What is it's purpose?

[SFC ADP]

So I went to Iowa and cleaned out my Grandfathers basement finally (He passed away about 1.5 years ago) and he has had this knife hanging on the wall since I can remember. I never gave it a whole lot of thought, as I am mainly into folders. So before I went to bed I was doing some knife researching, and was looking up a Ink Eraser knife I had purchsed made by Challenge. So I was reading up on them in Blade's Guide to Knives & their Values (6th Edition knockoff to Levine's book), and saw on page 420 the same design of knife there. Unfortunatley they do not show a price listiing, and it is listed beneath the Paper Hanger's knife. Now the one I have is a Stag handle, not bone like listed in the book, and mine shows no markings at all. Their is rust and pitting, maybe at one time there was. The i-bolt was put on hang the knife on the wall. So any idea's what the funtion of this knife was for? The end of the blade is wrapped back around, which is shown in the book as well.

[CCBill]

It's used for cleaning and trimming horse's hooves..

[9ball]

It looks like an old farriers knife to me. That's someone who shoes horses. If so, it is the first one I have ever seen with stag handles, so my guess it is very old. Maybe English made.


*EDIT: Bill, you beat me to it

[ibelieve]

It looks like what the farriers use when horseshoeing. they use a tool just like that to cut and scrape off the hoof just like the pp said.

[smiling-knife]

Hi, It looks home made to me. Obviously, someone's pride and joy at one time as well as highly practical. Very nice. s-k

[9ball]

SFC ADP
Can you tell if the metal has been forged? You know, like any kind of hammer marks on it?