Recent acquisition, an old Shilin Cutter from Taiwan.
- Very broad blade profile for an old slipjoint.
- Unfortunately the previous owner(s) did a really nasty grind job on this blade. Because of this, this tip isn't completely covered by the handle when folded.
Regrettably, its not in the best condition. These are getting difficult to find and it was at a good price, so I picked it up regardless. The seller believed this dated from late 19th-early 20th cen., but they weren't aware of this knife's origins. Most of the examples I've seen of these are post-WW2, so I'm not sure what to make of his estimate. The mark on it just reads "Shilin Knife", Shilin being the district of Teipei where these were traditionally made. I don't know who the manufacturer might be. I believe the blade is carbon steel (I know Kuo and Chiu made these with laminated steel imported from Japan) and the handle is horn, likely water buffalo. This has a nice halfstop, but the spring is pretty worn and weak. This used to have a bail too, which is missing.
My only real point of reference for this are descriptions and pictures of knives made in the last few decades by the Kuo and Chiu workshops, respectively. The simple stamp on this blade doesn't resemble marks on either of those craftsmen, so I assume this is from an older, anonymous maker that isn't around anymore. Any additional info would be appreciated.
