Sorry for your loss. I'd tell you I know how you feel, but I don't. It's always different for each of us.

I also got to go through my dads tools and 'stuff' and took a sampling. I wish I could have got his anvil on the plane. I did get an interesting response from a young girl at the airline counter when she opened my old samsonite to check several of my old steel traps, three of my dads sheath knives and his old Winchester model 12. She got big eyes, said "Okay" and ask me to close it and lock it. 

Hawk

Our condolences to you, your family,, and friends. 

 

I too am sorry for your loss.

While in my favorite junk shop last week I wasn't successful in finding any blacksmith tools so I was just pawing through a little box of knives and I found an interesting one that had a makers mark by the name of "John C. Dewyell" stamped on it.  I found another knife that I liked the profile of and the shop owner said for me they'd be $5 each - not bad so they followed me home!  I knew the marked knife was hand forged because of the careful slight bevels and because of the steel.

Here's the maker's mark

 

Given the profile I really feel this could be a throwing knife.  A little research on our maker revealed he lived in Livonia, NY (not too far from where I found it in the junk shop) living from 1837 - 1917.  Turns out he was a blacksmith who evolved with the times into a cutler then a machinist and finally a mechanic.  He also invented a device for trimming horse hooves called the Circular Buttress which had a patent in Canada.

The edges of the knife are dulled - filed from the base of the blade up to about the halfway point.  Looking at the profile I am guessing the maker did not do this work as the symmetry is out of whack considerably.  

I thought the knife was interesting and wanted to show it around and get some opinions as to it's probable use.  I haven't ruled out that it was a tool of some kind given the utilitarian handle typical of a lot of tools.  Any thoughts anyone?

For $5, I was happy to find this little gem.  If I find in the end that it has little value in this condition, I may just correct the profile to make it symmetrical again and sharped just the edges.  I think it's highly likely that it left John Dewyell's shop symmetrical and sharp and that he'd want it looking that way again if he were here to give his opinion.

In my research I also found this Morgan Dollar struck with his name in the same font as my knife. 

 

 

 

 

I would guess a sticking knife over a throwing knife.

Makes sense.

Very cool find and interesting back story. Good researching!

TP, explain what you consider a sticking knife to be used for (obviously to stick into things, but thought you might have more info than that).  Back on the farm,  animals had their throats slit with a good knife more like the other one I picked up. 

Hammer Monkey.  Yeah, I thought it was cool.  It would make a great boot knife.  I may make one like it someday out of 5160 and see if it throws and what it seems to be good for use wise.

It sure looks like a lot of the throwing knife shapes I've looked at that were from the circus acts of the 19th century.  I've even seen some with the dulled areas just like this one.  The one thing against that theory is the thinness.  It's not super thin because the very fine bevel leaves some thickness in the middle.  

You stick a hog, going in between the neck and shoulder blade to cut the veins and arteries to the heart. A truly sharp knife cuts them and they bleed out quickly. If you tear the veins they tend to close. The leaf shape is thaught to take less effort.

Thanks CRS; a lot of the old knives used for sticking that I have seen are double edged.  For example the 1908 Sears Roebuck & Co catalog under "Butcher Knives" has several. (1897 catalog too.)

I had a leaf blade knife like that when I was a puppy. My uncle brought it back from the European Theater WWII. He told me it was a pig sticker. It was sharp as a razor. Sadly after several moves it disappeared. I always thought my older brother made off with it.

My older brother used to hog my stuff all the time, too.

Picked up a lightly used DeWalt DWM120 bandsaw.  works like a champ.   what blades do you recommend for cutting steel stock?

 

You will soon wonder how you got along without a portaband.

Thanks 

I used a Milwaukee deep cut when I worked as an electrician at a corn plant.  I was amazed at what it could do.  This one is 10 amp and if I recall, the Milwaukee was 6 amp, so all things being equal this one should be more powerful.  and this one has a infinitely variable speed from 100 to 360 fpm I think.  

 

This attachment for my belt sander finally came in today. Got it all hooked up and tried out. Works extremely well. Much more efficient with the 2x48 belts and they are cheaper as well. It should give me a lot more versatility when making knives and razors. 

 

 

Ooh, nice Sfeile. I like it. Man I could use a belt grinder. 

Thanks Das. I had the 4x36 grinder already. This was just the conversion piece with 2 sizes of contact wheel and the platen. Not as good as a full variable speed 2x72, but it was only about 1/10th the cost.

Nice Shawn.  will the unsupported area be useful?  For convex?

 

It's a step up Sfeile, and for a tenth of the cost it gets you working better and on the way up to that 2x72. I keep holding off even tho I know every step forward saves a lot of time with files or tools that are nowhere as accurate or controllable. It Is a nice addition to your kit. 

Thanks Mike. I'm assuming you mean on top? I'm thinking it's going to work quite well for rounding handles actually. I used it to quick knock the corners off a block I had sitting there and it worked very well. I'm sure either that area or removing the platen will work for convex grinds as well.

I'm going to add a table/work rest for it somehow. Not sure at the moment the exact details, but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

It sure is an improvement Das. The 4x36 has done ok so far. I've made a few knives and a straight razor with it, so I'm not disappointed with it, but the more I learn, the bigger the limitations became. I think this is going to be more versatile and really save me some time and effort. Especially for straight razors. Trying to do a hollow grind on a crowned contact wheel that is too small of a diameter to begin with is not fun at all haha.

Slick attachment. If I had one I might still have my 2"x48" belt grinder as my main grinder.

Please let us know how it works, belt life, motor drag down, etc.

Frosty The Lucky.

I used it for a couple hours tonight Frosty. My belt sander only has a 3/4 horse motor on it, so it's not the strongest thing in the world, but unless I had the blade full length down the platen and really pushing, it did well. Better than using the full 4x36 belts actually. Seems to bog it down a lot less.

The belts are going to be a new thing for me. I got the cheapest I could find for the 4x36 belts. Some were ok, others were not. I did a lot of hogging on a 36 grit tonight, and it still has a lot of life left in it. Seems like they are going to be pretty good so far. Nice clean cutting as well. And it seems to clean itself out very well and throw most all of the sparks and dust down instead of clinging and coming back in your face.

I ordered a bunch of aluminum oxide belts from Tru Grit. Most expensive was 1.80 each which is about .30 a piece less than the last cheap ones I bought of 4x36. Not a lot if you are only pricing one belt, but it adds up over time. I also have more options with this size. I can get ceramics, scotchbrite, etc... if I need them.

My old 2" x 48" belt grinder is powered by a 1/2 hp. motor and it's definitely under powered for the 2" x 72" home build. Nothing porcine about it.

I'm thinking the 5hp. motor I was given last Saturday might change things.   I have to make a couple adaptations but nothing too major. 

I haven't used it enough to find out how fast it goes through belts. Sweet machines.

Frosty The Lucky.

I did some looking around and I have to agree that the knife I bought sure does look like a sticking knife to me too.  Thanks all for the input!

Nice $3 cold set from the flea market.