Grateful widow's gift to clergy for memorial service for Sheffield's 'last little mester' Stan Shaw

The widow of Sheffield's ‘last little mester' has presented one of his lovingly-made knives to a clergyman who helped arrange his memorial service.
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Stan Shaw, from Deepcar, who made knives for celebrities ranging from the Queen and former US president George HW Bush to bandmates of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, as well as Sheffield’s own Bobby Knutt and Richard Hawley, died in February last year, aged 94.

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A memorial service was held in his honour last month.

Rev Canon Keith Farrow and Rose Shaw. Mrs Shaw has presented Keith with a knife crafted by her husband, Stan, who was Sheffield's last 'little mester' before his death in 2021.Rev Canon Keith Farrow and Rose Shaw. Mrs Shaw has presented Keith with a knife crafted by her husband, Stan, who was Sheffield's last 'little mester' before his death in 2021.
Rev Canon Keith Farrow and Rose Shaw. Mrs Shaw has presented Keith with a knife crafted by her husband, Stan, who was Sheffield's last 'little mester' before his death in 2021.

This week, his grateful widow, Rose, presented the Vice Dean of Sheffield Cathedral, the Rev Canon Keith Farrow, with one of her husband’s handcrafted steel penknives, as a thank you.

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Mr Farrow had contacted her last year when he heard about the loss of Stan.

He remembered her from many years ago, when they had both worked at Middlewood Hospital – and he recalled how she had talked about her husband and his craft.

Rose, aged 91, said she first met Mr Farrow in around 1986, when they both worked as nursing assistants.

The penknife made by Stan Shaw, Sheffield's last little mester, and presented by  his widow to the Rev Canon Keith FarrowThe penknife made by Stan Shaw, Sheffield's last little mester, and presented by  his widow to the Rev Canon Keith Farrow
The penknife made by Stan Shaw, Sheffield's last little mester, and presented by his widow to the Rev Canon Keith Farrow

She said “Keith contacted me after I lost my husband to see if he could come and see me."

She said he had been helpful and comforting.

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Mr Farrow added that he remembered Stan coming into the hospital and showing him a knife he was going to give to the Queen.

He said: “I left Middlewood and went onto a career in the Church but I never forgot Rose or Stan, with the history of the knives.

"When I heard he had passed away I contacted Rose to offer my condolences and it went from there, and we talked about a memorial service in the cathedral. Stan had become a legend.

"It’s been a joy to conduct the memorial service.”

Having begun his apprenticeship aged 14 with George Ibberson and Co, Stan mastered knife-making at a string of big firms before, ‘seeing the industry start to crumble around him’, he struck out on his own at the age of 56, when most people would have one eye on retirement.

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One of his proudest moments was attending the Buckingham Palace Garden Party in 2017, after being awarded the British Empire Medal for service to the Sheffield cutlery industry.

A fundraising appeal is raising money for a memorial to Stan.

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