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Vintage Knives

Discussion in 'The Kitchen Knife' started by Wagner the Wehrwolf, Nov 16, 2019.

  1. Wagner the Wehrwolf

    Wagner the Wehrwolf Founding Member

    Such little activity, thought I'd throw a softball up. I kind of collect vintage knives. I started with Sabatier and moved on from there. Pretty much just carbon, though I've picked up a few stainless. Those I might see if a carbon version was ever available. Not at that point yet. Any ways, anybody else? I know Japanese knives and custom are all the rage. I have those too. I'm still looking for a Cuba Knife Co. slicer (see here). Does anybody know about the Star Knife Co. of Taunton MA? I think late 1880s. I don't know if they even made kitchen knives.
     
  2. Taylor

    Taylor Professional Craftsman Founding Member

    I have a few old knives from my grandparents. A bunch from one who was a butcher in Virginia City, NV. One from my other grandfather when he worked in a grocery store in Goldfield, NV. Nothing super special, except for sentimental value. Some may go into a light box display, and I may re-handle one or two. I'll try to take some pics later, as I forget the companies.
     
  3. Wagner the Wehrwolf

    Wagner the Wehrwolf Founding Member

    Long term my goal will be to refurb, rejuvenate what I have. But right now I don't have the space since we moved and all of my tools are in storage.
     
  4. Spaz

    Spaz Founding Member

    My dad found several old knives at an estate sale, mostly carbon, that I have rehabbed and gave away to family. The rehabbed knives always seem to be their faves before long.
    It can be a fun and rewarding hobby to get into.
     
  5. Taylor

    Taylor Professional Craftsman Founding Member

    Took a lot longer to do this than I was thinking. It didn't help that my keyboard was out of commission for a while either. Here are a couple of the older knives I have. The cleaver is staying the way it is. Still pondering about what to do with the others.

    butchers.jpg
    carvers.jpg
     
  6. butch

    butch Founding Member

    i have a fork and knife set like that but with antler/stag handles and silver fittings. the forks bipod thingy is a cool trick
     
  7. Taylor

    Taylor Professional Craftsman Founding Member

    I'm not a huge fan of the plastic handle on them, but they were my grandfather's brother's special occasion knives, so they'll most likely end up in a picture box on the wall to preserve the history of them. Not everything I have has to be fancy. I've yet to try the fork, as I do most of my slicing away from the table where it's not needed.
     
  8. Wagner the Wehrwolf

    Wagner the Wehrwolf Founding Member

    Cool! Do you know the makers of any of those?
     
  9. Taylor

    Taylor Professional Craftsman Founding Member

    In the top picture, the boning knife is a Forgecraft. The two in the middle of the picture have no maker's mark, and the cleaver is "Samuel Lee Knives and Steels".

    The bottom pictured knife and fork are "Universal L. F. & C."
     
  10. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

    Nice to have a family heirloom that is knife related.
    Thanks for posting them.
     
  11. Wagner the Wehrwolf

    Wagner the Wehrwolf Founding Member

    Looks like I need to return the favor and post some pics ;)
     
  12. Wagner the Wehrwolf

    Wagner the Wehrwolf Founding Member

    I touched up a few yesterday. Long term goal is to refresh the handles but that's many years from now. In the meantime they still work as intended.
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Nice assortment there. I particularly like the English pattern (Wostenholm?) and the one directly to the left of it.
     
  14. Here is my contribution:
    upload_2020-7-1_13-8-8.jpeg
    From left:
    American Cutlery Co.; buckeye burl, copper pin.
    Sabatier ‘S. Honere 84’; dyed sycamore (Lacewood)
    Forgecraft; brown mallee ferrule & Live edge red mallee w/ synthetic spacers (Mike Riggen)
    Geo. Wostenholm; Maple burl w/ pollyanna burl ferrule & end cap, synthetic spacers (Mike Riggen)
    Forgecraft; Briar burl w/ dyed maple burl spacer

    All handles other than the Riggens were fabricated by Dave Martell.
    All knives were refurbished/modded and all handles were installed by Dave Martell.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2020
  15. Some still in the queue:
    upload_2020-7-1_13-42-15.jpeg
    All unmarked old carbon.
     
  16. upload_2020-7-1_13-44-10.jpeg
    upload_2020-7-1_13-44-31.jpeg
    Not sure about this one. Original ebony (?) handle is still in good shape. Couple of minor cracks that can be filled in with cyanoacrylate. No idea who made this behemoth, but it’s wicked distal taper, nickel silver ferrule, and overall finish shows real craftsmanship.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2020
  17. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

  18. Found a few more, Jim. I think that’s the lot.
    upload_2020-7-1_15-8-50.jpeg
     
  19. Well, almost:
    upload_2020-7-1_15-14-28.jpeg
     
  20. Jim

    Jim Old Curmudgeon Founding Member

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