67/17

A shave is used to shave and reduce the thickness of a willow skein after it has been split with the cleave to prepare it for weaving. This shave consists of an oblong bock of wood with a steel plate and blade, with one screw for adjustment. It was used at Thomas Abbey & Sons, a basketmaking firm in Selby, North Yorkshire.

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: SHAVE // Acc. No.: 67/17 // Group: CRAFTS. WOOD BASKETS // Neg. no.: 60/8571 // Place of origin: Yorks (WR [West Riding]) Selby // Period in use: 1850–1920 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Wooden base. Steel plate & blade. Brass hinge. // User: Thos. [Thomas] Abbey & Sons, 38 Ousegate, Selby. // Shape and construction: Oblong block of wood, to which is hinged a steel plate the same length, adjustable in height by a screw, below a steel blade fixed over it. // Dimensions: L. [length] 4 1/8” W. [width] 1 1/4” d. [depth] 1” W. [width] Blade 1” // Use: For reducing the thickness of a willow skein after it has been split with the cleave. // Dialect names: // Distribution: General // Additional notes: see also 67/18 & 67/19 & 67/34.'

Abbey, Guy ()
Abbey, A. E. ()
Rural Industries Bureau ()
Amar Singh Technical Institute ()
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)