The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-08-19
MAKING AMERICAN CUTLERY.
Knives, Forks, and Razors-.The SYeldinS
of Iron and Stee.

American cutlery is now fn6.ng its wa7
all over the world, and knives, shears,
scythes, and planes of DER owe msnGsac.
ture are to be found In the warehouses; OF
most large English cities. In 1872 the i'm
portation of cutlery into the United States
amounted to $40, 500,0 600 which was cut
down in 1880 to about 5000, 600 year, be-
sides which 800, 900 worth of domestic
goods were exported in that year. In the
manufacture of axes the United States have
made the most marvellous advances, sur
passing all other countries, except Canada,
which bears an equally good reputation for
making these useful implements.
Good table knives are made Of steel and
iron welded together; the part which goes
into the handle Called technically the tang
in England) and the shoulder are of iron,
and the blade of steel. The tang and shoul-
der are forged from bar iron, and the blade
| from shear or cast steel Knife blades,
razor blades, and other small articles are
usually forged into their required shape
while stlll attached to the bar, which serves
for the workmen to hold them by. When
the bar becomes too short it is grasped in a
pair of tongs held close by a ring which
clamps them by sliding up their conical
handles. Two men are employed in forg-
ing such work. The principal workman, or
fireman, as he is sometimes called, uses a
small hammer of two to four pounds weight,
while the Zimmerman wields the sledge
hammer, weighing from ten to fifteen
pounds. The fireman, who attends to the
heating as we'll as the anvil work, directs
the Zimmerman, whose blows merely follow
those of the small directing hammer of the
fireman.
In drawing down or reducing bar both
in length and width, the fiat face of the
hammer is used but when the length or
breadth alone is to be extended, only the
narrow edge of the hammer is used. The
concavity of razor blades is made by ham,
mering the blade on q small round-faced
anvil; the notch, or nail hole, of PEN
knife is struck by means of chisel of the
required form. Superior work, such as
razor blades, is smithed" after forging,
that is, beaten upon an anvil, to condense
the metal as much as possible, and slightly
ground or scorched upon rough stone, tc
finish the shaping and remove the scale, OF
black oxidiZed surface, when would inter-
fere with the color of the tempering.
Common knives are made entirely of iron,
and the difference of prices arises not mere
ly from the difference in cost of the mater
ial, but from the greater facility of working.
II should also be understood that in many
articles composed of steel welded to iron
the saving of steel is not the only advan-
sage, for, steel being more brittle than
wrought iron, it is very desirable, in all
articles subject to transverse breaking
strain or to conclusion, that every part ex-
cept the cutting or working edges should
be of iron. Thus Ratchet made intirely
of steel would be less durable than one of
iron with welded steel cutting edge, and
30 of other articles.
Table forks are forged rudely into the
shape required, first as though but single
thick prong were required. The part for
prongs is then beaten ont, and stamping
die is brought down upon it, which forms
the prongs, with thin film of steel between
them this is cut out by cutting die. Then
they are softened and filed up, again hard
ened and tempered and ground to smooth
and finish.