BRANCHES OF STEEL
by PAUL A. ALLEN
The city of Sheffield, England, has long been associated with the manufacture of high-quality steel and steel products. A Sheffield thwytel [knife] was even mentioned by Chaucer back in the 14th century. Not nearly as well known as its name, however, is the fact that the city's wealth and fame were built on three main branches of the steel industry: carbon and alloy steels, cutlery, and edge tools.
The manufacture and processing of special and alloy steels constituted by far the largest sector of the steel trade. This branch of the industry can be traced back to 1743, when a clockmaker named Benjamin Huntsman invented crucible steel. Crucible steel was made by melting pieces of carbonized iron in a clay pot. The carbon content could be altered as the metal melted, allowing for a better-quality finished product. Huntsman's process revolutionized what had been essentially a small-scale industry. Over the next 200 years, the manufacture of carbon and alloy steels grew at an astonishing rate. Many of the alloy steels still in use today were invented in Sheffield, including the most famous of them all: stainless steel. The surge in steel production affected other industries too, most notably the cutlery industry.
The manufacture of cutlery was the second-largest of the steel trades in Sheffield. In common language, cutlery means knives and forks and spoons, but not in Sheffield; there, the term was largely reserved for knives. Later, the term "cutlery" came to include scissors and razors, which were first introduced in the 18th century, but knives of all shapes and sizes continued to dominate the industry. Knives had been manufactured in the Sheffield region for hundreds of years before the invention of crucible steel, and the finer grades of steel made available by the Huntsman method led to huge growth in the cutlery trades. The words "Made in Sheffield" could be seen stamped on knife blades the world over, giving Sheffield cutlery a reputation for quality that was without equal.
Knives were not the only steel product that could hold a cutting edge, and the production of hand tools grew rapidly along with the cutlery industry. The manufacture of saws, files, scythes, and woodworking tools employed large numbers of skilled workers. Some of the companies that grew to be giants in the steel-making sector began as small-scale tool manufacturers; in addition, many small- to medium-sized steel producers began making tools from their own steel. A number of these smaller companies would eventually drop steel making and go on to become world renowned names in the edge tool industry; Spear & Jackson and Eclipse are just two examples. Tool manufacturing, although less well known than the alloy steel and cutlery industries, represents an important part of Sheffield's industrial legacy.
During the last thirty years, all three branches of the Sheffield steel trades have suffered from severe contraction. Many skilled tradesmen lost their jobs as a
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