A Sheffield 'Workhouse' Knife

[scagel]

I bought this table knife years ago in London at an antique street fair. You might recall that 'paupers' in England, sometimes entire families were sent to 'Workhouses' where they did just that, work and work, sometimes for the rest of their lives. The knife has a forged, tapered tang blade with a cutting edge and a beautifully checkered bone handle. How old..Workhouses existed from the 16th century but this one most likely dates to the 1830's -40's..

[Froe]

I really like the knife, but I really love the history lesson. Many thanks for sharing.
Froe

[kootenay joe]

There was a factory called "Workhouse" ?
Are you certain the first letter is not "Y" ?
A lot of work went into forging, sharpening and bone scratting to make this knife.
What features do you use to date it as likely made no earlier than early 1800's ?
kj

[scagel]

I apologize for the tardy reply.
Looking closely at the 'W'..One can see the left arm of the letter, just barely appearing.
Earlier? Possibly but I think I am correct in the period. No doubt, a 'contract' knife from a Sheffield shop where a forged blade was easily done with handles put on in haste so as to take full advantage of the payment, which was very little given the circumstances. I am sorry that I can bot 'pass it' around at a gathering of my colleagues..Sorry, there is no maker mark on the blade. A 'Workhouse' was a place where the poor, debtors, orphans and the destitute were kept by the local government. A quick read of 'David Copperfield' will show the stark reality of that time.

[knife7knut]

Interesting old knife! I was looking at the checkering(or more properly scratting as Roland says) and it almost too precise to have been done by hand but rather a machine.Does anyone know if there was a machine capable of doing such a job and if so when they came into use?

[edge213]

After seeing the talent of old craftsmen I believe the scratting could have been done by hand.

[kootenay joe]

Interesting old knife! I was looking at the checkering(or more properly scratting as Roland says) and it almost too precise to have been done by hand but rather a machine.Does anyone know if there was a machine capable of doing such a job and if so when they came into use?

What about jigged bone handled USA knives. When did the jigging change from being done by hand to done by machine ? Some of the more experienced collectors surely know about when the transition from hand to machine occurred ?
kj