Okay so, I just found this in the nearby river. Looks antique possibly

[Snorlax]

Any clue on age based on shape of the blade?

 

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[Snorlax]

Here it is scrubbed a tad, pictures are pretty dull sadly.

 

[smallfoot]

Butcher Knife!

 

[Snorlax]

Well dang haha that's disappointing, thanks for the help!

 

[smokeythecat]

What size is it?

 

[Snorlax]

14 all together with handle and blade

 

[smallfoot]

If you run it thru some electrolysis, you may get a pattern of stippling on the blade metal that would indicate some of the popular brands from early 1900s to present. If the blade sides are flat you might have something a little earlier. It's not disappointing to me. You've found a mighty handy artifact. Probably one of man's first tools.

 

[Snorlax]

So you believe it's old? I can do more restoration if that'd be of any help with a better potential for an ID. EDIT: looking at it the sides of the blade are very flat with no raising anywhere on the blade visible.

 

[smallfoot]

I can't really see much trying to blow your pix up gets blurry fast. Hydrolysis would take most of the blade back to where you might see what I'm talking about. Many companies made butcher knives on the same pattern for years and years. They were some very good knives even though they were about as cheap as you could get. I'll grab a few and take some shots to let you see the stipling. They were stamped metal blades. Thin and good carbon steel. Brought to razor sharp very easily. They usually had just straight wood scales attached by machine made brass rivets. I'll be back in a few...

 

[smallfoot]

These are a few I have. The top 3 knives have the stippling I'm talking about although stippling might not be the correct term. Some of these blades are marked "Forged" but that process means different things to different people I guess. I believe they were stamped from sheets to perimeter shape then sharpened and hardened and tempered.
Lots of the cheaper ones would not have any markings on the blade to determine who made them, but many had the name stamped on the wooden scales...that didn't last long. The steady use of these wore the handles smooth over time. The lines and marks on the blades I believe could aid in IDing if you knew which makers used that certain machine to roll the steel into sheets(or stamped). Further than that you can't really tell much about them unless you have a maker's mark or name of the company stamped into the steel somewhere.
Of these 5, the newest knife is on the bottom. It was given to my Mom in 1953 by my uncle Jessy. It is also the most valuable because of the name..Green River! The oldest is probably the one above the Green River. It is Marked I. Wilson. It's a Sheffield England knife from 1870-90s.

 

[Terry Soloman]

The knife you found is not actually worth anything. It is not pre-1900. Crusty crap is neat to find, but it is not worth the time or effort to "clean up," or "restore." Again, cool find, now throw it in the trash and be done with it!

 

[Snorlax]

Can't tell if you're being serious lol

 

[smallfoot]

Terry is right! You can buy a brand new Old hickory or Ontario Knife Company butcher similar to yours for less than $20. Most of the knives we'll find aren't going to be in very good shape if they are old. The good steels back then were carbon steel. Rust takes them away. I've found 7 or 8 pocket knives on the old trail thru here and there's nothing left but some brass bolsters, some thin brass liners, once in a while you might have a piece of handle still surviving. I still think they are cool finds. Whether you feel it's collectible or not is up to you.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Wildcat1750]

Interesting find and plenty of suggestions about it here...

 

[Al D]

Butcher Knife!

Or maybe a murder weapon?
sorry, I am just joking because I am bored, nice find though

 

[gunsil]

These are a few I have. The top 3 knives have the stippling I'm talking about although stippling might not be the correct term. Some of these blades are marked "Forged" but that process means different things to different people I guess. I believe they were stamped from sheets to perimeter shape then sharpened and hardened and tempered.
Lots of the cheaper ones would not have any markings on the blade to determine who made them, but many had the name stamped on the wooden scales...that didn't last long. The steady use of these wore the handles smooth over time. The lines and marks on the blades I believe could aid in IDing if you knew which makers used that certain machine to roll the steel into sheets(or stamped). Further than that you can't really tell much about them unless you have a maker's mark or name of the company stamped into the steel somewhere.
Of these 5, the newest knife is on the bottom. It was given to my Mom in 1953 by my uncle Jessy. It is also the most valuable because of the name..Green River! The oldest is probably the one above the Green River. It is Marked I. Wilson. It's a Sheffield England knife from 1870-90s.

The "stippling" you refer to was just a ploy by many manufacturers to make people think the knives were hand forged. They were not, the pattern was put in with a rolling press, and this was used mostly from the 1920s-1950s. I can't read the Wilson, but if the word "England" is on it it was made after 1891. In general the large brass rivets are indicative of a newer knife, post 1920s. The "Green River" is nothing special, many companies put that on their knives to imitate the Russell Green River Works knives. Only the Russel Green River Works knives have some value, and in general there are very few who collect old butcher or kitchen knives so they have little value. As Terry says, the OP knife sadly is a junker. I love knives, have antique kitchen and butcher knives and antique steels to keep them sharp but they didn't cost much and aren't worth much. There is some interest in kitchen and butcher knives made by famous companies like Case, KA-BAR, and Russell, but most are worth a couple bucks at any flea market.

 

[Snorlax]

So I feel ridiculous due to the fact that my measurement of the item itself was way off due to a horribly inaccurate method taught to me by my family. With a ruler it's roughly just over 14 inches. Not sure if that's info that's real needed for ID but I'd figure to update everyone in case that's of any importance.

 

[pepperj]

So I feel ridiculous due to the fact that my measurement of the item itself was way off due to a horribly inaccurate method taught to me by my family. With a ruler it's roughly just over 14 inches. Not sure if that's info that's real needed for ID but I'd figure to update everyone in case that's of any importance.

Don't be-and not to feel anything of the sort.
Finding something is something that has been lost/discarded and that's what the lure of discovering/digging things is all about.
Sharing information, learning things, is a lengthy journey.
Just because you didn't know shows that you're willing to learn and seek out what it is.
I've dug up many blades, I don't throw them, I might try to put an edge back on a few, keep a few for the style.
If everyone just chucked it in the trash as stated by some, what's the point in even exploring in the first place.

 

[smallfoot]

The "stippling" you refer to was just a ploy by many manufacturers to make people think the knives were hand forged. They were not, the pattern was put in with a rolling press, and this was used mostly from the 1920s-1950s. I can't read the Wilson, but if the word "England" is on it it was made after 1891. In general the large brass rivets are indicative of a newer knife, post 1920s. The "Green River" is nothing special, many companies put that on their knives to imitate the Russell Green River Works knives. Only the Russel Green River Works knives have some value, and in general there are very few who collect old butcher or kitchen knives so they have little value. As Terry says, the OP knife sadly is a junker. I love knives, have antique kitchen and butcher knives and antique steels to keep them sharp but they didn't cost much and aren't worth much. There is some interest in kitchen and butcher knives made by famous companies like Case, KA-BAR, and Russell, but most are worth a couple bucks at any flea market.

Thus my "forged" comment! Laughingly I still stand by my comment that the Green River knife is still the most valuable of all that I posted there. None of my stuff has any real value to anybody but me to be honest.