When Wilfred Cooper (1851-1949) retired in 1935, aged 77, he claimed to have forged more pocket knife blades than any other man.   He had been born in Sheffield, the son of Thomas (a cordwainer) and his wife, Julia.  Wilfred joined George Wostenholm’s, aged seven, and was trained as a pen and pocket blade forger.  He had no schooling, but later attended a Friends’ school at weekends.  His first wife was Ruth, who died in 1899, and he later married Betsy.  They lived at 179 Industry Street, Walkley.   He was pictured (hammer in hand) when a local newspaper published a roll call of the longest-serving workers.  Wilfred had clocked up 67 years at Wostenholm’s (Sheffield Daily Independent, 20 February 1926).  He was profiled again on completion of seventy years’ service (Sheffield Independent, 16 November 1928).  He was still working six days a week, forging 15-18 dozen blades a day.  He was a Baptist and teetotaller, who did not approve of workmen drinking a lot.  He remarked how in the old days, ‘workmen would squander what they got in that way’ (Sheffield Independent, 16 November 1928).  He retired voluntarily after 77 years of forging, because his eyesight was failing (Daily Independent, 20 December 1935).   Betsy died in the following year.  Wilfred lived at Industry Street, until his death (aged 97) on 20 March 1949.  He left £179.  The couple were buried at Crookes Cemetery.