Many, if not most, English trained bookbinders of a certain age cut their teeth using Geo. Barnsley leather paring knives. Barnsley made numerous tools for butchers, saddle makers, shoemakers and others, from the early 19th century until the 1990’s. Below are great images of how one factory looks now, from the UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums. There are many more photos on this site from several members. Admittedly, propagating images like these raises some concerns and issues, including trespassing, vandalism, safety, ethics, preservation, conservation, and more. But these images are already ‘out’, and in this case, I felt the informational value for the people who use and research the history of leather-working tools outweighs these other concerns. These aren’t just neat photos of a cool old rundown factory, these are valuable documentation.
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A wonderfully intact painted sign on a gate. Graffiti seems to have been removed or covered over in the grey areas. The piece of unpainted wood, either covering or replacing a hinge, seems to indicate at least someone is repairing or maintaining the premises? Image: The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums
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Very rusty cobbler’s hammer with a broken neck. To me this photograph looks staged, although of course all photographs, in a fundamental sense, are staged. The cleaned off area on and around the handle seems inconsistent with the regular deposits of debris on most surfaces. The very rusty and broken hammer head seems incongruous with the essentially intact handle. But it is a nice image of nature overcoming technology. Image: The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums
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Storage shelves for knives. Lace knives are used to cut leather laces, and could be stuck into the bench, and the leather spun around in a circle to cut long lengths from a relatively small piece of leather. A butt knife is similar to a linoleum knife. Some butt knives have a mysterious nib, or hump, on the back of the blade, and its purpose is unknown. There are similar nibs on some 19th and 20th century handsaws for wood and 18th century french saws for sawing in book spines. Image: The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums
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Indenture for an apprentice knife or toolmaker. Date: June 4, 1823. Seven years, two hundred seventy one days in length and signed by George Barnsley. It is hard to believe this is still lying around the factory. Traditionally indentures were cut in irregular patterns on the top edge so that the master and apprentice copies would fit together. It is a fairly small image and hard to read, but several lines jump out: “Fornication he shall not commit” and “his [master’s] lawful secrets he shall keep.” Image: The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums
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Price list for various pattern Butcher’s knifes. Note that beech handles were cheaper than redwood and the large variety of sizes availiable. I’m unclear what the bottom style knife with “one brass screw” is. Image: The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums
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Large grinding wheel. Ashley Iles reports that in 1950’s Sheffield, most workers only respiratory protection was a pint of ale to wash down the dust. [1] The hinged wood cover hinges down to protect the stone. Image: The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums
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Various knives from a catalog plate? Small and large wooden body spokeshaves on the right, “Saddlers Spokeshaves” In the middle is a plough gauge (aka. Strap cutting gauge), which is used to cut long strips of leather to an even width. [2] On the bottom, in the middle is a saddler’s head knife; it is easy to image grasping it with your thumb on the slight curve and forefinger fitting into the severe curve on the left side. Image: The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums
Notes
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1. Ashley Iles, Memories of a Sheffield Tool Maker. Mendham, N.J.: Astragal Press, 1993. (p. 64)
2. R. A. Salaman, Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools c. 1700-1950. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1986. (p. 263) Contains a good illustration of how they are used.
Peachey Conservation 
