Summary

Part of a sailmaker's tool kit.

The 'Bengall' trademark was granted to cutler Luke Cadman (1727-1788) of Sheffield, England in 1748. Two of his son's continued his business which ceased trading in 1965. Thomas Radley Cadman (1833-1917) took over the business in the early 1870s, trading as T. R. Cadman & Sons Ltd.

Physical Description

Steel blade with black handle, possibly bakelite, ebonised wood or horn. Stored in original cardboard box (damaged and missing cover) with embossed flower on one side.

Significance

This object is part of a collection of hand tools and materials, related to the trades of shipwrighting and sailmaking. Shipwrights and sailmakers were a very important trade for the construction and maintenance of water transport, such as paddlesteamers and sailing ships. The early colony of Victoria relied on the skills of these trades for construction of new vessels as well as their ongoing maintenance.

There are close to 7000 objects, documents and images related to the Trades Collection, which is primarily a collection of the tools associated with various trades, such as baking, blacksmithing, bookbinding, boot & shoe making, bricklaying, broom making, butchering, carpentry & woodworking, coachbuilding & wheelwrighting, coopering, coppersmithing, drafting, founding & moulding, gardening, glazing, hairdressing, hat making & millinery, jewellery making, knife & blade sharpening, leatherworking, metal working, organ building, painting & decorating, patternmaking, plumbing, printing, saddlery, shipwrighting, stonemasonery, tailoring & dressmaking, tiling, tinsmithing, tool making, undertaking, upholstering, wig making, and woodturning.

More Information