matt
Established Member
Anyone any thoughts on what this might be? It's been knocking around my tool collection for about 12 years now but I've never given it much thought. I wonder if it is a marking knife?
Mystery tool... Marking knife?
- Thread starter matt
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ByronBlack
Established Member
could be, I would hazard a guess at a carving knife.
Paul Chapman
Established Member
Looks a bit like a padsaw handle that can take whatever type of blade will fit - old hacksaw blades for example - as well as the blade that is fitted at present (only guessing really 
)
Cheers :wink:
Paul
)Cheers :wink:
Paul
NeilO
Established Member
possibly a mid fifties tatter peeler :lol:
Matt
I think Paul is right that the handle is intended to accept a variety of blades or other pointy tools. However, I've got a vintage padsaw and it looks quite different. The handle is long and has a hole in the bottom end (nearest the user) so that virtually the whole blade - 25 cms long - can be retracted if necessary.
I think yours is a general purpose knife (OK - so that's a bit of a cop out!) which allows all sorts of old blades to be ground down and fitted into it so they don't go to waste. An interesting relic of more thrifty times, perhaps.
Regards.
I think Paul is right that the handle is intended to accept a variety of blades or other pointy tools. However, I've got a vintage padsaw and it looks quite different. The handle is long and has a hole in the bottom end (nearest the user) so that virtually the whole blade - 25 cms long - can be retracted if necessary.
I think yours is a general purpose knife (OK - so that's a bit of a cop out!) which allows all sorts of old blades to be ground down and fitted into it so they don't go to waste. An interesting relic of more thrifty times, perhaps.
Regards.
bugbear
Established Member
matt":2lyps23m said:
I've had this horrid scratching in my brain after seeing this knife. Last night I reread a few old catalogues (as you do), and I think I've got a convincing ID.
It's a mount cutters knife. Or at least, it appears to have more than passing similarities to a mount cutters knife. Herewith from a Melhuish catalogue, 1925.
Note the long blade, held by a screw.
http://www.aboutbookbinding.com/Bookbinding-31.html
I'm guessing that this knife needs to be stiff (which mean short) but is sharpened a lot (paper and cardboard are disconcertingly abrasive), so a short blade wouldn't last long. Hence the moveable blade. Note that blades were not only long, they were replaceable, so blade wear was evidently very high.
BugBear
matt
Established Member
Aaaah! That looks like a credible likeness. Well done, Bugbear - and thanks for going to the effort to show the images too.
