[Just Carving]

I came across this knife in my "infamous" box of grandfather's tools. Can anyone tell me if this is a carving or whittling knife? There is a tool mark on he shank that reads:

Alfred
Field & Co.
Sheffield
England

I've tried to search on the Internet but I'm not getting anywhere since the company is out of business. It would help to know what kind of knife it is too.

I cleaned it up and sharpened the long edge and the short curved edge on the opposite side. It's sharp and cuts basswood like butter.

Thanks
Bob

[wood-whittler]

liferescue

looks almost like a blade used by flower people called a grafting blade for grafting different kinds of flowers together to make the hybrid flowers with the fancy names. just a thought i have seen a blade like that, that victorinox makes for the florist industry you may try that but hey if it carves well nothing saying you cant use it for carving

wood-whittler

[Old_Gord]

Well I recognize it, we used it back in the good old old old days , still have it somewhere around here.
Draughtmen ( or Draftsmen in US lingo), used this knife to remove India Ink lines from drawings done on Linen.
Used in to sharpen lead pencils as well or any other cutting action that was needed in the draughting office.
But I'm sure they were used for everything else under the sun.
If K&E were still around they would still carry them.
Geez just remembered from a previous post that you(Liferescue) were in a similar vocation to me, guess you didn't start out with Ink and Linen drawings since you are asking about the knife...maybe you are just a wee bit younger than me.

OG

[squbrigg]

Gord's got it, I knew it had something to do with drafting, just couldn't remember what, had a couple of those in my dafting drawer. I ended up sharpening them up and using them as knives.

Bob

[Just Carving]

You know, I was thinking that it might have been from the days of drawing on linen. I looked at my drafting text books from the 1970's and I didn't see any photos of a knife used in inking. I figured they used a pen knife. I came into drafting just when linens were being phased out in favor of film--or mylar--we call it around here. And when I did work on linen--very few times, mostly on old township tax maps--I used an Xacto knife or the all-time favorite--the electric eraser which I used heavily when inking on mylar until I was converted to a computer aided draftsman. Now I only draw on the board when I am drawing something for myself.

Well, you have put that mystery to rest. In the meantime, I have another knife to add to my growing collection of carving tools--unless all the computers in the world crash!!

Thanks for your help!

Bob

[Old_Gord]

OK Bob, (Liferescue) fess up and how many times did you burn a hole through the Mylar with that dang electric eraser?
Been there done that.

OG

[Just Carving]

Moi?

Never! But I've been known to take the matte finish off the mylar, and I've melted the mylar to the vinyl drafting board cover underneath!

And I've even burned up a few electric erasers too!

Hey! I'm talented!

Now I spend my days breaking computers! LOL

Actually, anything to get out of work so I can spend my workdays getting paid while looking at the WCI carving forum! (Jes kidding!)

Bob

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

Alfred Field and Co. made knives in England and Germany from 1855 until 1942. They are in they are rated about average in collector interest (about the same as Buck and Schrade knives)

[Just Carving]

Thanks Ed. This one's a keeper like all my Grandfather's tools. I'm just glad I found a use for them--even if it is for carving.

Bob

[Dave in the Valley]

I too am a Draughtsmen 30 th year this year. I too started just as the linen was phased out. But I have two sitting on my desk right now waiting to be updated. They are still being kept here but suspect they will be scanned and turned in to computer drawings in the next few years.
Hand drafting is pretty much a lost art now.
I have not seen one of those knives since the first year I started, (my supervisor used one) electric erasers where taking over the grinding off of the ink.
One of my fellow co workers has a sort of drawer museum of old equipment he has kept. I will have to see if he has one.

Dave