Shave, Edge

Object/Artifact

-

Historic Germantown

Name/Title

Shave, Edge

Entry/Object ID

1993.2.108

Description

Leather working tool with dark brown turned wood handle that narrow toward end. Abrass ring fits on this end. Into this fits a slighty curved, narrow, iron shank with groove down center and U-shaped opening at end. From "The Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools c. 1700-1950" by RA Salaman, p. 252: "A slender, curved shank, grooved on the upper side to form a fence on each side of a narrow, chisel shaped cutting edge. It is used for running along the edges of straps and other parts of the harness to take off the sharp edge." Saddlers apparently began using edge shaves for shaving and smoothing edges around 1850 when edge tools first appeared in english catalogues.

Made/Created

Date made

1850 - 1950

Place

* Untyped Place

USA

Dimensions

Height

7 in

Width

1 in

Depth

1 in

Material

Wood, Brass, Iron

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

McClay, Albert and John

Provenance

Notes

Object owned and used by John McClay, circa 1854 and his son, Albert McClay, circa 1908-1977. Object donated, in 1993, by Wayne Cunningham, son-in-law to Albert McClay.