Anyone Know the Purpose of This Knife??

[Paladin]

I am attaching a couple of photos of a Russell 418 pattern.
It is a small knife with an OAL of just over 5 inches. It has strange serations towards the end of a blade that measures less than 1 1/2 inches and the only sharp part is area at the end of the serations. The blade has not been reshaped, at least as far as I can tell. It came from the factory this way.
As always, any help will be appreciated.

[knife7knut]

There is a picture of one in BRL's guide(or maybe one of his Whutizzit columns).As I recall it was used in the shoe making industry but not sure of it's purpose.I just checked quickly in the 3rd edition and couldn't find it.I'll check my old Knife World papers later.

[Paladin]

Thanks, K7K!!

Ray

[jonet143]

i think it's a trowell, for spreading adhesive.

[zorrothegreyblade]

i think it's a trowell, for spreading adhesive.

That was my guess, but given my record lately I thought I'd keep it to myself!

[jljr1944]

The purpose of this knife is to open oyster/clam shells and remove the insides. A fairly rare item and even rarer in the condition yours is in.

[jonet143]

wow, i had searched every oyster knife ad on the net without finding one with teeth. where did you find it? all the ones i found were longer too. what is the purpose of the teeth?

[Paladin]

I asked B. Levine what he might know about this knife and I am pasting a copy of his surprising response.

"It would break if used on shellfish.

It is a frankfurt skinner, for real frankfurters that have intestine for sausage casing. When I was a kid back in the last century, you could still buy your choice of skinless or with skin frankfurters. Skinless cost extra. Before that, they all had skin.

BRL..."

[Sauconian]

[upnorth]

A WHAT????
Never woulda guessed that in a million years!
Probably because I'm so YOUNG!!!
(Unlike Fran! )

[Sauconian]

A WHAT????
Never woulda guessed that in a million years!
Probably because I'm so YOUNG!!!
(Unlike Fran! )

Well Sant..er Son...ah, Charlie....as one of our resident experts....you're gonna hafta improve your guessing skills !




I wonder if Mr. Paladin is walking around like Chester today ?

One leg longer than the other.

I wanna see it in a catalog. Old Missouri Fran

[Sauconian]

Hotdog !

Looks like I owe BRL an apology...and a thankyou. Paladin's knife is in the August issue of Knife World and my curiousity is satisfied.

It was not however, used by Mom to take the natural casings off Dick & Jane's wieners , but for packing plant workers to remove the plastic casings that skinless franks are cooked in.

Fran

[jonet143]

way to go fran, you beat me to it. i just aquired a copy of brl's book containing his "whutizit" colimns from the late seventies. i found a knife very similar to paladins and he identified it as a frank skinner.