Stan, who made exquisitely beautiful, hand-made knives for royalty, rock stars and others for almost 80 years in Sheffield , died in February 2021 at the age of 94. His workshop at Kelham Island Museum has been retained to show people where he created his wonderful knives. A memorial appeal established to remember Stan and his work raised more than £10,000 to create a Stan Shaw Heritage Trail and a permanent sculpted plaque in front of the Cutlers Hall in Sheffield.
Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Star, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. The idea for the bust came from retired Sheffield teacher, turned artist and sculptor Chris Denham from Stocksbridge, who was a friend of Stan and his family. He produced a model in a non-drying substance called’ Plasteline’ similar to plasticine and suggested to the family that the bust would be a great addition to the memorials to Stan in the city.
“I saw Stan at work many times over the years and he once said to me jokingly, ‘I’ve never done a day’s work in my life’, yet he created incredibly complex knives by eye and enjoyed every minute of it between drinking tea and chatting to people who were interested in his work” says Chris. “Then at Stan’s memorial service at Sheffield Cathedral, I sat next to one of the directors of Cti who invited me to look around the factor.
