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Mystery Knife Sharpening Steel

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Kitchen2817 of 7876Pretty little syrup pitcher. 6" tall, thinking maybe early 1900. Onyx Mortar & Pestal
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    Posted 8 years ago

    TassieDevil
    (175 items)

    Hello everyone.

    This is one from my husband's collection....I have searched everywhere I can think of to find the age, maker or any other information regarding this Steel.

    It only measures roughly 5 1/2 inches, so is quite small. We are wondering what sort of knife would this steel have been used on????

    Any information or thoughts on this would be great !!!

    Thanks, Judy

    Unsolved Mystery

    Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.

    Comments

    1. Efesgirl Efesgirl, 8 years ago
      Well, Judy, that's a good one. I didn't find anything matching, but somebody here will know.
    2. antiquerose antiquerose, 8 years ago
      Stooooopid question.....but could it be used to pull yarn through something like a rug of sorts? I ask that only because the end has a scroll area that you could slid something like yarn thread through it and then use the needle nose blade to slide through something like rug? I have NO idea, just the one open scroll end made me think outside-the-box ???? so just a GUESSES...
    3. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Thanks Bonnie for trying.... one of the boys will surely know!!!
    4. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Hey Rose, thank you! always worth a guess...I do it all the time!!! and try to think outside the box too!!
      My husband just sharpened his pocketknife with it and it worked a treat! Will see what the boys have to say...........perhaps I just answered my own question.....maybe it is for pocketknives!!!!
    5. NevadaBlades, 8 years ago
      Sorry, Tassie, if it is a knife sharpener, I've never seen one like it before, so this boy can't help you! [;>)
    6. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Thanks Nevada for looking....I was sure you would have known.....It is the perfect size for a pocketknife......maybe it was a custom piece....thanks anyway :-)
    7. bobbee bobbee, 8 years ago
      Very nice, I love wrought iron.
      Maybe it is a blacksmith's repair to an old wooden handled sharpener that broke?
    8. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      That sounds like a real possibility thanks Bobbee!!
    9. fleafinder fleafinder, 8 years ago
      is it a blackhead remover
    10. UncleRon UncleRon, 8 years ago
      Knife steels come in all sizes, I have had a few that were only about 2 1/2" long. The little ones were for portability - some pocket knives come in belt holsters which have a small steel in a slot on the side. Having said that, I don't think this is a steel. It MIGHT be a fid for rope work but they are generally polished smooth.
      The reason I don't think it's a steel is the texture. Steels have tiny PARALLEL grooves their entire length. They don't really "sharpen" a blade by removing metal, like a file would; they re-align the microscopic particles on a sharpened edge which get bent sideways in the course of using the knife. By drawing the blade along the steel those particles get bent back into alignment and the edge resembles a microscopic saw blade. An irregular texture such as on your tool would tend to break off these particles leaving the edge no better than it was. It may be someone's homemade idea of a steel but it wouldn't work very well.
    11. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 8 years ago
      Great question and excellent photos! I can totally see why Rose asked her question. I hope someone knows the answer and I also hope it's a "girl" just because! ;)
    12. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Fleafinder LOL!! I would hope not!!!!!
    13. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Hello UncleRon. Thanks very much for such a detailed comment!! I am sure there will be lots of people like me who were not aware of how steels actually work!!!
      Yes, we had already discussed between ourselves about the Fid, for either rope or wire but dismissed that as my husband had worked with both of these.

      Regarding this steel (or not) and with respect, my husband does not agree with your conclusion......but does thank you kindly for you comment :-)
    14. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Thanks Share, girls most welcome to comment along with the boys!!
    15. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Thanks very much Caperkid, Bonnie, Vetraio, Nevada, Scott, Thomas, Bobbee, Fleafinder, shareurpassion, ravage60 and blunderbuss2, appreciate you all taking the time to look and love!!
    16. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Really appreciate the love Sean, thank you!
    17. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Appreciate the love Recordman, thank you!
    18. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Appreciate the love popsKen, thank you!
    19. TassieDevil TassieDevil, 8 years ago
      Thanks Rick, appreciate the love!

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