Slitting Knife

[Ferryman]

I just picked up an old leatherworkers slitting knife.

Can anyone tell me what these were originally used for.

There is no makers name and it requires new scales but I love old tools so will restore it and make and fit new scales.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Ferryman

[blue62]

Hard to say what it was used for without a picture.

[Ferryman]

Here is a photo of it

Edited February 13, 2020 by Ferryman

[jcuk]

https://www.abbeyengland.com/solingen-french-knife-4529-7754.html

https://www.vergez-blanchard.fr/boutique_us/fiche_produit.cfm?ref=3_646&type=31&code_lg=lg_us&num=2

The top one i believe maybe the same make

Hope this helps

JCUK

Edited February 13, 2020 by jcuk

[Ferryman]

Yes definitely the same style of knife.

I could not resist for £10

[jcuk]

No looks in fairly good nick a good clean up and a sharpen, away you and have practise remember your fingers.

Where did you find it.

 

JCUK

Edited February 13, 2020 by jcuk

[zuludog]

I seem to remember that somewhere from the past I've seen this type of knife described as a French Style Leather Knife, though I'm willing to be corrected

Give it a clean up and sharpen, and you can use it in a similar way to a round knife or head knife

[Ferryman]

It was on ebay. I offered £10.00 as a buy it now price and the seller accepted.

 

It does need new scales the one you cannot see is in very bad condition

Edited February 13, 2020 by Ferryman
Photo added

[Matt S]

I believe that the Sheffield cutlery trade did/does simply call them "leather", "cobblers" or "beak" knives, and installers of UPVC double glazing calls them "Don Carlos" or "moon" knives. I think that the spade on the handle indicates that your knife was made in Solingen.

[Ferryman]

Thanks Matt S 

It had to be worth a punt for £10

I just googled Don Carlos Moon Knife and that is what it appears to be. Their trademark was a gold spade on the handle

 

Specification:

Original high quality quarter moon shaped knife

Identified with the gold spade logo on the handle

Polished carbon steel blade

Made in Germany by Friedr. Herder Abr. Sohn GmbH

Edited February 13, 2020 by Ferryman

[Matt S]

47 minutes ago, Ferryman said:

Thanks Matt S 

It had to be worth a punt for £10

I just googled Don Carlos Moon Knife and that is what it appears to be. Their trademark was a gold spade on the handle

 

Specification:

Original high quality quarter moon shaped knife

Identified with the gold spade logo on the handle

Polished carbon steel blade

Made in Germany by Friedr. Herder Abr. Sohn GmbH

Yep, looks like a good tool for a tenner. Thanks for clarifying about the spade symbol.

[billybopp]

I'd say you got a great deal there!   As above, I've seen these called a French Leather Knife, and recently saw a Don Carlos brand up on ebay.  I have a cheap knock-off version from China.  It can be used in most of the same ways that a round knife is at the long outside curve for push cuts and rolling cuts.  The pointy part can be used to cut tight curves with a pushing motion the same way you would with a round knife.  Additionally, the point is sharpened on the inside curve so that you can use it much as you would with a clicker knife in a pull cut.  

The downfall of these seems to be that pointy part - sharpened on both sides there isn't much metal to support that point and they are  susceptible to breakage - so keep that in mind when in use!

- Bill

[fredk]

Abbey sells them new for under £25

https://www.abbeyengland.com/solingen-french-knife-4529-7754.html

I have an old one which I use sometimes

I got mine in one of those knick-nack shops which used to be everywhere in the UK - the ones that sold second-hand household items, old tools, the odd bit of furniture. I got it for £1. The seller thought it was a glazier's knife and I've seen it sold as such too.

[Ferryman]

Yes Now I know what it is I have found them for sale online.

It will be good to practice sharpening techniques on and at £10 I will not cry if I screw up (Hopefully I won't screw up)

[chuck123wapati]

Lead caning knife for stained glass work very cool kife and good find it has many uses

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by chuck123wapati

[Matt S]

@Ferryman Just a thought re. the handle, but have you considered filling/repairing with epoxy rather than replacing? It's quite a popular technique with the tool restoration channels on Youtube and would avoid the faff of shaping, slitting and pinning a new piece of wood. You could use a contrasting colour, or even clear, to highlight the repaired sections. Either liquid stuff with a simple improvised mould or even with epoxy putty.

Attached is a photo of a machine handle I restored last year. The original wood was shrunk and cracked from 100-odd years of neglect. I filled the cracks with Milliput (was supposed to be black, silly I picked the grey off the shelf). Once dry I sanded it flush and wiped some oil on the handle. So simple that even I could do it.
 

[Ferryman]

That is certainly a possibility.

 

I should receive it this week so will decide then on my course of action.

 

[chrisash]

Ring the company and ask if they do a lifetime guarantee 

[fredk]

2 hours ago, Matt S said:

Attached is a photo of a machine handle I restored last year. The original wood was shrunk and cracked from 100-odd years of neglect. I filled the cracks with Milliput (was supposed to be black, silly I picked the grey off the shelf). Once dry I sanded it flush and wiped some oil on the handle. So simple that even I could do it.

Milliput would indeed be the job. Available in standard green, black, white and terracotta. Museums use white and terracotta for replacing sections of pottery which are missing, they use the contrasting colour to show up the replacement or repair. Milliput colours are inter-mixable as well

[Ferryman]

I have some Milliput in the garage but will wait and see when the knife gets here what is feasible and what isn't. by way of repair.

I have some offcuts of various hardwoods so making new scales would not be to much of a problem. 

Looking at the end of the handle it looks to have been struck with a hard object judging by the compressed fibres

Edited February 16, 2020 by Ferryman

[zuludog]

Making and fitting a new handle would be simple enough, especially as that is a straightforward design - Search YouTube for 'knife handle making', there are lots of videos. Many of them use power tools & belt sanders, but it's easy enough to do with hand tools.

I suspect that the brass pins that were used to fix the handle  date from a time when decent glue wasn't around; but now a 2 - part epoxy will do the job. My choice would be slow set/standard/24hour Araldite (annoyingly, they keep changing the name). Most places now seem only to stock the 5 min/rapid set stuff, but try not to use that as it doesn't give you much time for fiddling about and adjusting. I think Halfords sell the slow set stuff

[jcuk]

3 hours ago, chrisash said:

Ring the company and ask if they do a lifetime guarantee 

Really        Funny for who

[fredk]

This knife can be bought real cheaply, £10/£12

https://www.windowparts.co.uk/don-carlos-moon-knife.html

[Ferryman]

Well like everything in life, buying a secondhand unseen knife is a gamble.

Maybe it is an original Don Carlos made in Germany made with good steel  or maybe it is a cheap copy, made from recycled washing machines, only time will tell.

[jimi]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

This knife can be bought real cheaply, £10/£12

Party pooper  I think ferryman is going to hate your guts for that one!

Edited February 16, 2020 by jimi