"Prostitute's Dagger" made from Meriden Cutlery Co. Carving Knife

Description

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Once upon a time this was part of a carving set made by Meriden Cutlery Co., a Connecticut company in business from 1855 - 1918, when it was taken over by Landers, Frary & Clark. When I got it, it had apparently been broken - most of the front half was gone - and the edge was ground upwards at a weird angle to make it usable, though not as a carving knife anymore. It has a thick spine and a nice bolster area, along with a rounded off-white plastic handle that looks, to me, a bit feminine. I reshaped it on a couple of belt grinders to what you see in the pictures. It was/is my first attempt at this so it isn't great work, but it is functional. I once read that there is no such thing as a "prostitute's dagger," as in there weren't knives made and marketed to ladies of the evening, though they no doubt armed themselves with what they could, but this seems like it would fit the bill. It originally had some rust marks and pitting, so I hand sanded the blade's surface but it was obvious that I was about to obliterate the marking - hard to read now as it is - so I stopped before achieving a true mirror polish with 1500 grit sandpaper. If the marking doesn't matter, you can finish the job, maybe engrave something on it afterwards. The handle has some chipping right at the front, some dents and scratches: I didn't sand it down because I believe it would ruin the appearance. Pictures show the finished product. Edge is sharp but not hair-shaving sharp, that wouldn't take much to achieve. No sheath: I haven't tried my hand at leatherwork, and don't plan to.
You can see what remains of the etched markings: "MERIDEN CUTLERY C
o
/ U.S.A." M
easures 9-3/4" overall, 4-5/8" from tip to bolster, weighs about 4 oz.
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