ABOUT

About



I am Steve Overthrow and am the only traditional Sieve & Riddle maker (Sievewright) in the country, making handmade tools in the time honoured way from my small workshop in Langport, Somerset.


I brought this craft back from extinction in early 2018 making the first of these tools made in 5 years following a period of researching the practices and tooling, making the custom tooling to be able to actually make the Sieves and Riddles, then sourcing wood of the quality to bend and to have all the characteristics a tool made for life should have.


Once all these parts had been pulled together, I then had to take the time to hone my skills and work towards making something which was of better quality than the mass made tools on offer. I took a lot of advice and guidance from Mike Turnock, a retired Sieve and Riddle maker formerly of Hill & Sons in Derbyshire.


The Business was established in March 2019.


Each tool is made by one pair of hands from start to finish under one roof, from cutting the wood into strips, steam bending those strips into hoops and then either fitting a pre woven mesh (Sieve) or weaving a mesh by hand (Riddle), wire by wire.


Rugged and simple in their design, I make these tools with practicality and longevity in mind. Most of my tools are backed by a 15 year guarantee.


I have supplied many tool to all sorts of folk from the humble gardener, baker, shell fisherman, national gardens and nurseries, forges, food manufacturers, coffee and pasta makers, textile workers, fruit pressers and more.


Proudly a cottage industry, keeping small and moving slow is allowing me to pay serious attention to each tool that I do.  I make roughly 250 - 300 per year, mainly on a made to order basis with a short waiting list.

Share by: