Q: I found this unusual knife in a box of old tools. What was it used for?
A: We’re asking our readers to solve the mystery. Let us know if you have any idea what this was used for.
Q: I found this unusual knife in a box of old tools. What was it used for?
A: We’re asking our readers to solve the mystery. Let us know if you have any idea what this was used for.
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I was around when my brothers were into trapping for hides in the 1950s. We were frequently in the shops/tanneries of the time. There is one that stuck in my mind because the only hide I ever sold I hit with my car. The red fox brought me $45. This was in about 1975. I saw a knife used to scrape the hides to remove excess material so the pelt would cure properly. It looks like a duplicate of this knife.
My brother thought this was used by hunters to skim/scrape the fat off hides.
The size would be useful. I’ve seen large knives this shape that are used for cutting silage from bales.
Forget the name of the plant but it is the one they make tequila from…this tool is used for cutting that plant.
The knife looks similar to one used in cutting lead caming (the strips that hold stain glass in place.
My husband suggested a flensing knife, used for cutting whale blubber.
I believe this is a tobacco knife. They are still pretty much the only thing used to cut the tobacco at the bottom of the stalk when it is ripe and read to be harvested and taken to be cured. They are common on most older family farms in central and western KY and in parts of NC where most tobacco has historically been grown. The stalk is usually 2 inches in diameter and although it is hollow in the middle the walls are about a quarter inch thick so the knife is kept very sharp.
looks like a “fleshing” knife – i don’t know how large it is — a buffalo would be hoisted up on a frame and the skinners would use a similar knife to cut around the legs, neck and along the abdomen — then a horse would be used to pull the skin off the buffalo – larger ones were used by whalers
Hard to identify it without dimensions.
My thought is that since it was found in a tool box is that it is not a knife but a masons tool for striking morter joints.
My best guess is that this particular object was made by hand by a pipe smoker to clean out and scrape the bowl of his pipe. I don’t know what size the knife in the photo is but it brings to mind a handmade version of a pipe cleaner used by a friend of mine many years ago.
My guess is, it is for butchering/Skinning large animals.
Was used to cut corn stalks & tobacco stalks. I have one a little different from this one.
I think it is used for cleaning hide on a scalded hog after slaughtering.
My guess is it might have been used to harvest Asparagus.As Asparagus is always cut below the ground.
Pic isnt very clear.. but may be a “knife” that was used for soft soldering on car bodies or sheet steel.
blade was heated in an oven & used to smooth the joints that were soldered together..
Not 100% sure but does look like some old tools Ive seen before..
A heavy cutting bush whacker or hedge knife and possible log chissler
without dimensions we REALLY have to guess…whale blubber knife?
with no dimensions, we have to REALLY guess…whale blubber knife?
I think it is used for scraping scaled pigs and other animals after being put in scalding water for butchering.
It appears to me to be more for wood carving, as in large bowls or objects hollowed out. The blade part is sturdy and thick-looking like for carving hard dense material, when it would have to be pulled toward oneself.
The geometry of the blade suggests that it could be used for making long cuts, starting as far away from the user as possible (leaning forward over, say, a food tray), then drawing the blade back towards him.
As the user draws the knife back across the food or whatever, his wrist will rotate the handle upwards, and the actual cutting spot of the blade will progress from the handle end outwards, along and up the curving outer tip, but maintaining roughly the same cutting angle to the work. I could envision someone slicing chocolate, fudge or taffy on a cooling slab with this.