Anyone an expert in kitchen knives

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

My mums had this knife for as long as she can remember

It’s got a simple round wooden handle all together its 10 inches long

the steel is impossibly thin at the edge……at the handle end its 60 thou at the top

the end and edge is only 2-3thou but it cuts brilliantly

can anyone shed any light on its makers..what its made of…etc?

Edited By Ian Parkin on 02/07/2022 16:46:07

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Blade is likely carbon steel which holds an edge better than Stainless steel but obviously corrodes as for the maker some one in Sheffield?

Tony

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Tony

i’m assuming it was made in sheffield as its been here for 70 years or so

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

Carbon Steel was used in all Chef’s knives pre abt 1990 (I still have such a set of Sabatier knives) – they take an excellent edge (try the old demo of slicing a tomato thrown up in the air) but they corrode and will stain some foods – modern hygiene regs saw them replaced with stainless steel that don’t hold an edge in the same way.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

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

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Ian, Any marks or logo stamps anywhere on it? They can be VERY faint but show up in a raking light.

Martin

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

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

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

I think this one was probably sharpened on my grandparents door step

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

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

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Another picture as i said the top near the handle is 60 thou but very quickly thins to less than 10th of and at the edge all along its 2-3thou

would it have been made like this?

many years ago someone said a knife like this was special as it has a funny area near the handle end visible in the 2nd photo above..something about how it made..

its really like a 3 thou length of feeler gauge with a thicker back

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

There’s no makers marks or logos visible at all

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

The best (+ sharpest) tools were composite with I think the high carbon inner sandwiched between two lower carbon strengthening layers – weren’t Japanese woodworking tools built this way as well as their famous Samurai swords

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

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

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Ian Parkin on 02/07/2022 18:28:25:

Another picture as i said the top near the handle is 60 thou but very quickly thins to less than 10th of and at the edge all along its 2-3thou

would it have been made like this?

many years ago someone said a knife like this was special as it has a funny area near the handle end visible in the 2nd photo above..something about how it made..

its really like a 3 thou length of feeler gauge with a thicker back

Year of sharpening on the back doorstep will do that

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

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

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I believe, with a blade so thin, it would be called a ‘Ham Knife’

MichaelG.

.

https://www.houseofknives.uk/blogs/news/what-you-should-know-about-ham-knives

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/07/2022 22:40:41

[peak4Participant @peak4]

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

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

V8 eng

your knife has that funny puddle type of area near the tang area

any idea what it is?

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by V8Eng on 02/07/2022 19:24:35:

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

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!

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Strangely just returned one of our knives to the knife draw and at the time I look at the markings it was stamped Made in England we were give this knife in a set for a wedding present in 1966 and still going strong

H

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 02/07/2022 22:35:31:

I believe, with a blade so thin, it would be called a ‘Ham Knife’

MichaelG.

.

**LINK**

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/07/2022 22:40:41

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

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

The roughened area near the handle in the 2nd. pic. might be where a mild steel tang is forge welded to the thin, high carbon blade. This could make for a better, more malleable tang.

As for manufacturer, Sheffield was home to a great many self employed cutlery craftsmen, (little meisters) who, perhaps, might have sold some of their output individually rather than through established trade names.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Ian Parkin on 03/07/2022 14:04:56:

V8 eng

your knife has that funny puddle type of area near the tang area

any idea what it is?

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

[Lee RogersParticipant @leerogers95060]

Only 45 years as a chef so still learning and not certain about your knife. Whatever it was it isn't that now .It's size and general appearance would say it's what's known as a French cooks knife.A general purpose tool that does the bulk of the daily tasks chopping and slicing. A fairly soft high carbon steel blade is the reason that it takes a good edge easily and why it has worn down over the years. I have a couple of knives in my kit that have been made into different knives by regrinding once they get past it but yours really should be used sparingly and cherished.

Bon Apetit

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