Knife Grinders - Eric Tingle & Rowland Swinden (1979)

Eric Tingle and Rowland Swinden display there precision skills in grinding knives. Eric describes his life as an outworker grinding knives and demonstrates his skill with butcher knives. Rowland displays his particular skill in producing high quality Bowie knives, most destined for sale in North America. He also dwells briefly on some historic sites in the city.
One of the series of South Yorkshire County Council sponsored films commissioned from Sheffield Independent Film and the Sheffield City Polytechnic to document ‘little mester’ trades. This film was No.3 in the series entitled 'Trades & Crafts'.
To find out more about the Hawley Collection and to donate, visit our website: www.hawleytoolcollection.com/
See also our sister website at hawleysheffieldknives.com/

[@majorpain1251]

Very interesting. The working conditions seem so dismal and depressing but they seem to enjoy their work. True craftsmen.

[@RafaelHe]

Silicosis was definitely a risk for these people. Similar working conditions are still prevalent in some parts of the world. YT keeps pushing these metal working videos from India where no safety measures for the workers seem to exist.

[@roeng1368]

Are these men alive or gone ?

[@rubythompson7962]

I believe the dates at the start are when they were born and died.