67/15

This is a three-way cleave, a basketmaking tool for splitting willow rods into three to prepare skeins. It consists of a piece of boxwood with the bottom flattened to a knob and the tip carved into three fins. The cleave is held in the right hand while the left guides the rod. This one was used at Thomas Abbey & Sons, a basketmaking firm in Selby, North Yorkshire.

cleave: wood

The family basketmaking business of Thomas Abbey & Sons was established in 1864. Mrs Snowden’s brother (Guy Abbey), father (A. E. Abbey) and grandfather were all basketmakers in the business. Her father spent some years teaching basketmaking at the Amar Singh Technical Institute in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, and was also on the Rural Industries Bureau. When Guy Abbey died there was no one to pass the firm on to, and Mrs Snowden donated several tools [67/15–67/31] which had been in use in the family for about one hundred years., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: CLEAVE (3-way) // Acc. No.: 67/15 // Group: CRAFTS. WOOD. BASKETS // Neg. no.: 60/8581 // Place of origin: Selby. Yorks. // Period in use: // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Box wood. // User: Thos. [Thomas] Abbey & Sons. // Shape and construction: Bottom is a flattened knob. Tip carved into 3 wings. Much worn by use. // Dimensions: L. [length] 3”. W. [width] bottom 1 1/4” // Use: For splitting a willow rod into 3 lengthways when making a skein. The first part of the process. See Shave & Upright. // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes:'

Abbey, Guy ()
Abbey, A. E. ()
Rural Industries Bureau ()
Amar Singh Technical Institute ()
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)