"Ivvera thing ats dun to a pen knife throot first tot last"

Note: The following is an excerpt from "The Sheffield Dialect" by Abel Bywater. First published in 1839, the 2nd Edition was published in 1854 and is an interesting look at regional dialect, cutlery lore, and general skulduggery. This story is part of a conversation of 'gentlemen' sitting 'round a fire talking about this, that, and the other when the conversation eventually turns to knives. One can see the differentiation in labor between forger, grinder, scale and spring maker, and cutler.

JACK – O sa Jooa, these knoives a Rodgers ' is proime ans, arnt they ? J00A — Hah , heahs non to beat em , theyrt best putten together ofonna it tahn o beleeve. O say, Jack , can thah begin an tell me ivvera thing ats dun at a pen knoife throot furst tot last. JACK _ Nowo cahnt, nor thee nother, o 'm shooar. JooA - Cum , o 'st stan an odd glass o Crossland's threepenny at o doo, an thah kno's itst best stuff in tahn . JACK — Webber whooas tubbit judge ? J00A - Whoy, see the,heahs Jooa Slitspring just cummin in , hemun ; thaht shooar he'l foind me aht if o dont tell thee reit. JACK > Cum then , start the man .

J00A - Wa then o 'st begin wit blade makker furst :

1st. He mood 'st blade, 2nd. Then he tangs it

3rd . Then he smithies it. 4th . Then he hardens an tempers it , an he'sdun we't. - - Wa then heast spring makker : lst. Hemoods it. 2nd. Then he draws tuther end aht an turns it, an 's just as menna he’ats fort scale ; wa then 't blade gooas tot wheel tubbe grun an sich loik . 1st. Nah , thah kno's , we awlis groind tang furst, fort mark to be strucken , bur ivvera bodda dus 'nt. 2nd. Then groindt blade. 3rd . If its a rahnd ended knoife, tangs is glazed an pollisht. 4th . Then they'r choil'd if they 'r not fether edged uns. 5th. Then they 'r grun uppat droi stooan . 6th. Swages is glazed , an t'backs, if they'r tubbe pollisht. 7th . Wa then they 'r lapt. 8th . An then pollisht, an he's dun we't.- Then heast cutler's wark al bit warst, bur o think o can mannidge: 1st. He sets scales tot plate. 2nd . Bores t’scales . 3rd . Foiles an fits em . 4th . Nocks em aht an marks springs. 5th . Rahnds springs, an hardens and tempers em . 6th . Then he rasps and sets his cuverin .

7th . Then he matches an pins em on 8th . Tak 's em dahn an dresses t'edges. 9th . Nocks em aht an scrapes t’edges at iron scales.

10th . Puts springs intot hefts. 11th . Squar'st blades an dresses em . 12th. Nails em in joints an sets em . 13th . If they'r stag they want heftin . 14th. Foils't bowsters . 15th . Ruff buffs t' hefts . 16th . Ruff glazes't bowsters. 17th . Then woips sand off. 18th . Foine buffs em we oil an rottenston . 19th . Foine glazes't bowsters . 20th . Then glosses em off, an they'r finisht, arnt they Jooa ? JooA - -Nou , lad , not sooa , thah 's mist two things Thah 'l loize if ta dus'nt moind., Jooa Crocus — Wa o can think o nowt else . Wot have e mist, eh ? J00A - - Dus'n thah kno at after't springs is hardened an temper'd , they'r glaz’d an burnisht; an at after he matches an pins em on , he nips em an bores't thick horn hoils , an puts points in . JooA CROCUS— Waman, o did 'nt owt to loise for that bit ; bur, o avver, let's just reckon hah menna toimes won part or anuther on em gooas throo us hands. J00A - Wa, then , we'll begin wit blade makker furst :

Blade Makker ....toimes 4 Scale an Spring Makker ....toimes 4 Groinder ....toimes 8

Cutler or Setter in ....toimes 22 Total ....38