W W U do?

[Pattree]

<———- 300mm / 1 foot. ————>​

I bought this from a junk shop with the intention of cutting up the blade to make a couple of folding knives.

It’s 300mm long total.
200mm x 30 - 35mm blade.
3mm at the spine flat ground.

(seeing eye)TAYLOR
WITNESS SHEFFIELD
ENGLAND​

It’s kitchenware and so it’s ground flat. This means that I can easily make a 40mm blade close to the tang but the grind makes the rest unsuitable for a folder where I want the blade parallel between the bolsters.

Do I keep it as a the original kitchen knife?

I don’t like the rectangular handle cross section. If I re-shape it or fit a new one have I spoiled anything?

Do I cut it up as originally planned and make a little stubby fixed blade out of the rest? By doing that I’d be slicing through the trade mark and would probably grind it out.

Do I pass it on to someone with more imagination than me?

 

[Keith_Beef]

Personally, I couldn't bring myself to cut up a perfectly usable blade like that, but I'd be quite prepared to put a new handle on it or reshape the existing handle.

Have you tested it for being stainless (which I very much doubt) or tried an etch to bring out the grain to see if it's shear steel?

 

[Pattree]

I’m certain that it pre-dates stainless steel.
I can’t imagine that it is anything special but it is an effective looking knife. Thus far I haven’t even tried to sharpen it. I am confident in the manufacturer even though it’s a mass produced item.

 

[Tengu]

I wouldnt like to cut up such a beauty but that is just me. It has age so I am sure it is good steel

 

[Broch]

I agree with the others; that is a lovely knife and typical of the kind that Nessmuk (George Washington Sears) was reputed to have made his blade from. Although, that may be an assumption.

 

[Pattree]

I’m inclined to agree.

Problem is that I cannot be (insert past participle of choice) -ed to go through shaping and heat treating a lump of metal when junk shops are full of it ready to use.

If I keep it or restore it then I’ll have a fixed blade knife that I’ll never use.

It’s had a hard life. Two of the rivets are sprung and there is a slight burr along part of the spine where it’s been battoned with some form of metal hammer. This could easily have sprung the rivets, as could stabbing it into a block over a period of time. Maybe an ex-butchers knife.

I’ve written to Taylor for any information that they have on the item. It’s nothing special just a mass produced kitchen knife.

 

[Tengu]

But its ten times as nice as the things marketed as kitchen knives these days

 

[Toddy]

I had one of those, passed it along to Motorbikeman and never heard any more of it.

It was a butcher's gammon cutting knife.

 

[Tengu]

How about you trade it for some metal suited to some folding knives?

 

[C_Claycomb]

What I would do, and what I would advise you to do are two very different things.

I would not have bought an old knife just to cut up because I prefer to work with known material with uniform starting sizes. Also, I would feel bad destroying a perfectly useable and no longer manufactured tool to make something else. If I had that knife I would re-handle it, sharpen it, clean the spine, then either use it or pass it on as a working tool (Moot bring and buy if I couldn't find anyone else).

I would advise you to quit over thinking and just cut it up as planned.

 

[Broch]

In an ideal world @Pattree what dimension steel would you want to work with. I have various and I could even heat treat it for you after you've shaped it (as our wives meet regularly ).

I'd quite like an old butchers knife for food prepping at camp

 

[Pattree]

That’s a kind offer @Broch.
Let me think about it a little. You guys have sort of sold me my own knife but I think it will just become a drawer queen.

I’ve written to Taylor for information. Let’s see what they say.

Give me a little space and I’ll consider.

 

[matarius777]

Personally, like others have said, I’d bring it back to its former glory, it would make a great kitchen knife, maybe for carving the Sunday roast. I love old carbon steel knives, I have, and treasure my mother’s two old Sabatier carbon steel chef’s knives, probably bought in the 50s after she married.