Heritage trail to follow in the footsteps of Sheffield's last 'little mester' Stan Shaw

This was a trade the city was once famous for, and Mr Shaw made knives for rockstars and Royalty worldwide. When he died in 2021, at the age of 94, he was the last of his kind.

From his first workshop on Garden Street to the cobbled streets of Kelham Island Museum, a new heritage trail app is to trace his remarkable journey.

His passing had prompted a public appeal. Now, with £16,000 raised, the grandfather's legacy is to be engraved into the steel city's story.

Andy Kershaw, from the Stan Shaw Memorial Appeal, said the outpouring of donations and pledges showed an incredible strength of support.

"He was the last of the 'little mesters' in Sheffield," said Mr Kershaw. "A small scale, self-employed tradesman, operating from his own order book.

"He made the most beautiful, unique pieces. He built up such a client base, and his knives were so collectable, that he had a year’s-long waiting list.

"There have always been knives made in Sheffield, and once there would have been hundreds of 'little mesters', grinding knives up the rivers," he added.

"It's what made Sheffield famous, long before mechanisation or industrialisation. We want to celebrate that he was the last of a dying trade."

Mr Shaw, apprenticed at just 14 with George Ibberson & Co, was to master the craft of knife-making at a number of firms. As the industry fell into decline he struck out on his own aged 56, setting up shop on the city's Garden Street before moving to Kelham Island.

Among his clientele were the Queen, former US president George HW Bush, Sheffield’s own Bobby Knutt and Richard Hawley, as well as bandmates of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly.

He was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2006 for services to the Sheffield cutlery industry, and a Freeman of the Company of Cutlers in Sheffield in 2003.

After his passing, hundreds gathered at Sheffield Cathedral to join Mr Shaw's wife Rosemary, sons Kevan and Andrew, and daughter Jane for a memorial service last year.

Targets to raise £10,000 for a lasting tribute have long since been smashed, with £16,000 raised through fundraising, grants, and donations.

First came a plaque, unveiled outside the Cutlers' Hall in December, and now a heritage trail app to launch in the late Autumn with Llama Digital. There will be further artworks, plaques, and displays, and a 3D bust to be created with laser print imaging by CTI Digital.

Mr Kershaw said Mr Shaw's knives were forged by a man who had mastered any number of specialist trades to learn all the processes.

"Knife making was his calling. He made these incredible, ornate knives, for people all over the world, they were just incredibly popular. He needs to be remembered, and remembered for his contribution," he said.