One of the few things I kept from Mum and Dad’s home was a small green glass stand which I presumed was a spoon rest – something I’d been looking for as Roobinesque has limited bench space in the galley.
I didn’t pay a great deal of attention to the writing until I was cleaning it last night after dinner.
All the different patents are stamped around the edge of the hone.
It turns out that it’s a Lillicrap’s Hone, designed in the 1930’s to sharpen safety-razors. As World War 2 gathered pace, and supplies of razor blades dried up, the hone was even issued to the British Soldiers. Graham was delighted to discover that the inventor of the hone, Joseph Lillicrap, came from Urmston, the very same place where Graham was born!
Here’s a run down on the hone and its history from Bernard C, a British Glass Dealer. Lillicrap’s Hone. It makes fascinating reading!
I’m going to smile every time I rest my spoon on it now 🙂 Do you have one of these loitering in the back of a cupboard??
It must have been in the house for many years and yet I’d never seen it before, Jenny. As it was in a kitchen drawer I mistakenly assumed it was a spoon rest. So lovely to discover it’s simply taking on a new role now 🙂
How awesome and ironic….. never seen one before and I am a person who looks for green depression glass…..
Ha, you’re right there, Barbara!
Very interesting …. I like the inventors name … Would have to come from that part of the world