Melon testers

[prairiedog]

Sometimes at weekly flea markets you find yourself gazing at the same groups of knives that you were looking at the week before...not that there's not a lot of good knives to choose from...just nothing to really spark your interest...but every now and then you find a couple that keeps a smile on your face all day...love the hunt!!!
As usual, I do have a question though ...did this pattern originally have an etching on the blade? I mean, these two are in good shape but I see no signs of an etching on either one.

Thanks for looking,
Perry

[Paladin]

Perry,
Without digging mine out of a dark corner somewhere, I believe that pattern did not have an etch.

Ray

[EyeBJoe]

Prairiedog, I believe Ray is right on target (surprise! . I checked my collection and neither the yellow or white mellon testers have any etching. Over the years I don't recall one of the testers with etching. It is unusual to find two of those at once. Great Find !!! Let me know if you would ever want to sell one. I would like to find one for my grandson's collection. He is 9 yrs. old and soaking it up like a sponge.

Joe D.

[EyeBJoe]

.....................you must have a great source for Eye Brands over your way.


Joe D.

[FRJ]

Those are great looking knives.

[SteelMyHeart85420]

Nice matching pair of unusual knives. I have 2 melon testers, and don't quite get the concept. What are we proving spearing a melon, and doesn't it mean "the rind is compromised, better eat this one next"?

[Paladin]

Well, way back when, in looking for a melon to purchase you had the vendor 'plug' it. That meant that triangular cuts were made in the rind and the cuts extended down into the meat of the melon. They were angled so that the plug could be lifted out and examined, maybe even tasted. When you bought this melon you knew it was ripe and sweet.

Ray

[jerryd6818]

Way back before Christ was promoted to Corporal (mid-1950s), down where I come from (Southern Illinois/Southern Indiana), when you bought a watermelon they would cut a pyramid shape 'plug' out of the watermelon so you could taste it before you bought it. That was referred to as 'plugging' the watermelon and was a very common practice. Don't quote me but that may be why those knives are called 'Melon Testers'. Anyone else want to chime in?

Edit: I guess I messed around and dilly dallied. Ray beat me to it.

[SteelMyHeart85420]

Got both of these in a fleabay lot auction....a Sabre and a Kutmaster melon tester, respectively. Thank you both for the education.

[jerryd6818]

I have a couple of Sabres. They're not bad knives. Though 'Melon Tester' seems to be the most common and probably the proper name for the knives, did you know that they are also sometimes called 'fruit' knives or 'sausage' knives?

There's a thread devoted to 'Melon Testers' if you're interested. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43122&hilit=melon+tester

[keithw]

Hey guys,

I have a melon tester just like Perry's (except not in as good shape) with a tang stamp of FR Olbertz.
Is that just an example of Olbertz selling one just like the Schlieper melon tester?

Just wondering,
Thanks!

[EyeBJoe]

Keith, I'm not sure what the correct answer to your question is, but just connecting the dots, it seems that since Frd. Olbertz is the owner and producer of Schlieper and Eye Brand knives, they could certainly produce a melon tester with any stamping involving the many brands that they produce. They have been around for a long time and certainly could have even made a tester before they purchased the Eye Brand. Either way your knife is a keeper.

Joe D.

[Colonel26]

Some very nice melon taters guys.

I was talking to an older guy at church awhile back about plugging watermelons. He said his momma would plug them to see if they were ripe before picking them. I asked him if that didn't ruin the melon if it was plugged and wasn't found to be ripe enough. He told me that she would replace the plug and seal it with hot wax. According to him it would continue to ripen good as ever.

[FRJ]

That makes sense to me, Wade.
The wax would keep the bugs out, large and small, and it would grow on its merry way.