83/39

Coopers Animal Health (Manufacturer)

A pocket knife for trimming and cleaning the feet of sheep. Inscribed: 'COOPER'S DIP, REAL LAMB FOOT KNIFE'.
This is a pocket knife with a horn handle for trimming and cleaning the feet of sheep. Inscribed on the blade is 'COOPER'S DIP // REAL LAMB FOOT KNIFE'. It was probably given to a farmer or shepherd by a Cooper's salesman to act as a promotional aid for Coopers dip. It was found by the donor when clearing out his mother's house after her death. The donor was unable to say how the knife came into his family's possession as he was unaware of any relations who were farmers or shepherds.

1 knife: metal; horn; good condition.

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: KNIFE // Accession number: 83/39 // Classification: LIVESTOCK Sheep // Negative number: 60/14382 // Acquisition method: Gift // Acquired from, date: Mr. S. Le Fleming, [...], June 1983 // Store: Small object // Condition: Good // Recorder, date: J. M. Betts 17.6.83 // Description: A pocket knife with single straight blade and a horn handle. // INSCRIPTION: on blade COOPER'S DIP // REAL LAMB FOOT KNIFE // Dimensions: Length (open): 19.0cm Length (closed): 10.0cm. // Associated information: This knife was probably given to a farmer or shepherd by a Cooper's salesman to be used for trimming or cleaning the feet of sheep and at the same time acting as a promotional aid for their dips. // References:', Letter, Valerie Bott (Grange Museum, London) to MERL, 1 June 1983 – 'Dear Roy, // You may think me completely mad... but enclosed is something which may be of interest for MERL's collection! // I have been helping a neighbour to clear his mother's house after her death last year. She was an inveterate hoarder and seems to have acquired the remains of various relatives' household effects as well as saving astonishing quantities of stuff of her own! Her son has no choice but to throw out an enormous amount of it but I have been casting a curatorial/scavenger's eye over what was ear-marked "for disposal" and found the enclosed knife in a whole box of small knives of one sort and another. // I assume the knife has agricultural connections, with its "Cooper's Dip" slogan on one side and "Real Lamb Foot" on the other! I know you have some advertising material so wondered whether this would add to that as a promotional gimmick. If you already have hundreds or know of another museum which has a local connection with Cooper's please feel free to pass it on. // The donor is Stephen Le Fleming, [...] - I am sure he would be pleased and amused to have an official thank-you letter! He is unfortunately unable to shed much light on which branch of the family might have originally owned such a knife. His mother was born in China but her family came originally from Worthing, his father served as director or manager of the railways in, I think, Malaya and in his retirement (1950s) wrote a number of classic railway books. There was a West Country relative, Sir Kay Le Fleming, who seems to have been a medical doctor, and other relations in Kent. None seems to have been a farmer, however! // Best wishes, Val Bott // Valerie Bott // Museum Keeper', Letter, MERL to Valerie Bott (Grange Museum, London), 7 June 1983 – 'Dear Val, // Thanks for the knife. We have some Coopers sheep dip material here already - but nothing like this. I am writing to Stephen Le Fleming to thank him for his generosity! // Best wishes, // Roy Brigden // Keeper', Letter, MERL to Mr S. Le Fleming, 7 June 1983 – 'Dear Mr Le Fleming, // I received today via Val Bott a penknife with blade marked 'Coopers Dip'. We have in the collections here a certain amount of publicity material relating to Coopers and are very happy to accept the knife as an additional item. // Yours sincerely, // Mr R Brigden // Keeper'

Berkhamsted

Metal, Horn