In the early Fifties, I used to love watching our local grocer (Mrs Lawrence) thumping a large hunk of bacon onto the spikes of the slicer. My mother chose the thickness of the cut by pointing at the range of red lines, then Mrs Lawrence turned on the cutting wheel and slid the machine backwards and forwards. She received each slice on the palm of her hand and the job was done.
She also used 'butter pats' to shape up a lump of butter for a customer.
I don't like changes, and these new stamps seem a bit silly to me.