56/96

Rasp used by a cobbler in Slinfold, West Sussex. Used to smooth down the pegs, as they could not be reached otherwise.
This rasp is a cobbling tool, used by a cobbler in Slinfold, West Sussex. When wooden pegs were used in building up the soles of shoes, the inner soles would sometimes be pierced through with the pegs. Rasps such as this one were used to smooth down the pegs, as they could not be reached otherwise.

1 cobbling rasp: metal

MERL miscellaneous note - '5. Rasp. When in early days wood pegs were used in building up the soles of shoes, the inner soles would sometimes be pierced through with the pegs. This tool was used to smooth down the pegs as they could not be reached otherwise. (56/96). // ... // In general factory practice the work is still carried out in principle as of old but done by machines. Some of the machines are very wonderful as are the machinists who work them.', Letter, Mrs FitzRandolph to MERL, 6th November 1955 - 'Our village cobbler has just given up work and in his workshop he has left a lot of equipment which, he maintains, is mine because it all belonged to the workshop which he took over complete from the former cobbler (who was also a bootmaker). There is his work stool, with a padded seat at one end, widening out at the other end to form a table or bench with little partitions fitted to make boxes for the nails; another low bench with similar fitted boxes, and a set of tools (which this man didn't use, having his own.) I imagine that the workshop was built and equipped by the first bootmaker, perhaps between 60 and 80 years ago. Would these benches and tools be of sufficient interest for preservation in your museum? ...'

1875-01-01 - 1899-12-31

Late-nineteenth century