Stan Shaw, Sheffield's 'last little mester': £10k memorial trail appeal launched as city pays tribute

A fundraising appeal was today launched as Sheffield paid its last respects to the master craftsman, whose lovingly-made knives grace the homes of musical legends and world leaders alike.

Plans were unveiled for a plaque outside Cutlers’ Hall, opposite Sheffield Cathedral on Church Street, paying homage to his remarkable life and contribution to Sheffield’s proud industrial heritage.

It would mark the start of a memorial trail, which people could follow by downloading an app and tracing his footsteps as they visit the many places in the city he worked, including his old workshops in Garden Street and most famously at Kelham Island Museum, where countless visitors enjoyed watching him demonstrate the exquisite skills he spent eight decades honing.

Stan, 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, sadly died in February last year, aged 94.

But Covid restrictions at the time prevented a large gathering, meaning Sunday was the first chance the city had to pay its respects properly to a man whose amazing skills, charm and generosity, coupled with his great humility, endeared him to so many.

‘From the humblest of backgrounds to the Queen’s Garden Party’

Around 200 people turned out for the emotional service at Sheffield Cathedral, where his granddaughter Georgia Lees led the moving tributes.

“I’m sure he never would have realised how loved he is. I hope those hands are getting a well-earned rest but knowing him he’ll just be making a knife for the Angel Gabriel,” she said.

She added: “My grandfather came from the humblest of beginnings and had very little education but he found the talent in his hands.”

Having begun his apprenticeship aged just 14 with George Ibberson & Co, she explained, he mastered the craft of knife-making at a string of other 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.

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

‘He always found time to talk to visitors at Kelham Island Museum’

Sharon Armin, assistant manager at Kelham Island Museum and a close friend of Stan’s, described how much he had loved his craft and however busy he was he would always find time to talk to visitors at the museum.

The Reverend Canon Keith Farrow, Vice Dean of Sheffield Cathedral, who led the service, told how there was a little bit of Stan’s ‘heart and soul’ in every one of the thousands of knives he made.

“It’s right that we support the appeal for a lasting memorial to Stan, who was arguably the last of a long line of Sheffield craftsmen,” he added.

Former Sheffield Lord Mayor Councillor Anne Murphy, who is chairwoman of The Stan Shaw Memorial Appeal, said the memorial trail would be a fitting tribute not just to Stan but to the generations of master craftspeople who went before him.

"I think we should all be proud of our heritage in Sheffield, and we should all come together to make this trail happen,” she added.

Stan’s daughter Jane Lees and his son Kevan Shaw said the memorial trail would mean a lot to the family, including Stan’s wife Rosemary.

“It would engrave him in Sheffield’s history, which is where he belongs,” they said.

"Until Dad passed away, we didn’t appreciate just how much the city thought of him. It’s not just his craft and his skill that people respected, it’s the fact he was such a lovely guy with so much time for everybody.”

To donate to The Stan Shaw Memorial Appeal, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/stanshawmemorialappeal.