51/189

This steel, for sharpening knives either for domestic or butcher's use, came from an old house in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, which had previously been a butcher’s shop. The user would fasten the leather strap around his neck so that the steel would be easy to hold and would be at hand whenever he wanted it. The knife would be passed sharply up and down the steel on both sides of the cutting edge.

1 steel: metal (steel); bone; leather; good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This steel came from an old house in Winchcombe (Glos) which had formerly been a butchers shop. It was used for sharpening knives either for table or butcher’s use. // It consists of a steel rod 8.5 inches in length fitted into a bone handle 4.5 inches long. The handle has a brass ring screwed into the end and through this is looped a leather strap fastened with a buckle. The user would fasten the strap round his neck so that the steel would be easy to hold and would be at hand whenever he wanted it. The knife would be passed sharply up and down the steel on both sides of the cutting edge.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/189 // NAME: BUTCHER'S STEEL // NEG NO.: 35/64 // STORAGE: '