another what is

Shouldn't be for lettuce -- lettuce shouldn't be cut with metal, at least not ferrous metal (does bad things for the taste).  I found an old knife like this years ago, but never found its particular use. 

If I don't tear lettuce for salads, I have a set of plastic knives made for the purpose.

De-capping knife for a beekeeper.

I think keykeeper has it

I think that is a good guess....

I agree with Keeykeeper.  And I also agree with Branson about always tearing lettuce.

Ditto, the one sided edge is the clue...

Quote from: rusty on December 02, 2011, 06:31:45 PM

Ditto, the one sided edge is the clue...

Sharp looking.  I didn't notice that.  Makes it a double edged broad knife, hunh?

Definitely a honey knife.
But lookit that handle! Yowsa!!

The knife I have, has a plain butt ugly ogre of a handle,  in comparison to that.
yours Scott

>Makes it a double edged broad knife

*Never* piss off the beekeeper - P

>But lookit that handle! Yowsa!!

Absolutely, that is a great handle :)

Only reason I knew what it was is I have a request to make one for a friend for his apiary hobby.

I've researched them a little, but the constant is always the blade like that, with the handle slightly offset. I've seen several different handle styles, most always a little fancier than just plain wood.

Some beekeepers actually heat up the blade just a tad, to help it slide right through the wax caps on the comb.

Aaron
He wants a custom hand made knife?
If he just wants a knife to use, I would swap or sell mine.

Mine has a "crank neck" meaning the handle is totally relieved from the working angle of the knife. For total hand clearance from the work.
  But like I said, just a plain painted black handle.

If you are making custom, I will take a picture for inspiration, if you like.
    yours Scott

Actually, he's into the whole "buckskinning" thing, so when I say custom, I meant handmade that just works. He like utilitarian pieces, not exactly pretty stuff.

I just have to figure out what piece of old medium carbon steel out of the scrap pile I will use.

I made the same guy a small froe (about 1/3 scale) from an old horseshoeing rasp. He was stoked when I gave it to him!! He wanted it for splinting wood out for basket making, hence the smaller scale.

Quote from: keykeeper on December 03, 2011, 10:51:51 PM

I just have to figure out what piece of old medium carbon steel out of the scrap pile I will use.

Got any lawnmower blades?

Quote from: Branson on December 02, 2011, 10:32:59 AM
Shouldn't be for lettuce -- lettuce shouldn't be cut with metal, at least not ferrous metal (does bad things for the taste).  I found an old knife like this years ago, but never found its particular use. 

If I don't tear lettuce for salads, I have a set of plastic knives made for the purpose.

The other kind of 'lettuce knife', besides one used in the kitchen, is one that is used to harvest the crop. Plomb even made one. It has more of a 'spatula' shape though, for slicing under the head I'd guess.