Handmade Kitchen Knife?

[snowflake]

Just thought this was a neat knife. I found the old rusty thing out in the back porch when we moved in. It has an interesting handle, all scratched up and looks like it was hand made. I guess it is steel, copper and some kind of black wood or leather? I scratched at it and just can't tell. The knife blade has been welded. I don't know if it went with the handle or was added to it. The blade is thin and flimsy so what they would have used it for is beyond me. (Maybe that was why it was out back)

Where the welding is I can now see there is some writing that looks to be .."einu"

Just thought it was neat, that's all. I have way too many little things like this.  

ETA: Blade is 8 inches long. Handle: 4 1/2

[snowflake]

More photos:

[mart]

It is not a kitchen knife but could have been originally a hunting type or even a military knife !!  Handle is supposed to be that way !! Thats how it was made !! Guard looks like it may have been attached to something since the guard is only on one side and the other has a half circle shape in it !! Blade has probably been sharpened so many times through the years that it doesn`t look much like it would have when newer !! I have a few that are worn like that !! Old Hickory blades are known for wearing away over the years !!  If the blade is thin and flexible I can make a guess that it might have been used for a filet knife !! Probably why it was outside !!  Can`t clean fish in the house !!  Believe the handle is an aluminum alloy, probably with nickel added for strength, copper strands are just decoration !! Blade is probably steel and should go the length of the handle !!

[snowflake]

You are just a fountain of knowledge, Mart. My goodness! Thank you. I do have a few military knives I will put up as soon as I dig them out.
I appreciate you sharing all this info.

[mart]

Handles like that were pretty common many moons ago !!  I love knives and would probably have more that I do now if I had space !!

[cogar]

I believe I would call that a butchering knife, ...... an old version of this one, to wit:



http://www.monstermarketplace.com/knifes-and-hunting-knives/fallkniven-f3-butcher-knife-lam-vg10-steel

Non-commercial filet knives usually have a wood handle ...... so they will float if dropped in the water.

[hosman321]

I actually think this knife is quite modern, made within the last 15 years or so. The black wrapping looks more like a man-made material rather than real leather. My husband has one very similar, though not quite as big that was made at the Ozark Folk Center in Arkansas by one of the reenactors there. That would explain why it is handmade and also looks old. They make each one by hand to show how they were made back in the day. Just my two cents! I would get my husband's to show it but it's out in the shed and I'm definitely not going through all that stuff!

[cogar]

Here is a fellow that also thinks that those type handles are old. 

http://appleton.craigslist.org/spo/2583371879.html

[mart]

I am almost 62 and I remember those handles when I was a kid !!  I hated the feel of them and wrapped mine in electrical tape !!

[snowflake]

Thanks everyone, for the input. I knew it wasn't that old, but old enough that it isn't common to see them in most homes. I do know it wasn't made in the past 15 years, very well could have been a little over twenty though.

I actually do think the black is leather. If I look at it under a magnifier it seems to be. I wasn't thinking it was worth anything, just liked it when I saw it.

Mart: I don't like the feel of it either. And the metal is cold!

[fancypants]

2 cents worth here .... prob/poss the stamped letters read 'Genuine Solingen steel' .

[jondar]

I think what you have is a filet knife.  They are identified by the "long" flexible blade.  The handle appears to be "non-factory" and may have been part of kits sold for building your own knife.  The blade was probably Solingen steel as identified by the poster above and was soldered to the hilt.  Then attached, probably with epoxy glue inside the handle.  I live in an old 125 year old house and with my metal detector dug up an old filet knife marked "Craftsman" (Sears Roebuck) and it cleaned up like new and we used it for fileting fish, roasts when we were meat eaters and turkey at Thanksgiving.  Looks like a good servicible knife. Keep it and use it.

[greenacres]

This is not a great picture, but I have a similar knife. It's called Cattaraugus, P2250 Q. I'm not sure if yours is the same, but it looks very close.

[snowflake]

Thanks all! I will clean it up and make use of it. That handle does seem similar, green. That's funny you mention a metal detector. The old house we bought used to have a livery back in the day. My husband keeps telling me he is going to buy one. Ever time we dig a new garden we find broken bits of things. He wants to find some treasure! 

[snowflake]

Just thought I'd throw up another knife for all the knife lovers out there. Probably not vintage. Made in India.  1 1/2 feet in length when put together. It was just here when we moved in. I've never used it. I think it's pretty cool though.