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Recognize this great roast carver?

Hi all, I just joined yesterday and I'm interested in finding out about the provenance of this carving knife. Family legend says that my father, trained as a naval aviation metalsmith in WWII and who subsequently worked in a NJ shipyard, made it from a hacksaw blade. That's hard for me to believe as the knife is so perfectly constructed--doesn't look like the effort of a novice metalworker. The nearly 12" long blade is 1/16" thick throughout and it has a moderate amount of flex in the ⅔ closest to the guard, but it's not enough to impair carving results at all. The handle seems to be a solid piece of stainless, giving it good heft and balance that complements the long blade. It takes an excellent edge that is long-lasting. There's no hint of a maker's mark anywhere. What do you think?

Tags: Carving, Metalsmith, Navy

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on April 29, 2020 at 18:05

I cannot get the link to the pics to open, you mat want to embed it in the discussion by using the second icon on the left at the top of the box your typing in.

Family legend says that my father, trained as a naval aviation metalsmith in WWII and who subsequently worked in a NJ shipyard.

I have heard this about many naval trained blacksmiths. Those guys underwent some amazing training as they had to be able to repair or fashion a replacement part on the go. They knew more than your average Joe about heat treatments, tempering salvaged steels and making something out of nothing LOL.

I hope I can see this one, these stories always fascinate me

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Permalink Reply by Peter Trainer on April 30, 2020 at 15:44

Thanks for letting me know Jan. I've deleted the first set of pix and reloaded with images sourced differently. They open up fine for me in Safari. Just in case though, here they are again--

Jan Carter said:

I cannot get the link to the pics to open, you mat want to embed it in the discussion by using the second icon on the left at the top of the box your typing in.

Family legend says that my father, trained as a naval aviation metalsmith in WWII and who subsequently worked in a NJ shipyard.

I have heard this about many naval trained blacksmiths. Those guys underwent some amazing training as they had to be able to repair or fashion a replacement part on the go. They knew more than your average Joe about heat treatments, tempering salvaged steels and making something out of nothing LOL.

I hope I can see this one, these stories always fascinate me

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 2, 2020 at 8:27

What a beauty this is! I would be inclined to say that family legend has it right. He may have had some help from others in his area but it does appear to me that it was handmade.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Trainer on May 3, 2020 at 7:36

Thanks Jan As you might imagine, it's a pleasure to use this knife every time. I recently noticed remnant scoring at the base of the blade on one side that hadn't quite been polished off during the final dressing. Must have been done to insure the bond between blade and handle. However this was done it was perfectly effective since after about 75 years all is tight and in perfect alignment.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 4, 2020 at 18:51

These are the memories that make knife collecting something I truly enjoy. Watching a family member think of a loved one when the knife comes out, watching the look on a child's face when they make sparks fly on an anvil the first time. Just good clean fun !