “Kinky Boots” a very entertaining and amusing film based on the true story of how one old established shoe company faced with cheap imports and declining sales diversified into fetish footwear. One thing I had not really appreciated when I first watched it were the lovely close up shots of the antiquated machinery working thick leather…
For many years I have felt we need an organisation to support traditional crafts in the UK. I have lobbied and campaigned in the hopes of getting a government organisation but finally realised that it will be better if it comes from the craftspeople ourselves. The last few weeks I have been in correspondence with many folk in the traditional…
Well not green wood tools but I visited this place on Thursday along with knifemaker Grace Horne and it was great. Eric Grinding Ian glasing, that is using a hard felt buffing wheel with abrasive Cliff working his magic on a nearly finished pair Notice the slope on the hammer head so it comes down flat on the stiddy with…
Yesterday I visited some wonderful old Sheffield knife makers with a group of folk from the British Blades forum. Nicola has spent quite a bit of time recording these folk on film but for me it was great to see the old skills alongside some very up to date production. First we went to Taylors Eye Witness Works where they…
