Around 1980 I remember visiting a small cutlery factory with my Granville College class. I seem to remember it being somewhere just south of the city centre. Even then, the place seemed very old fashioned; the cutlery all being made by hand.

I believe this type of factory was locally known as a 'messtie', or similar, and that there were a few in the area.

Does anyone know more about this kind of industry and do these 'messties' still exist?

try asking in one of the cutlery shops - surrey st or west st

The guys who used to run them were known as Little Misters as each one was his own boss.
There would be a street full of small workshops, each one doing a different process in cutlery maufacture ( forging, plating, polishing etc.) Even to the manufacture of the boxes to put in

I imagine all this has now been swept away

http://www.made-in-sheffield.com/people/littlemesters-pt1.htm

Try this site

Nearly all good quality Cutlery including Bowie Knives and Pen knives are hand-made. I work in the trade and its all hand produced as machines just dont get into the places that I can by hand.

lazarus - if I were looking for genuine hand made Sheffield cutlery, where would I find it?

Originally posted by kev21662
lazarus - if I were looking for genuine hand made Sheffield cutlery, where would I find it? Well Kev this is just a small list, the first firm mentioned do have a factory Shop and its worth a visit.
George Butlers, British silverware,C.J.Vander, there are lots of little firms producing excellent hand-made cutlery, in fact to many to list here but if you want to see some good quality Cutlery pop into Sheffield Scene on Surrey St they do have an excellent range and its all hand-made from the Sterling Silver to the Stag handled sets.

Originally posted by kev21662
Around 1980 I remember visiting a small cutlery factory with my Granville College class. I seem to remember it being somewhere just south of the city centre. Even then, the place seemed very old fashioned; the cutlery all being made by hand.

I believe this type of factory was locally known as a 'messtie', or similar, and that there were a few in the area.

Does anyone know more about this kind of industry and do these 'messties' still exist?

would it be the sterling works?

see here:
http://www.qr8.co.uk/freeman/

Originally posted by kev21662
Around 1980 I remember visiting a small cutlery factory with my Granville College class. I seem to remember it being somewhere just south of the city centre. Even then, the place seemed very old fashioned; the cutlery all being made by hand.

I believe this type of factory was locally known as a 'messtie', or similar, and that there were a few in the area.

Does anyone know more about this kind of industry and do these 'messties' still exist?
Could it have been BRITISH SILVERWARE on Queens Rd ? it was situated just opposite where B&Q is now, part of the old works is now used as a Furniture Shop just next to the River Sheaf on Priestley St. The firm then moved to THE SHEAFBANK WORKS at HEELEY now it is situated down attercliffe on Windsor St ans part of the SOLPRO GROUP.
or could it have been HARRIS MILLER`S on EYRE ST? the site is now a car park near the CO-OP fUNERAL DIRECTORS part of the offices are still there as is the works gate, but with the amount of small firms in that area it could have been any one of them, COOPER BROTHERS,BIGGINS BROTHERS, YATE BROTHERS, ROBERTS & BELK, GEORGE BUTLERS, HERBERT HOUSLEYS there was scores of them.

Thanks for the information. Cheers, Kevin.

These tradesmen were known as Little Mesters, not misters.

Sorry Jossman idid know but had forgotten:(

Talking about lLittle Mesters, my brother in law (now deceased) went into the business when he came out of the army after the war. His name was Sam Marshall. Anyone remember him?

Hello Lazarus, A few years ago I bought about 50 pieces of second hand cutlery by Roberts & Belk, it is beauifully made, I understand they only made a small range of table knife handles.

I have a photo of some "Little Mesters" HERE (http://members.aon.at/dobsak/pic/dwarfs.jpg)

I think you can see this sort of thing at Kelham Island.

There a cutlery factory shop on the road up to Ski vallage past the railway bridge on the right just before the bend, cant remember name of company though. Dont open Saturdays though

Originally posted by kev21662
Around 1980 I remember visiting a small cutlery factory with my Granville College class. I seem to remember it being somewhere just south of the city centre. Even then, the place seemed very old fashioned; the cutlery all being made by hand.

I believe this type of factory was locally known as a 'messtie', or similar, and that there were a few in the area.

Does anyone know more about this kind of industry and do these 'messties' still exist?

Try this page, it's photos of the little mesters.
http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl

Originally posted by peppermint
Try this page, it's photos of the little mesters.
http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl


sorry not that url i posted before this one
http://www.picturesheffield.com/database_search.php
just type in little mesters in the bottom search box