The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-09-13
BUTCHER KNIVES
MADE BY HAND
Mr.. AIberty, of Dyberry,
an Expert in Cutlery
COMES OF A LONG LINE OF
BLACKSMITHS AND Is ONE
HIMSELF.

Ask to see our hand-forged
butcher knives. Every one warrant
ed by u.s."
This sign, hung up in the village
smithy, at Dyberry, attracted a Citi-
zen mans attention last Thursday
afternoon, and aroused his curiosity.
Ernest Alberty, the genial proprie-
tor, who was busily engaged in the
operation of fashioning a toe calk,
most obligingly paused a moment
from his labors to explain the mys-
teries of cutlery
Mr.. Alberty, by the bye, is a
blacksmith by occupation and by in
heritance. For three generations
the Albertys have been knights of
the anvil, and for the past twenty
years, Ernest, the village smithy of
Dyberry, has stood at the forge, day
in and day out.
have been a blacksmith, he
began, " ever since l was old enough
to work at it. Uncle used to make
razors and knives, and l took it up
as sort of side line. l don't go
round with them much. They know
l make them"
The newspaperman was treated to
a display of butcher knives of all
sizes, shapes and descriptions. The
handles were made of different
kinds of wood, some being decorated
with beech, others with apple, and
still more with butternut holders.
Some of the knives resembled
Spanish machetes more than any
thing else. Others would put
stiletto to shame All of them look
ed deadly and murderous to the
eyes of the uninitiated.
Much care must be exercised in
their making, explained Mr.. Alber-
ty. You have to be very careful
in drawing them back, or they'll
spring in tempering.
get bar steel and then work
them out. l sell these large ones to
hotels. One of those short ones is
no good on joints of meat. This
one has been oiled. We put linseed
on to keep the grain from raising.
You can't see where the rivet is.
l get from sixty cents up to $500
apiece for them"
How often should a man get his
horses shod?" was asked.
" Well, it depends somewhat on
the use they're put to-" he answer
ed. once in six weeks, at least,
lOI Tie DShSHI VI Tie dh6
horse pulling right along, he ought
nails, and wears into the shoe. We
charge $1.25 for new shoes, and
sixty cents for re-setting, i.e., we
take the shoes off, dress down the
feet, and put them on again."
Peter S. Alberty, Ernest's paternal
grandfather, was SO years old when
he died. Frank, his father, is still
hale and hearty at II, and spends
considerable time at the shop, TAX
ing pride in watching his son con-
quer and fashion the raw steel and
iron.
Prices for shoeing were higher, he
declared, years ago, than now. I'VE
had 50 a horse, after l came back
from the Civil war, where l served
three years. Three brothers of us
were all blacksmiths. The oldest
one, Edgar, the one who used to
make the razors, is dead now. He
used to live in Honesdale. My 9TH
er brother, William, was sheriff of
the county, and was in the revenue
Office at Scranton for twelve years.
You don't find one team of oxen
now where they used to be thous-
ands. I've shod a hundred pair in
a Winter. 1 used to get $4 pair.
For the Democrat shoe | used to get
Sc. We used the Democrat shoe
when the OK had a bad foot"
But oh those terrible knives! 1t
makes the reporter shudder to think
to what deadly use bad man might
put one of them.
Sharp? Well, say, they are
sharper than a serpent's tooth. If
you don't believe it, just go out and
see!