Silver Paper knife or normal eating knife? Help please.

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Silver Paper knife or normal eating knife? Help please.

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Author	Topic: Silver Paper knife or normal eating knife? Help please.
fidda Posts: 45 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 02-17-2006 12:56 PM [01-2393] I have recently bought a knife because it was of nice quality. It was described as a paper knife however how is one to tell the difference between a paper knife and a normal knife used for eating? The handle is ivory carved with scrolls to both sides and a Cherub to one side only. It is 8 inches long and the blade is slightly less than half an inch wide, the handle is slightly wider. The shape looks like any other knife however there is no sharp edge, one edge is slightly thinner than the other but far from a blade or sharp edge. The tip of the knife is pointed. The blade is solid silver and it has the hallmarks on the 'blade' itself. Could it be that this is a knife used for eating with? Although I doubt it I am not sure and would like to know your opinions, I have not managed to take a photo yet since I have no camera at the moment. What makes me think it cannot be a normal eating knife is the blade ends in a pint. there is no sharp edge (not worn smooth either) the blade is solid silver (were eating knifes made with solid silver blades?) the carved cherub to the ivory is only on one side. It is hallmarked Sheffield 1926. Any help is much appreciated. IP: Logged
tmockait Posts: 963 Registered: Jul 2004	posted 02-17-2006 04:57 PM Fidda, Without a picture, it is tough to say. Knives are the oldest form of talbeware and often had multiple functions. Yes, blades were made of silver, but by 1926, I suspect they were more commonly made with silver handles and steel blades for strenght and durability. The ornateness of your piece, lack of a sharp edge, and point suggest that is is a letter opener as you suspect. This conclusion can only be tentative without a photo. Regards, Tom IP: Logged
FWG Posts: 845 Registered: Aug 2005	posted 02-17-2006 07:47 PM And yes, more likely a letter opener than a paper knife. The latter tend to be larger, and where yours has ivory handle and silver blade, a paper knife more typically has those materials reversed: ivory blade and silver handle. (A paper knife, in common usage, is a tool used to open the pages of books that weren't cut by the binder) IP: Logged
fidda Posts: 45 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 02-17-2006 08:15 PM Thanks for the help, I will try borrow a camera and get a photo of it up sometime tomorrow (Sat.) Thanks! IP: Logged
fidda Posts: 45 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 02-18-2006 08:54 AM Here are the photos, as I tried to show one edge is thinner than the other but by no means is a blade or sharp edge. What kind of knife is this? maker is James Dixon and sons. IP: Logged
fidda Posts: 45 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 02-18-2006 11:59 AM Here are the photos I hope you get the idea. The first picture is the knife from the front, note the carved cherub and hallmarks to the blade, picture 2 is the back, picture 3 is the thinner edge of the knife whilst picture 4 is the thicker side of the blade. IP: Logged
Dale Posts: 2132 Registered: Nov 2002	posted 02-18-2006 12:08 PM This looks to me like a married piece: the handle and blade did not start out life together. The blade appears to be from a fish set. I would suspect that originally the handle held a small mirror or other dressing table item. Beautiful knife, guess you could call it a paper knife. The blade looks to wide for letter opening. IP: Logged
fidda Posts: 45 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 02-19-2006 05:12 PM Thanks for the reply, it didn't cross my mind that it could be a marriage but now that you mention it i am getting my doubts. Would you say that you are pretty sure? Thanks IP: Logged

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