Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-26
CARVERS.
ali About Their Style and Qua1ity-Ameri.
can Versus English Cutlery.

all About Their Style and Quality-Ameri-
can Versus English Cutlery.
Notwithstanding Sheffield is known
the world over for its manufacture of
cutlery and sharp-edged tools, it has
been forced to relinquish the bulk of
the American trade because the ingeni-
Gus Yankee has learned how to make
knives and forks which are not only
just as good in metal, but better in
finish and design. and decidedly cheap
er than foreign manufacturers can COM
pete with. One fatal defect which hast
ened the death-knell of British cutlery
on this side was the fact that the han
dies, both ivory and horn, were not
tempered to resist climatic influence.
Though farther north than Chicago, the
climate of Great Britainis much milder,
and because of its oceanic exposure the
atmosphere is more humid Knives
mounted in Sheffield and received in
Chicago were all right till the cold
weather came, but nights of extreme
frigdrty proved so disastrous to the
British cutlery that ivory, pearl and
horn handles would cut up like so much
corn in hopper. A downtown firm,
which is the largest of the kind in the
world, had a night-watchman who
heard strange noises in the cutlery de-
partment every night, and not only be-
1ieved it TO be the abode of ghosts but
actually gave up his situation from
sheer fright The stock was over
hauled. and it was found to be dam
aged to the extent of several thousand
dollars. Even in showcases of retail
houses or in any locality where they
would be exposed to low temperature,
the handles of these goods would crack
beyond the possibility of concealment
or repair.
Recognizing the fact that if English
goods were to be driven to the wall the
American substitute must not only
equal them IN point of material but
.surpass them in design and finish,
the Eastern capitalists lent aid to
home skill, and the result was not
only better class, of goods than they
had been buying from Sheffield, but
the best that have ever been put on
the American market.
Among carving-knives the old-fash-
Toned nine-inch straight blades have
given place to var ETY. of shapes,
the cutting edges generally describing
some part of circle. A variation of a
Turkish cimiter is the most popular
blade. For steak or game a six-inch
inch knife is used. while the Christmas
turkey or family roast can not be
attacked with better implement than
"a ten-inch blade. For some reason
known only to themselves the carvers
in hotels and restaurants are still faith
full to the ''slicer.' blunt-pointed,
perfectly straight blade which has the
appearance of an overgrown case
knife 1t varies in length from twelve
to sixteen inches, and is so flexible that
one can almost tie knots in it. An od-
dity in the cutlery stock is the jointing
carver, designed for separating the
joints OF poultry and game Of doubtful
age. The blade is long and very
narrow steel, with an almost needle
point.
Carvers are seldom preferred with
ivory handles, which discolor, crack,
and do not resist washing well. There
are, however, beauties made from ele-
plant and waIrus tusks, elaborated
with hand-wrought designs. which
make a set worth $50. Where the
decoration is done by machinery the
cost is third less, while much more
durable knife, containing the same
metal. finished with stag horn. can be
had for 50. American carvers have
the addition of a knive-rest, which
protects the table linen and guards
against wounding the hand of novice.
The attachment is movable, and is to
be found on all grades-even the 81
carver Gh;r00O TrjI7yOe