The usual method of sharpening was to use a stone to grind the cutting edge (Nowadays, we would probably use a few strokes of a diamond hone, )

From the curve in the carbon steel blade, it has been sharpened many many times, but not uniformly along the length of the blade.

It might well be about a hundred years old. My granny used knives like that!

Howard

Looks like an old knife, so high carbon steel. I guess it started as a standard kitchen knife and has been resharpened so often that the original shape has been lost and it's thinned down remarkably.

Being pedantic about Tony's comment: although carbon steel takes an edge better than stainless, stainless holds an edge better than carbon steel because it's tougher and harder. Whilst Carbon steel can be made wonderfully sharp it needs frequent grinding and stropping to keep it that way. And as Tony says, knives made of it corrode easily and had to be repolished frequently as well. They don't last forever.

Dave

The underside of some plates – the unglazed rim – makes a good home for a carbon steel knife if nothing else is available

Likely a well used carbon steel carving knife originally supplied as a set of three implements ie. the knife, two pronged fork and a honing steel to keep it sharp.

A good quality carving knife is still a delight to use we have one and a honing steel (when the wife comes in I’ll ask her where it is)

Many very fine ones originated in Sheffield from the 1900s.

Edited By V8Eng on 02/07/2022 19:34:36

Here is our vey old one and the blade is about 220mm long (middle photo is the sharp side) no makers mark either.

Not been able to afford a joint big enough to use it on for years!

Edited By V8Eng on 02/07/2022 20:16:42

You could try sending a photo to the folk at The Hawley Collection and see if anyone recognises the pattern, as its quite distinctive.
https://www.hawleytoolcollection.com/ 
It would be good if it turned out to be one of the Parkin manufacturers
https://www.hawleysheffieldknives.com/index.php?val=p&kel=1322

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 02/07/2022 22:49:09

Edited By peak4 on 02/07/2022 22:51:17

When father carved a joint or a chicken he always started with honing the knife on a steel. He was a very good carver and when I asked he said it was probably because although a GP he had originally trained to be a surgeon.

He then added that his father had been a lot better than he was. Only later did I remember my grandfather was a pathologist, which made me think a bit!

Doesn't a ham knife have the dimples along the blade ??

Carbon steel blades were usually welded to an iron tang, and the remains of that create the puddle look. I believe welding was originally for cheapness because steel was expensive before Bessemer. Carried on later because it was found the combination is less likely to break at the tang.

Frances mentions sandwiching a high carbon steel core inside a mild-steel envelope. Same reason: knife steel is brittle, prone to crack, and supporting the hard blade inside a tough low-carbon steel makes the whole thing stronger.

Stainless knives don't need any extra help at the tang – the alloy used for knives is tough and hard without being brittle.

Dave