FINE Old Foster Bros. Bolstered Carbon Steel Buffalo Skinner/Lamb Splitter Knife
PLEASE NOTE: We take our photos in natural light outdoors and as a result there are sometimes reflections or shadows or glare shown in the blades. In person none of these exist; we will say so in the description if it may be otherwise.
Please read our Terms below for details. Now THIS Is a knife to get excited about--VERY excited. This wonderful old bullnose butcher knife may look merely BIG at first glance, but up close and personal it is truly SCARY. Known alternately as a buffalo skinner and a lamb-splitter, it's the knife you want to reach for when you only want to reach once. I assure you, whatever it is that you may need to divide in half with it, will be permanently divided in half on the first try.
It's a style and size, though, that was widely carried by buffalo hunters in the years immediately following the Civil War, and though this is definitely one of Foster Bros. Oldest piece in this style, I don't think it dates back that far. Without a doubt, though, it is certainly of that lineage. Along with its overall construction style, two key design elements help date the piece as being from later 19th Century; the absence of a hole near the "hump" of its blade, used for hanging on a nail, and the fact that it was pinned in iron over its tang, not in brass, as had become the norm in the early 20th Century for this maker.
Best of all, perhaps, this exceptional knife was recently given an EXTREMELY sharp professional edge and must be treated with extreme care. You can literally shave with it.
In the old days, many classically trained French chefs didn't consider a knife fit for professional use until it received its first "working" edge upon receipt from the factory. Sushi chefs continue this tradition with their rituals of water stones and the resulting keen of their blades is virtually alien to most home cooks (and to many professional chefs) of Western indoctrination. This knife comes pretty close to just that kind of sharpness, but please exercise MAXIMUM caution, since a careless user may find himself in the E. It's also remarkable for its condition, which is flat-out excellent, as the photos show, and it is absolutely ready to work today right out of the box in even the most demanding kitchen or meat locker.
It is even more beautiful than the digital photos make it look, even though it looks pretty good already, as you can see. Its large curved carbon steel blade was hand-forged with a tapered tang, hafted with beautifully darkened and mellowed cherrywood handle scales.
Its dome-shaped iron ferrule not only gives the knife added strength and beauty but keeps food particles from getting gunked up in the handle. Its blade is stamped FOSTER BROS. " and "12, along with their old arrow-through-heart logo. Even if the knife wasn't marked at all, its identity would be unmistakable as a Foster Brothers knife.It was made in USA LONG ago, as evidenced by its design and by the hand-hatched work on every edge of the handle-another of their trademarks. The entire piece is beautifully weathered and it just begs to be held. Though it has some considerable collector value, it would be a shame not to use it, if you're able. Carbon steel blades of this vintage can hold a razor's edge like no other and I have little doubt it could still do more than its share of butchering of game or livestock. I have one and use mine as a cleaver for meats and also for sugar cane, which my wife cooks with from time to time, but I've also used one for big-game hunting and I can assure you that nothing on this earth will help you quarter a moose so quickly as one of these.
Its beechwood handles are as warm and comfortable in the hand as they are easy on the eye. Comes with 12" blade (18" overall length) and runs 9/32 thick, tapering towards point and pommel At 29.1 ounces it has more than enough heft for any user.
Handle has no cracks, chips, looseness or damage to wood at all--just superb in every way. If you're simply collecting Fur Trade items, you're in luck--this is a rare opportunity to add some authenticity and heirloom quality--not to mention SIZE--to your collection. And don't listen to your girlfriend: SIZE.Our store's inventory is searchable using the search field or may be browsed by clicking on categories, with each option found on the left side of the store's homepage. Don't see it or can't find what you're looking for? It's wrong--it's STEALING--and you WILL be turned in to us by one of the legion of our loyal customers, who inevitably see your plagiarism and notify us about it. All items come from a smoke-free home. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy.
If you dislike this or find this unfair, PLEASE shop elsewhere; we only want happy customers and it's our feeling that no one should be able to claim dissatisfaction with this policy, since we're stating it up front. It's not an attempt to profit, simply the only way my elderly bones can continue to offer so many items. WE SELF-INSURE using our business policy. I will gladly send you the forms necessary to file. Late, so again, we ask you in advance to please forgive our humanity. We take customer service very seriously and want to do whatever it takes to meet your needs. If you're not in total agreement with us here or disagree for any reason, we can only urge that you PLEASE shop elsewhere.International packages will be calculated on the basis of a MINIMUM ONE POUND weight. IMPORTANT: After TWELVE YEARS of doing everything we could to hold the line on int'l. If you're not in total agreement with us here or disagree for any reason, again, we can only urge you to PLEASE shop elsewhere. We'd like to sell'em cheaper..
But MY WIFE won't let me!! The item "FINE Old Foster Bros.
Bolstered Carbon Steel Buffalo Skinner/Lamb Splitter Knife" is in sale since Friday, March 19, 2021. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Kitchen & Home\Flatware, Knives & Cutlery\Flatware Sets".
The seller is "ralph1396" and is located in Los Angeles, California. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States