anyone here work in the scissor trade in the 70s.
george ibberson, surmanco.or the one off upwell st that i can never remember the name of.
Also helped to make knives in 70s still got glistening hands to prove it.lol.
anyone worked in these trades.

I worked for my father in the 80's in the scissor trade. He was a borer and hardener doing sub contract work for Cockers, Whiteleys, Eric Stones and a few others whose names escape me.

I left school in 75 to be an apprentice Toolmaker at Spear & Jackson on Prospect RD but lasted just 18 months.
It was'nt for me, sort got in there through my family who all worked for Spears in the 1970s.

Even though i had no choice but to work in these places then,
I would never let my children anywhere near a factory.
it was low paid dangerous, slavery. most of the time.
I can easily understand you not taking to the tool trade cycleracer.
BUT i never had any encouragement to do anything else.
or the confidence.
a little encouragement makes all the difference, my lads are doing something they really want to do. the only good thing about these factories was the comradeship all the friends you made.
But alas friends are made anywhere.

.

Originally posted by tara
Even though i had no choice but to work in these places then,
I would never let my children anywhere near a factory.
it was low paid dangerous, slavery. most of the time.
I can easily understand you not taking to the tool trade cycleracer.
BUT i never had any encouragement to do anything else.
or the confidence.
a little encouragement makes all the difference, my lads are doing something they really want to do. the only good thing about these factories was the comradeship all the friends you made.
But alas friends are made anywhere.

. You know Tara I wonder if the remaining cutlery/tool factorys have any young people working in them today.
I can't even say that the lower educated school leavers would actually leave school to do them sort of jobs.
I would imagine these places are full of over 40s now.
I to was sort of expected to go into this trade because in 1975 they were apprenticeships but they were hard to get.
I tried for plumbing apprenticeships when I left school and never got a placing.
Now I would be put on to a training course of my choice, how things have changed, for the good I think.
Keep an eye on my new thread inspired by this one.
Do young people work in factorys.

CR

can any one give me any information about a cutlery factory on Pitt Street in Sheffield around 1930 or before. I believe it was owned by the Heald family.

Aprentices had a bad time in the old days in Sheffield..Read this,
it comes from a site called Reminicenses of old Sheffield.
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~exy1/fh_material/reminiscences_8.html

Twiss: Another Sheffield man, in describing the former condition of
apprentices, said that the bad treatment to which they were subjected
originated the saying, " He's treated as bad as ony 'prentice lad." "
They were," said this writer, 'I indifferently fed and worse clothed,
but it must be admitted that some good old ' dames' behaved well to
them. The masters, however, kept them in the smithy all the time
possible from early in the morning till almost bed time. This
confinement was very injurious to young lads, and from standing in awkward positions to do their work a great number of them became knock or 'knocker'-kneed. The growing'prentice in his smithy attire was a picture. Tall and thin, with looks that bespoke hard work and poor feeding, he would be encased in leather breeches that had been big enough three or four years before, but with which now he was on bad terms, they having run in and he having run out. The consequence was garments that did not cover to the knees, ludicrously tight, and shining with oil and grease. Or if they were of fustian, they were less constraining than the leather, and consequently needed a constant
'hitch' to keep them from slipping down altogether-for braces were not. On his head he would have an old hat crown, or a brown paper cap; his shirt sleeves doubled up would probably reveal a pair of old stocking legs on his arms. Sometimes, but not always, he enjoyed the luxury of stockings on their proper members, with a pair of old shoes of the ' mester's' or ' dame's,' by way of saying his own for Sundays. Add to these things a shirt unbuttoned at the neck, and a leather apron, and you have a picture of a cutler's 'prentice of former days. The regular diet of the lads was, in the morning a quarter of 'what (oat) cake,' and milk porridge, with not too much milk. To dinner there would be broth and meat from fat mutton or coarse parts of beef. A quarter of oat-cake to ' drinking' at four o'clock, and supper as
breakfast. It was considered the height of extravagance to eat oat-cakes that were not a week old. Monday was baking day, and a week's batch was done at a time, so that by the time they were eaten they were quite mouldy, and before the batch was finished they were nearly a fortnight old. The lads then called them biscuit. It used to be that to let the lads eat new bread would ruin a man with a hundred a year. After supper, the 'prentices had to fetch, on their heads, water for the house supply (sometimes from a considerable distance) ; to feed the pigs ; and then, if there were no errands to run, they might play till bed time. Before a lad was bound he generally ' went a liking' to his proposed master, and if this led to satisfaction on both sides he was taken to the Cutlers' Hall, where he was bound apprentice until he had attained the full age of twenty-one, the binding fee being half a crown, which Was paid by the lad's friends or the master. His seven years' service was no pleasant
thing to look forward to ' but there was the encouraging prospect of having a good trade in his fingers at the end of the time. That over he had to take out his mark and freedom before he could begin working as a-journeyman with! safety. His mark was registered by the Cutlers' Company for a fee of 2s. 6d., with 2d. annually as 'mark rent.' If he neglected paying this for seven years any other person might take the mark. Otherwise it was piracy for any person to strike a mark without the consent of the owner. Sometimes a mark was let for a sort of royalty- say 1s. per gross if it were a profitable one. There have been instances
of the right of mark being sold for as much as £150, when it was in good repute."

My hubby Frank Turton (Family name Toni)comes from generations of grinders, his dad frank (Jack) Turton, taught him all he knows. Frank has been in the trade from the age of 15 he is now 61. Im sure he would love to hear from anyone who knows him or knew his dad.

thank you, but we are looking for a family called Heald who once owned a cutlery factory in Sheffield.

Where did the tradition of giving a copper coin in return for a gift of knives , or scissors come from.

thank you, but we are looking for a family called Heald who once owned a cutlery factory in Sheffield.

Heald cutlers in 1925,
Charles Heald (Charles Heald & Son) Table Knife Manuf.
Climax Wks. trading as -Climax -West Hill Lane
House 8 Reed Street

Herbert Heald -Cutlery Manuf.( C.H.& Son)
House 79 Havelock Square

I have just retired from the Cutlery trade after 48years and I loved every minute of it apart from the last 13 years at David Mellors, the work I was asked to turn out was disgusting, most of the work I did was very high quality at George Butlers and British Silverware and I was proud to put my name to it but when a firm buys from abroad and sells it on as their product its wrong.

thank you, but we are looking for a family called Heald who once owned a cutlery factory in Sheffield.

The 1901 census lists a Charles Heald, "table cutlery manufacturer" aged 38, and his wife Charlotte aged 28, their two oldest children being Charles Jnr and Herbert, aged 12 and 5. They lived at 104 Hadfield Street.

Belstar - My grandfather Frank Turton owned Frank Turton scissors which was at Butchers Works in Arundel Street - the firm was at one time managed by my father Vic. Is your husband the Frank Turton who used to work there - who I believe is a relative? I would be very interested to hear from you!

anyone here work in the scissor trade in the 70s.
george ibberson, surmanco.or the one off upwell st that i can never remember the name of.
Also helped to make knives in 70s still got glistening hands to prove it.lol.
anyone worked in these trades.
my think mother worked in the offices at ibberson in the 80s

Belstar - My grandfather Frank Turton owned Frank Turton scissors which was at Butchers Works in Arundel Street - the firm was at one time managed by my father Vic. Is your husband the Frank Turton who used to work there - who I believe is a relative? I would be very interested to hear from you!

Hi Gill, Your dad vic and the grinder frank turton that worked there are cousins lol. Nice to meet you love. Vic will probably remember my frank as toni, there are so many franks in the family that they all used their middle names. My frank worked with his dad frank (jack) from leaving school.

I worked in quite a few of the Cutlery firms in Sheffield, I just wish I had bought more Sheffield silver back then, hard to find now, the patterns were lovely, my Mom always said though, Sheffield knives wouldn't cut butter :)

Does anyone know where I can get a Christmas Cutlery set? we have looked everywhere, I would like a set with father christmas handles or handles with something christmassy on them.
Thanks Bell xx

Heald cutlers in 1925,
Charles Heald (Charles Heald & Son) Table Knife Manuf.
Climax Wks. trading as -Climax -West Hill Lane
House 8 Reed Street

Herbert Heald -Cutlery Manuf.( C.H.& Son)
House 79 Havelock Square
I am researching my fathers side of the family and his dad (my grandfather is the Charles Heald that you are looking into. I would really appreciate any information you have on the business and who worked for him. Many thanks
Sharon Heald

Does the tradition of giving a copper coin in return for a gift of a knife or scissors continue, it was said to prevent the cutting of a friendship.

can any one give me any information about a cutlery factory on Pitt Street in Sheffield around 1930 or before. I believe it was owned by the Heald family.
I think my great grandfather is the Charles Heald you are asking about with the cutlery factory. I don't know where it was though and need help finding any information.

I worked at surmanco from 1975- 1985, i worked with a fantastic team of people, and yes health and safety was not taken into account those days, but was still a great place to work .

My father worked in the scissor trade (mainly medical) from well before the war until 1985, including firms such as Joseph Rogers, George Gill and Thomas Rudd.

Even though i had no choice but to work in these places then,
I would never let my children anywhere near a factory.
it was low paid dangerous, slavery. most of the time.
I can easily understand you not taking to the tool trade cycleracer.
BUT i never had any encouragement to do anything else.
or the confidence.
a little encouragement makes all the difference, my lads are doing something they really want to do. the only good thing about these factories was the comradeship all the friends you made.
But alas friends are made anywhere.

.

i know what you mean about being dangerous i saw a few accidents when we worked at the iml i made some really good friends there and still see lynne after more than 35 yrs.

anyone here work in the scissor trade in the 70s.
george ibberson, surmanco.or the one off upwell st that i can never remember the name of.
Also helped to make knives in 70s still got glistening hands to prove it.lol.
anyone worked in these trades.

I think the scissor factory off Upwell street you were thinking of was called 'Homeric'

I knew Joe Murray a "Little Mester" who had his own grinding business. Sitting all day on the "horse" with that big stone spinning between yer legs...No Thanks..


Also in a cleaner environment, Eschmanns manufactured surgical scissors all the way through the process from hot stamping the blanks to final polishing.

I think the scissor factory off Upwell street you were thinking of was called 'Homeric'hi i worked there think i was about 17 im well ive retired now if i remember right it was german company i remember my gran was not happy about me being there don t think i stayed very long but i seem to remember going to pub at dinner times

Hiya , i worked at surmanco in 1976, best working years of my lfe. we had a right laugh. good times .

I worked at surmanco not long before it closed down. The people there were ace to work with. Had some great laughs...

Even though i had no choice but to work in these places then,
I would never let my children anywhere near a factory.
it was low paid dangerous, slavery. most of the time.
I can easily understand you not taking to the tool trade cycleracer.
BUT i never had any encouragement to do anything else.
or the confidence.
a little encouragement makes all the difference, my lads are doing something they really want to do. the only good thing about these factories was the comradeship all the friends you made.
But alas friends are made anywhere.

. i worked at latham and owens witch belonged to hiram wilds and also worked at grants on eyre st , but the people i would like to see most is the ones i used to work with at rutland cutlery in the 70s when we had the blackouts. i would like to say do you remember me saying [ settle down now].

hi i worked there think i was about 17 im well ive retired now if i remember right it was german company i remember my gran was not happy about me being there don t think i stayed very long but i seem to remember going to pub at dinner times
----------
hi ya girl,

i use to work at homoric in chambers lane in the 60s, very stricked firm, well it was german owners, could have known yer
now retired.

My Father work at Ibbersons in the 70s and 80s. Think the works managers name was George Hale. Harry who was deaf and dumb worked there I think with his wife. Stan Shaw the well known pen knife craftsman also had his workshop there. Think Fanny was the canteen lady. Used to meet my Dad for a couple of pints at lunchtime in the Prince of Wales in Trafalgar street which no longer exists.

----------
hi ya girl,

i use to work at homoric in chambers lane in the 60s, very stricked firm, well it was german owners, could have known yer
now retired.hi im afraid i don t remember any names only that i used to walk to work with a few people we used to walk down jahnnson sreet as i live carbrook but i remamber ablonde girl used to walk with us who was planning her wedding and remember i and a lot of the workers went to her wedding and a good was had by all love j

I worked as a polisher in an ice skate factory in 1974 - somewhere near Bramall Lane I think. I only lasted a couple of days. It was like walking back in time to the Victorian age. I remember standing in a queue at the end of the day waiting to 'get weshed' at a big old sink in the yard. Not the worse job I ever had but close!

I know this is sacrilege but recently having bought two Sheffield made pen knives I have to say they do not hold an edge like Swiss Army knives. Has anyone else noticed this terrible state of affairs.?

i worked at latham and owens witch belonged to hiram wilds and also worked at grants on eyre st , but the people i would like to see most is the ones i used to work with at rutland cutlery in the 70s when we had the blackouts. i would like to say do you remember me saying [ settle down now].

yea an i got u the job t c we had some great laughs matey

I was a grinder/buffer at Hopkinsons, at the back of London road in the early 70s.

remember a pal of mine working for A Wright and son paternoster row

Hiya,

i would like to hear from old contacts people who worked or their faily members worked at the george ibberson from 1969 to 1980s, becaause worked there i knew alot of staff then especailly George Hale , he was a great man any info on him plz contact me

my freinds were i wish to make contact with them or their familes etc:



Mr George Hale- my manager best person great man
Mr Underwood_ Manager Gr8 man
Mr Walton
Mr Dennis Cheetham
Mr Keith Moorby and mrs Elaine Moorby
Mr Jim or James
Mr Frank charlesworth and George
Mr Peter King
Bob or Rob Cheetham
Mr Harry Oxley
and Mrs Oxley
K sampson
V sampson
Earnest
Jeff or Geff
Derek Dawson
Frances
Mable
Julie
Sue
Liz
Kath
Mr Peter Biggin
and many more

please get in touch


Mr Hussain (Bash) Mr George Hale gave me this nickname he wa s a gr8 person !!!

Dear Janner of Plymouth, "has anyone noticed this sad state of affairs?". I'm affraid I have spent a lifetime observing it !
Four generations at least of my mother's family were spring knife cutlers and my working life was spent buying and selling them. I was in and out of the Sheffield works every week for 45 years and maybe I should write a book !
In the 1980s when it began to dawn on the Sheffield, stuck -in their-old-ways makers, that the Swiss knew a thing or two about knives, Denis Slater (god rest his soul) went to visit the Victorinox factory at Swytz to see if he could learn anything. They were pleased to show him round their wood yard but no way was he alowed to enter the workshops in case he picked up their secrets !
For the past 20 years I have carried a slim engine turned Victorinox knife in my pocket and I use it several times each day. I have dozens of Sheffield knives as you might expect but none of them comes close !!
Sheffield cutlery is a fascinating story but I suspect no different to textiles, shoes, ships or motorbikes.
Bob.

I worked at Cowlishaws pen and pocket knives on Hill Street which was in what was like little mesters buildings and the owner was like something out of a Charles Dickens novel, thought he owned you and this was in late 70's -I didn't stay long:roll::help:

I loved all the nights out when i worked at surmanco in the 70s, and the laughs at work, i used to be shy until i worked there!

Worked in the wages office at Surmanco for a year 1978-79. It was my first job after leaving school and was my first experience of 'real' life. Still everyone was very friendly in the factory (sometimes too friendly) especially when it was pay day.

Ha ha i bet they were friendly on pay day, best working years of my life, we had a laugh and there was some right characters worked there.

I worked at Homeric (off Upwell st) when i left school , met my husband there, we both went to work for Surmanco when it bought Homeric in 1990 , I left in 93 to have a baby but my husband worked there until it closed and then moved onto pro forge with some of the staff . We had some good laughs and some good nights out , cant believe its 18 yrs since i left there!

Dear Janner of Plymouth, "has anyone noticed this sad state of affairs?". I'm affraid I have spent a lifetime observing it !
Four generations at least of my mother's family were spring knife cutlers and my working life was spent buying and selling them. I was in and out of the Sheffield works every week for 45 years and maybe I should write a book !
In the 1980s when it began to dawn on the Sheffield, stuck -in their-old-ways makers, that the Swiss knew a thing or two about knives, Denis Slater (god rest his soul) went to visit the Victorinox factory at Swytz to see if he could learn anything. They were pleased to show him round their wood yard but no way was he alowed to enter the workshops in case he picked up their secrets !
For the past 20 years I have carried a slim engine turned Victorinox knife in my pocket and I use it several times each day. I have dozens of Sheffield knives as you might expect but none of them comes close !!
Sheffield cutlery is a fascinating story but I suspect no different to textiles, shoes, ships or motorbikes.
Bob. Thanks for that insight Robert, I thought it may just be me who had that feeling about Sheffield knives.

Hiya,

i would like to hear from old contacts people who worked or their faily members worked at the george ibberson from 1969 to 1980s, becaause worked there i knew alot of staff then especailly George Hale , he was a great man any info on him plz contact me

my freinds were i wish to make contact with them or their familes etc:



Mr George Hale- my manager best person great man
Mr Underwood_ Manager Gr8 man
Mr Walton
Mr Dennis Cheetham
Mr Keith Moorby and mrs Elaine Moorby
Mr Jim or James
Mr Frank charlesworth and George
Mr Peter King
Bob or Rob Cheetham
Mr Harry Oxley
and Mrs Oxley
K sampson
V sampson
Earnest
Jeff or Geff
Derek Dawson
Frances
Mable
Julie
Sue
Liz
Kath
Mr Peter Biggin
and many more

please get in touch


Mr Hussain (Bash) Mr George Hale gave me this nickname he wa s a gr8 person !!!

Hiya,

i would like to hear from old contacts people who worked or their faily members worked at the george ibberson from 1969 to 1980s, becaause worked there i knew alot of staff then especailly George Hale , he was a great man any info on him plz contact me

my freinds were i wish to make contact with them or their familes etc:



Mr George Hale- my manager best person great man
Mr Underwood_ Manager Gr8 man
Mr Walton
Mr Dennis Cheetham
Mr Keith Moorby and mrs Elaine Moorby
Mr Jim or James
Mr Frank charlesworth and George
Mr Peter King
Bob or Rob Cheetham
Mr Harry Oxley
and Mrs Oxley
K sampson
V sampson
Earnest
Jeff or Geff
Derek Dawson
Frances
Mable
Julie
Sue
Liz
Kath
Mr Peter Biggin
and many more

please get in touch


Mr Hussain (Bash) Mr George Hale gave me this nickname he wa s a gr8 person !!!

hi

I work at george Ibbersons
now owned by Eggington bros,
I was taught by Pete King although he is now retired i still keep in touch, there is also Roy Joel hand grinder, I know Keith Moorby he was my boss when I worked atTaylors Eye Witness.
I've worked in the cutlery trade since i left school in 2002 and I love it.
Steven :)

Steve 85 have u gt facebook or email adreess or you could contact me I would want to know more about these guys mate

Steve could u plz add my son on facebook tonykhany@live.co.uk many thanks

I worked at surmanco not long before it closed down. The people there were ace to work with. Had some great laughs...

Hi me and my husband both worked there , I left a couple of yrs b4 it closed but my husband was there till the end .I worked in the riveting and plastic handle dept he was in maintainence, Which dept did u work in?

I worked at surmanco from 1975 til 1983, brilliant times and a laugh loved every minute of it.

anyone here work in the scissor trade in the 70s.
george ibberson, surmanco.or the one off upwell st that i can never remember the name of.
Also helped to make knives in 70s still got glistening hands to prove it.lol.
anyone worked in these trades.

I worked at surmanco for 27 years until it eventually closed down in 2009