N° d'objet
67/23
Description
Deaccessioned. Please note that this object no longer forms part of the Museum of English Rural Life collection, and so cannot be accessed at our institution.
A picking knife is a tool used by basketmakers to pick the ends off the withies as a basket is made. This picking knife has a rounded as handle, and a short wide steel blade with a curved end. It was used at Thomas Abbey & Sons, a basketmaking firm in Selby, North Yorkshire.
Description physique
deaccessioned
Historique d'archive
The family basketmaking business of Thomas Abbey & Sons was established in 1864. Mrs Snowden’s brother (Guy Abbey), father (A. E. Abbey) and grandfather were all basketmakers in the business. Her father spent some years teaching basketmaking at the Amar Singh Technical Institute in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, and was also on the Rural Industries Bureau. When Guy Abbey died there was no one to pass the firm on to, and Mrs Snowden donated several tools [67/15–67/31] which had been in use in the family for about one hundred years., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: KNIFE (picking) // Acc. No.: 67/23 // Group: CRAFTS. WOOD BASKETS // Neg. no.: 60/8597 // Place made: Yorks. [Yorkshire] Sheffield. // Place used: Yorks [Yorkshire] (W. R. [West Riding]) Selby // Period in use: 1865 onwards // DESCRIPTION // Materials: metal/steel & brass. Wood/Ash // Maker: M. Gregory & Son // User: Thos. [Thomas] Abbey & Sons // Shape and construction: Short wide steel blade curved at top, brass ferrule, ash handle // Dimensions: L. [length] blade 3” L. [length] handle 3 3/4” // Use: For ‘picking’ a basket i.e. cutting off the ends when it finished. // Inscription: W. M. Gregory & Sons, Sheffield – Blade – Stamped // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes: see 52/84 & 64/198/2'
Date
1967
Nom d'objet
Document électronique
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_8597.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\Baskets\67_23_cob.tif - High resolution image