Visiting Arthur Wright & Son (Pics)

Thanks a lot gents, I appreciate the kind words :) :thumbup:

pholder said:
thank you for taking the time so we can share the tour, to see the craftsmen working the old machinery gives me a different perspective on the lambsfoot that is in my pocket. a better appreciation if you will when times were not so automated. Personal touch is a quality that cannot be replaced.
thanks again for the tour, by the way I am waiting for my new lambfoot in blue jig bone to keep my rosewood and ebony wood lambfoot company here in vacaville,ca. U.S.A.
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Thanks Troy, don't forget to post your new Lambsfoot in the Guardians thread ;) :thumbup: That was my second visit to Wright's, and I must say that on my first visit, in a time when the phrase 'handmade' can mean anything but that, I was a little surprised by the operation. Those knives are really made the old Sheffield way :thumbup:

paulhilborn said:
Jack, you do so much here and I love to see and read your thread/posts. That's a place I could sit and observe for hours. Anything Sheffield captivates my interests of late (thanks Duncan).

Thank you Jack. I just hated seeing the graffiti defacing an historical place as that.
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Thanks a lot Paul :) Yes, there are far worse buildings too I'm afraid. Truth be told, for one of England's largest cities, Sheffield is a pretty grotty place. The Wright's factory is about a quarter mile from Sheffield Town Hall! :rolleyes:

Gevonovich said:
Thanks for the look, Jack! It is great to see some apprentices, young and older, mastering the art. Looks like they are putting out some nice knives. Do they use jobbers?
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Thanks Gev :) No, not at all, all their knives are made on the premises, from Penknives to 10" Bowies, and even swords for the British Army! They also make blades for a couple of other cutlers.

Cambertree said:
Great find, Jack. I was wondering what that boarded up opening was at front left, when we were looking at the building. An old shopfront!
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Thanks Chin, I'll see if I can find an older pic :thumbup:

Campbellclanman said:
Jack my friend - this is awesome to see.
Yet I am saddened by the state of the exterior of the building for such a fine name in Knives.
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waynorth said:
Let's head over there with a few buckets of paint, Duncan!!!
:D
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LOL! I nearly fell off my chair then Charlie! :D What a thought! :D :thumbup:

Thanks Duncan :thumbup:
 
Awesome report!

Their lambs foot is on my next to get list.


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I saved this thread to enjoy with my morning coffee and it did not disappoint. Great stuff, Jack! As you know, I'm fond of my Arthur Wright Lambsfoot and it's fascinating to get a behind the scenes look at the folks and shop that made it. Thank you.
 
scrteened porch said:
I like "The Wild Percy". Reminds me of Claire Foy.
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LOL! :D Yeah, I really don't think they would call a pub that today! :D :thumbup:

WhittlinAway said:
I saved this thread to enjoy with my morning coffee and it did not disappoint. Great stuff, Jack! As you know, I'm fond of my Arthur Wright Lambsfoot and it's fascinating to get a behind the scenes look at the folks and shop that made it. Thank you.
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Thanks Greg :) :thumbup:
 
Great thread, Jack! I enjoyed the tour.

It's nice to hear that their business is thriving.

I wish I had bothered to tour Camillus Cutlery's factory before it closed. Seems I took their 100+ year history for granted.
 
Thanks Gary, I wish I had been round a lot of old cutlery factories my friend :thumbup:
 
Jack thanks for the wonderful tour! I first opened it yesterday but didn't have time to really look, so I just scrolled through the pics quick. First thought: somebody else has to grind in the cold besides me. Really was. Had time to stroll today and not scroll. Thanks for preserving this for us Jack.
 
Thanks a lot Dave, I'm glad you found it of interest. Those old cutlery wheels had no windows, just big holes in the walls to let in the light, water all over the stones from the trough, and no heating except maybe a small fire (some didn't even have that). In the summer there often wasn't enough water to turn the water-wheel, so winter was the time most of the work got done. Must had been hard for sure! :eek: The French grinders lay down to grind, and had dogs to lay over their legs to keep them a little warmer! Still, I don't think there's any central heating in the AW factory! :D :thumbup:
 
I'm impressed that they're still hand forging, and glad there are a couple of apprentices to keep things rolling a little longer.
 
waynorth said:
Let's head over there with a few buckets of paint, Duncan!!!
:D
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Charlie - you are on my friend! :thumbup:

Jack - again many thanks for the time you take- you ALWAYS take so much time and care to give us all here such in depth reports which takes ones mind almost back to the day as if we were standing there watching the Grinders and Cutlrs at work.

What bitter, harsh times during Winter it must have been in those old Buildings- Man what tough days they would have been- more so for the poor wee leg- warmer dogs I imagine.
 
Thanks Duncan, you're very kind my friend :) I'm afraid I don't have as much time as I did a few years back though :(
 
Always great to see your tour pictures!! I love all the old equipment they are still using:thumbup:
 
Thanks for sharing the pictures and your trip woth us. I have several of their knives and it's great to see where they're made. There are a couple of videos on British Pathe on the Sheffield steel industry, knife making included.
 
Thanks folks :) If I get to visit again, I'll try and take some pics of the old presses, which are in the room where the forging was being done :thumbup:
 
Great pictorial, Jack. Thanks for taking the time. The pictures remind me a lot of the Queen factory, aside from the forges, and seem very similar to the pictures people had taken at the Canal Street shop before they closed up. It's really neat to see the similarities, and just fantastic that they let you get right in there with the workers. That was my favorite part of the Queen tour, and I'd imagine that the same would hold true for you. That's living history right there.
 
Thanks Cory, I'd always imagined the Queen and Canal Street factories to be much bigger, but I guess there was no reason for them to be. The previous time I visited Wright's, I think there were about 10 guys there, and I had a chat to a couple of them. They're all proper apprenticed Sheffield cutlers, some of whom had worked for other Sheffield firms which no longer exist. I guess most of the younger Sheffield cutlers went into other professions when the cutlery factories closed down. I wonder how many trained cutlers there still are in the city, my guess is quite a few :thumbup:
 
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