THE STORY OF PEN AND POCKET KNIVES

A new temporary exhibition, part of the Lottery Heritage Funded project -Sheffield Treasure: Celebrating 200 years of excellence in cutlery making - tells the story of the evolution of the folding knife through time.

It showcases some of the vast array of different types of pen and pocket knives manufactured in Sheffield and highlights the great amount of skill of the craftspeople who made them.

COME AND TAKE A SELFIE WITH OUR 'LITTLE MESTER' DURING THE SHEFFIELD HERITAGE OPEN DAYS - 8-17 SEPTEMBER

'LITTLE MESTER' SCULPTURE

This incredible new sculpture by local scrap metal artist, Jason Heppenstall, and students from Sheffield University Technical College was made as part of our latest Lottery Heritage Funded project – Sheffield Treasure: Celebrating 200 years of excellence in cutlery making.

In the 1700 and 1800s Sheffield built a reputation as quality cutlery makers, being one of the major centres in the world for the production of table knives, pen and pocket knives, razors, scissors as well as all manner of tools. There are still companies and individual makers producing knives and cutlery in Sheffield today.

The sculpture celebrates the craftsmanship of all the people who worked or continue to work in the Sheffield cutlery industry.

THE POWER OF PRINT

This new temporary exhibition aims to illustrate how printing processes have been used to produce catalogues and improve package labelling.  This was to enable manufacturers to draw the attention of a wider public to their products amid increasing competition.

The letterpress printing process used for early catalogues, required a printing block for every item in a catalogue.  Our large collection covers many different types of products and only a few can be seen here.

INVESTIGATING KNIVES - SHEFFIELD'S KNIFE STORY

This new permanent exhibition showcases an array of knives from the collection, celebrating the skilled makers and Sheffield companies involved in their manufacture.On display are table knives from 1500 to the present day, trade knives of all descriptions and knives for a variety of uses.  We also have some modern pieces kindly donated by David Mellor Design Ltd.

Alongside these finished products, the process of manufacture is outlined in objects and film. A map of Sheffield and terminals give access to our digital knife archive to investigate the history of the many knife makers in the city.

Come along and have a look and find out if your ancestors were involved in the knife industry in Sheffield?
(The digital knife archive can also be accessed online at: www.hawleysheffieldknives.com)

THE GIANT’S TOOLBOX

An Exhibition of oversize tools

This is an exhibition of oversized or “giant” tools.  These were made for displays at trade shows, in shop windows and for general promotion purposes.

Originally the tools in the exhibition were created in response to a rash claim by the manufacturer Arthur Pond about his ability to make any tool. The display includes giant garden shears, huge trowels, massive engineer’s pliers and similar items.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Year Knife is currently not on display. We apologise if you had planned to visit in the next few weeks.

STANLEY MILLENNIUM YEAR KNIFE NOW ON PUBLIC VIEW IN THE HAWLEY GALLERY

This spectacular knife made in 1821 by Joseph Rodgers & Sons was bought by Stanley Tools (UK) Ltd in 1969 to make sure it stayed in Sheffield. The Knife has been kindly placed on long-term loan to the Hawley Collection Trust by Stanley Tools Ltd to celebrate their proud Sheffield heritage. It is an iconic permanent recognition of the superb trades and skills to be found in Sheffield.

A-Z OF PLANES

Used to smooth and shape wood for centuries, planes were an essential tool for any joiner or cabinet maker.

To complete the A-Z we are looking for a plane with the 'Zyto' mark for 'Z'. Can you help?