uncommon belgian bread knife with arm support
I recently acquired a rather intriguing knife. It is an old belgian bread knife of crude but skilled manufacture.
The knife has a thin convex blade and a full tang construction. The handle is probably ash. The funniest of all is the arm rest. When using, the cutting edge is oriented towards the user; the big farmer breads are usually held against the chest.
What is interesting is the way the knife was made: steel seems to be laminated (old steel with plenty of impurities); different pieces are forge welded together (just behind the handle, just in front of the u shape & attachment of the u shape to the knife tang).
Age? I guess somewhere between 1850 - 1900.
Enjoy!
tim
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