Lasting tribute to cutler who made knife for Queen

Stan Shaw produced pocket knives in Sheffield for around 80 years

A pair of busts depicting a famous Sheffield craftsman will pay tribute to the last of the city's "little mesters".

Stan Shaw, who died aged 94 in 2021, had an order book featuring royalty and rockstars and was renowned for the pocket knives he made by hand.

He was apprenticed in Sheffield's cutlery industry at the age of 14 and was still giving demonstrations of his craft shortly before he died.

An artist and friend of the Shaw family designed the busts, one in bronze and one in stainless steel, and they are now set to go on display.

The "little mesters" were self-employed metalworkers whose more specialised skills complemented the city's large steel manufacturers.

They made Sheffield famous in the Victorian age, and Mr Shaw's family claim he was the last survivor of the network.

Local technology firms Castings Technology International and Performance Engineering Solutions used 3D laser techniques to create the likeness of Mr Shaw.

One of the sculptures will go on display at his workshop in the Kelham Island area, which has now been converted into a museum devoted to his work.

World-renowned for creating high-quality knives, among the famous figures Mr Shaw produced blades for were Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh and members of Elvis Presley's band.

The busts were produced by two South Yorkshire tech firms and an artist friend of Stan Shaw

The other bust will go on show at Cutlers Hall, alongside a family collection of Mr Shaw's knives.

Family friend Chris Denham was inspired to create the artworks after a conversation at Mr Shaw's memorial service at Sheffield Cathedral.

He said: "I saw Stan at work many times over the years and he once said to me jokingly, ‘I’ve never done a day’s work in my life’.

"Yet he created incredibly complex knives by eye and enjoyed every minute of it, between drinking tea and chatting to people who were interested in his work."

Mr Denham added: "This is all so special because Stan inspired me to leave teaching to become a full-time artist when he was made redundant to become a full-time knife-maker in 1985."

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