Before the introduction of granulated and cube sugars in the second half of the 19th century, the domestic consumer purchased sugar in the form of a sugarloaf

Sugarloaf

A sugarloaf was the traditional form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end product of a process that saw the dark molasses-rich raw sugar, which had been imported from...

, or at least a part of one, and pieces were cut from it by hand using sugar nips, pliers-like cutters. Greater leverage and improved safety was provided by heavier sugar nips set in a wooden base for counter and table-top use.

There was also an all-in-one version; a box that could serve as container for the sugarloaf with built-in pliers and collector drawer for fine-grained residues from the sugar cutting.