Corn Knives and Razors

[RobesonsRme.com]

I don't think scraping is the correct term. One slices off very thin pieces of the corn until it no longer is raised above the surface of the skin.

A corn has no nerves or blood supply until you get down deep.

It doesn't hurt, at all, to shave a corn down flat, just don't cut the surrounding viable tissue.

Charlie

[Lawrence]

I think I may have one. It's a Demuth...and I have seen other knives with this name referenced to Muller & Schmidt of Germany. Looks like it may have dealt with a few corns in its life. cheers

[doglegg]

Some great scales on that one Lawrence.

[knife7knut]

Here is an assemblage of corn knives and razors I've accumulated over the years.
A pair of Bontgen & Sabin corn razors with blades shaped like full sized razors.
Edward Weck & Sons metal handled corn razor with purse & extra blades.
F.A.Koch bone handled razor with blade etch.
F.A.Koch bone handled corn knife in mint condition
Krusius Bros.bone handled corn razor.
Krusius Bros.French ivory handled corn knife.
Krusius Bros. synthetic handled corn razor with a different blade shape(well sharpened).
L&F corn razor with original box.
LaCross(Schneffel Bros.)corn razor with French ivory handles.
L.Weyersberg & Sons corn razor.

[kootenay joe]

Here'a bunch i have acquired. Some are 2 or even 3 blade. I will try to post a few interesting ones.
kj

[knife7knut]

Page two. For some reason the last razor didn't post so it will be the first picture.
Lily pearl handled corn razor.
Parex non folding corn razor with hard rubber handle and safety guard showing both sides.
Pauls Bros.corn knife with what looks like ivory handles.
Schnefel Bros. corn knife with French ivory handles.
Star Safety Corn Razor(Kampfe Bros.)with tortoise shell celluloid handles.
An unmarked corn razor.
Vom Cleff corn razor.

[LongBlade]

Ray - Great showing of all kinds of corn knives and razors ...

KJ - Looks like you have big group in that box .... Dump'em and take a group shot and any ones you feel are special note by themselves ...

[knife7knut]

Here'a bunch i have acquired. Some are 2 or even 3 blade. I will try to post a few interesting ones.
kj

Would love to see the two and three blade ones Roland!

[kootenay joe]

This 3 blade corn knife is marked: Henry Sears/& Son/1865. Unfortunately one blade is snapped off just above tang.
The 2 blade corn knife was made by Lutters in Solingen and is marked: Vom Cleff/& Co/Germany and: Lion Cutlery/logo reclining lion/Warranted, on both blades. Lutters made top quality cutlery.
kj

[knife7knut]

This 3 blade corn knife is marked: Henry Sears/& Son/1865. Unfortunately one blade is snapped off just above tang.
The 2 blade corn knife was made by Lutters in Solingen and is marked: Vom Cleff/& Co/Germany and: Lion Cutlery/logo reclining lion/Warranted, on both blades. Lutters made top quality cutlery.
kj

Those are fantastic! I've never seen a multiblade corn knife before. I believe Henry Sears had knives made for them by various companies;I have several by them. The Vom Cleff brand I also have several of and they are indeed high quality knives. Thanks for posting them.

[Miller Bro's]

I have several variations, can't find the folding pocket knives right now.

[kootenay joe]

I did have a corn knife with a secondary guard that when open would prevent the blade from cutting too deeply, but i cannot find it. possibly i sold it.
Here are 2 pictures showing a few of the various blade profiles found on corn knives and a few of the handle shapes. These are only a part of the variety in corn knives 'out there'.
Below these is a 3 1/8" old Henckels that closed looks like a corn knife. But open the blade more resembles an ink eraser. Perhaps the edge opposite the eraser edge was used on corns ? I dunno.
kj

[kootenay joe]

Here is a very sweet small corn knife, at just over 2 1/4", marked: "Encore/Turner & Co/Sheffield". The larger knife is an old Henckels , 3 3/8".
kj

[kootenay joe]

Here is what i think of as my 'nicest' corn knife. The bone handles are a bit thicker than the ivory handles so the knife has a bit of 'heft' almost like a regular pocket knife. The liners are worn but still show milling. Nice ease out to make easy access to the long pull. Front tank is marked: "Trade/F B/Mark" and on the back: "Forquignon/No. 102/Prussia". I cannot find any cutlery related reference to "Forquignon".
The blade is screaming sharp. I think it is over 100 years old.
kj

[Sharpnshinyknives]

Here is what i think of as my 'nicest' corn knife. The bone handles are a bit thicker than the ivory handles so the knife has a bit of 'heft' almost like a regular pocket knife. The liners are worn but still show milling. Nice ease out to make easy access to the long pull. Front tank is marked: "Trade/F B/Mark" and on the back: "Forquignon/No. 102/Prussia". I cannot find any cutlery related reference to "Forquignon".
The blade is screaming sharp. I think it is over 100 years old.
kj

KJ, I had no idea that there were so many corn knives or that you had collected so many. These must be pretty popular to collect. The two I sold last year sold for double what I thought they were worth. I was afraid that they would go for approximately the same amount that an office knife goes for. But on eBay they both brought north of 30 dollars each and one of them was over 45, but I can’t remember which one it was. It pays to use an auction when you aren’t sure of the value.
You have some very fine examples there.
SSk

[kootenay joe]

I began collecting corn knives because i like scalpels and ivory and the prices were usually quite low so i was able to afford them. If they are now in some demand it is a recent change.
Corn knives have a high incidence of having been used & re-sharpened making it a bit unusual to find an unused example. Also the blades are carbon steel so some oxidation on the blade is common.
Thank you for your kind words.
kj

[mrwatch]

My better half said she was not familiar with corn knives. She had a grandmother that had a corn. If the doctor did not remove the root it would grow back. At times with estate auctions they would sell a long two handled tool with a loop and a round ball post. Put it in a shoe where the corn would be and squeeze the handles and stretch out the leather. True?

[doglegg]

I've seen those shoe stretchers for corns.

[LongBlade]

Great showing of nice corn knives KJ ... nice variety!!!

Lawrence - Nice Demuth ...

Dimitri - Nice addition with that razor ...

There’s actually more being posted than I expected ...

[RobesonsRme.com]

I think shoe stretchers were mostly to relieve the discomfort caused by bunions, which are a deformity, overgrowth and inflammation of the first metatarsals, the long bones just behind the halux or great toe.

Charlie Noyes

[kootenay joe]

Charlie, i think a corn can develop on the surface of a bunion due to the pressure created by the deformity when wearing stiff footwear.
I have had no personal corn experiences and don't know much about them. Corns are no longer a common occurrence. There must have been a change in how shoes & boots were designed or in the materials used that resulted in corns all but disappearing.
kj

[Miller Bro's]

I did have a corn knife with a secondary guard that when open would prevent the blade from cutting too deeply, but i cannot find it. possibly i sold it.

I have one of those too, I think Henckels made it. Do you remember who made yours?

[kootenay joe]

Yes it was Henckels. Could it be the same knife ? that i sold it to you ?
kj

[Miller Bro's]

No I don't think so, I bought this one off eBay about nine years ago.

Unless you sold it through a dealer on eBay?

[kootenay joe]

Not same knife then. Which means i might still have it !
kj