Sharpening Collection

Can Openers, Skewers Etc
Can openers, sharpening steels, cutlet bats/beaters, larding pins, trussing needles, hatchet, skewers and steak tongs

The Butchers Shop. A young girl in red dress and bonnet looks at the variety of cuts of meat available at the Butchers Shop

A London knife grinder on the street
A London knife grinder at work on the street

Expert grinder at Wilkinson Sword Works, WW1
Expert grinder at Wilkinson Sword Works, working on a new bayonet during the First World War. 1914-1918

Modernisation of the street jobs, the knife grinder in his car, illustration
XIR346516 Modernisation of the street jobs, the knife grinder in his car, illustration from Le Petit Journal, supplement illustre, 3rd September 1911 (colour litho) by French School

Farming / Sharpening Tools
Sharpening tools on a grindstone - one man turns the wheel, his mate presents the blade to the stone

Interior of French Cutlery Factory, Thiers - Knife Grinders
Interior of French Cutlery Factory (Coutellerie), Thiers, France - Knife Grinders (Emouleurs). Date: circa 1920s

Itinerant Knife Grinder sharpening blade by turning grindwheel with treadle
531809 Itinerant Knife Grinder sharpening blade by turning grindwheel with treadle. Red can over grindwheel contains lubricant. Brazier hangs on handle of cart

A man sharpening a blade on a grindstone
5310271 A man sharpening a blade on a grindstone; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a man sharpening a blade on a grindstone which his colleague is turning with a crank-handle)

A scissors grinder sharpening scissors
2628594 A scissors grinder sharpening scissors.; (add.info.: An American illustration of a scissors grinder sharpening scissors while a girl and her maid look)

Medieval agricultural tools (engraving)
8672989 Medieval agricultural tools (engraving) by Swiss School, (19th Century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Medieval agricultural tools)

Illustration of an iron monger sharpening knives, on the streets of London, c.1780 (engraving)
5617138 Illustration of an iron monger sharpening knives, on the streets of London, c.1780 (engraving); Universal History Archive/UIG.

A stone sharpening stone as a gift for the Sun God Temple
3330190 A stone sharpening stone as a gift for the Sun God Temple; (add.info.: A stone sharpening stone as a gift for the Sun God Temple. Dated 11th Century BC.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

A Chinese barber
5308068 A Chinese barber.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a Chinese barber sharpening his razor. Dated 19th century. 01/01/1850); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Reaper/Haymaker sharpening his scythe with a whetstone (also called a side stone)
540148 Reaper/Haymaker sharpening his scythe with a whetstone (also called a side stone). 19th century (hand colored lithograph); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Cover of catalogue of Manufrance (Manufacture Francaise d'Armes et Cycles) Saint Etienne, c1920 (print)
545162 Cover of catalogue of Manufrance (Manufacture Francaise d'Armes et Cycles) Saint Etienne, c1920 (print) by French School

Recueil des modes de la cour de France, Gagne Petit, between c1678 and c1693. Creator: Nicolas Bonnart
Recueil des modes de la cour de France, Gagne Petit, between c1678 and c1693

The Knife Grinder, c1682. Creator: Adriaen van Ostade
The Knife Grinder, c1682

Costumes de Différents Pays, Homme Patagon, c1797. Creators: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur, LF Labrousse
Costumes de Differents Pays, Homme Patagon, c1797

Costumes de Différents Pays, Homme de la Foret Noire, c1797. Creator: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur
Costumes de Differents Pays, Homme de la Foret Noire, c1797

The scissors, 1700-1800. Creator: W. Barthautz
The scissors, 1700-1800

A Roman Cook´s Boy Sharpening a Knife, 1750. Creator: Jean Barbault
A Roman Cook´s Boy Sharpening a Knife, 1750

Agriculture: Sketch for the school in rue Chateau-Landon, 10th arrondissement of Paris, 1881. Creator: Jules Didier
Agriculture: Sketch for the school in rue Chateau-Landon, 10th arrondissement of Paris, 1881

History of wheat: Harvesters sharpening their scythes. Sketch for the drawing room in the... 1879
History of wheat: Harvesters sharpening their scythes. Sketch for the drawing room in the school in rue Dombasle, 15th arrondissement of Paris, 1879

Saint Luke, c. 1425/1435. Creator: Unknown
Saint Luke, c. 1425/1435

Saint Sharpening a Pen, n.d. Creator: Unknown
Saint Sharpening a Pen, n.d

St. Jerome Hearing the Trumpet of the Last Judgment, 1621. Creator: Jusepe de Ribera
St. Jerome Hearing the Trumpet of the Last Judgment, 1621

Mobile ironer. To iron the razors, the scissors!, around 1819 (print)
8600310 Mobile ironer. To iron the razors, the scissors!, around 1819 (print) by French School, (19th century); 42.5x32.5 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: in "The small street trades)

The Grindstone, 1850 - 1860 (watercolour on paper)
7528582 The Grindstone, 1850 - 1860 (watercolour on paper) by Lundgren, Egron Sellif (1815-75); 30.9x40.1 cm; Gallery Oldham

Sharpening his scythe, early 1900s Date: early 1900s

Touch (oil on panel)
471230 Touch (oil on panel) by Coques, Gonzales (1614-84); 18x15 cm; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, Belgium; (add.info.: A man sharpens a pen)

Grinding Away; or, The Road to Starvation (colour litho)
3648303 Grinding Away; or, The Road to Starvation (colour litho) by Morgan, Matthew " Matt" Somerville (1839-90); Private Collection; (add.info.: Grinding Away; or, The Road to Starvation)

Ibex Whetstone Handle, 1100-900 BC (cast bronze)
499632 Ibex Whetstone Handle, 1100-900 BC (cast bronze) by Iranian School; 22.3 cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: For millennia)

The farmer prepares the scythe for haymaking (fresco)
XOT361868 The farmer prepares the scythe for haymaking (fresco) by Italian School, (15th century); Castello del Buonconsilio, Torre dell Aquila

Untitled (oil on canvas)
OVR371465 Untitled (oil on canvas) by Bergslien, Nils (1853-1928); Private Collection; Photo © O. Vaering

Shoki the Demon Queller Sharpening His Sword, c. 1725. Creator: Okumura Masanobu
Shoki the Demon Queller Sharpening His Sword, c. 1725

Portrait of a Young Artist, c. 1500. Creator: Unknown
Portrait of a Young Artist, c. 1500

Cupid sharpening his bow, 1645-72. Creator: Franciscus van der Steen
Cupid sharpening his bow, 1645-72

An allegory relating to the fortunes of the Turks, ca. 1692. A winged figure probably representing Time stands on a fallen Turk while sharpening a blade on a wheel inscribed with the continents that

In the Barley-Harvest (Suffolk), 1883 / 87, printed 1888. Creator: Peter Henry Emerson
In the Barley-Harvest (Suffolk), 1883/87, printed 1888. A work made of photogravure, pl. vii from the album " pictures of east anglian life" (1888)

The Deserter, 1884 (pencil and watercolour with scratching out)
659730 The Deserter, 1884 (pencil and watercolour with scratching out) by Gregory, Charles (1810-96); 71.1x107 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The Deserter. Charles Gregory (1849-1920)

The Knife Grinder (engraving)
3646677 The Knife Grinder (engraving) by Amman, Jost (1539-91) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Knife Grinder)

Butcher, What For You Mum (chromolitho)
976359 Butcher, What For You Mum (chromolitho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Butcher, What For You Mum. Scrap.); © Look and Learn

Knife shapening grindstone (chromolitho)
977694 Knife shapening grindstone (chromolitho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Knife shapening grindstone)

A man sharpening his straight razor on a leather strop (colour litho)
732481 A man sharpening his straight razor on a leather strop (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A man sharpening his straight razor on a leather strop)

Comic postcard, Little boy sharpening large pencil Date: 20th century

Men with grinding stones sharpening knives, Egypt
Vintage 19th century photograph: men with grinding stones sharpening knives, Egypt

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Sharpening: Honing the Tools of Trade Through Time" From can openers to skewers, it has been an essential practice in various industries. Step into the bustling atmosphere of a traditional butcher's shop, where razor-sharp knives are meticulously maintained for precision cuts. Imagine the expert grinder at Wilkinson Sword Works during World War I, tirelessly sharpening blades that would soon be wielded by soldiers on the front lines. As time progressed and streets modernized, so did street jobs. The knife grinder became a familiar sight, his mobile workshop tucked inside his car as he traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood. An illustration captures this scene perfectly - a tradesman dedicated to keeping blades sharp for all. Not limited to culinary tools alone, farming implements also required regular sharpening. Picture a farmer skillfully honing his scythe blade in the early 1900s, ensuring efficiency during long days in the fields. Even animals understand the importance of sharpness. A mischievous tabby kitten playfully sharpens its claws on a chair, reminding us that instinctual behaviors have been passed down through generations. Travel back further in time and witness craftsmen at work within the interior of a French Cutlery Factory in Thiers. Amongst them are skilled knife grinders who transform raw steel into finely-honed blades with their expertise and precision. The artistry extends beyond practicality; it becomes an integral part of cultural celebrations too. In c. 1800 Christmas cards depict tradesmen diligently sharpening scissors as they prepare gifts for loved ones - showcasing how even festive occasions require attention to detail. Lastly, "Touch, " an oil-on-panel masterpiece capturing not only physical but emotional sharpness emerges as well - reminding us that sometimes we need more than just honed edges; we need keen senses and intuition too.