MINT ANTIQUE VICTORIAN ORNATE CAST STEEL CARVED HILT SILVER MOUNTED OBJECT D’ART

Description

MINT ANTIQUE VICTORIAN ORNATE CAST STEEL CARVED HILT SILVER MOUNTED OBJECT D’ART MINT ANTIQUE VICTORIAN ORNATE CAST STEEL CARVED HILT SILVER MOUNTED OBJECT D’ART MINT ANTIQUE VICTORIAN PERIOD ORNATE / CAST STEEL / CARVED HILT 3-DIMENSIONAL SILVER MOUNTED OBJECT D’ ART SELF PROTECTOR / TENT PEG / MEAT SKEWER During the Victorian period, Manufacturers created, and retailers distributed, a wide variety of ornate cutlery related items that catered to the Royalty, Aristocrats and Elites by producing items custom made for the Wealthy Gentlemen of means in the High Society class during this period. To wit, at this time an elegant custom made to order Gentleman’s San Francisco style Dress Dirk could cost a year's wages for most workers. Typical of these finely finished goods, this handmade piece is extremely well made by the most skilled Artisans and Craftsmen available. One can only imagine who would be able to afford and commission an object of this extraordinary cost for the occasional use of a meat roast skewer at a sit down, formal luxury dining extravaganza. Presumably, the owner had one of everything already and was looking for an Object D’ Art to enhance a family gathering or High Society dining experience with an over the top, elegant, and eye-catching accruement such as an elegant skewer displayed and used in great Victorian fashion. Overall, 12 1/2” long with a 7/16” thick 7 1/8” long hand forged hexagonal fluted expensive CAST STEEL blade that tapers to a rounded sharp point. The weight is very heavy for its size at 7.4 ounces or 209 grams. The silver embossed fancy rococo style stylized 3-dimensional pommel and ferrule are silver. Not all silver is marked, but this piece is probably silver plated and has what appears to be a register number. The silver has a dark, naturally occurring untouched aged patina. The one-piece hilt has deeply hand carved vertical ridges and large checkered diamond patterns to ensure a tight grip necessary for a heavy-duty utensil. There are no dings, dents, damage or repairs, and is in untouched condition with one hard to notice, minuscule and very thin naturally occurring age crack between the ribs on one side at the top of the carved one-piece bovinecowbone hilt. This piece is Professional Grade, i.e., extremely well made, heavy duty, and with attention to detail; and designed to endure the rigors of use for a lifetime. This ornate piece could also have been used table side by a Maitre D’ at an exclusive restaurant. All the metal pieces are heavy duty and solidly assembled; a characteristic found on all custom made to order items. Theoretically, this could have been used for personal protection as knives were carried in a waist sash, or as a luxury tent peg, or still used for its intended purpose as a meat skewer. This 1800’s unusual Victorian Cutlery piece would be a perfect complement for any Gentleman’s accoutrement, Victorian period, culinary display; or use as a desk accessory / conversation piece, and Object D’ Art in an office, den, Lady or Man Cave. Although without a Maker mark, the Cast Steel marking suggests this is a Sheffield or London made piece. SHEFFIELD CAST STEEL Cast Steel (crucible steel) was invented in Sheffield in 1740's for making clock springs. By the 1760's it was being used for fine quality cutlery blades, and especially for pocketknife springs which could now be made smaller and more reliable due to the malleable and superior tempering qualities. The skill of making Cast Steel was complex and took years to learn. It took over a week just to make blister steel used in making crucible steel; and Sheffield steel makers used top quality Swedish Iron religiously. Pot makers made clay for the crucibles by treading clay for hours with their bare feet; and had to be uniform in thickness as thin areas will cool quicker and create internal stress points that lead to steel fracturing. About 60 pounds of wrought Iron and crushed charcoal were mixed in crucibles that were heated in a furnace in the ground. The Furnacemen could read the carbon content by simply looking at the crystalline fracture of an ingot. There were about 8 different carbon content steels used in Sheffield for different types of Cutleries: from about .08% for table blades to 1.5% for razors. The cellar lads helped below the furnaces and fetched beer from the pubs outside the factory gates as one of the most important raw materials for the process. After several days in the furnace, the Iron became saturated with carbon, the crucible would be pulled out of the furnace fire hole by the Puller-out. Cast steel is less fluid, has a higher melting point, greater shrinkage, and is more difficult to pour than molten Iron. The crucible (about 27 lbs.), molten steel contents (56 lbs.) and tongs (19 lbs.) weigh about 100 lbs. The Head Melter (Teemer) would pour the molten steel into a 3" square x 30" crucible without allowing the metal to touch the sides where it would instantly set and create flaws in the ingot. Sheffield Cutlers use of Shear Steel for centuries is legendary. Cast Steel was more uniform as it did not contain the slag as in Shear Steel, was more uniform, and kept a fine edge. Handmade Cast Steel was laborious and expensive to create and used for the best quality Sheffield Cutlery. Most Makers would hot stamp their hand forged blades CAST STEEL to denote the superior quality & temper of the steel. In the 1800s, some crucible steel makers specialized in making cutlery steel. IXL bought crucible cutlery steel from Sheffield steel maker Thomas Firth, but Thomas Turner made their own at Suffolk Works, as did Joseph Rodgers in the late 1800's. Cast steel was still created by hand until 1907 when the electric furnace made handmade cast steel obsolete, making 25 tons per melt with better control of the alloy and carbon content vs 60-pound handmade ingots. PAYMENT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PAYPAL & ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER, e-CHECKS & ALL MAJOR CREDIT & DEBIT CARDS, APPLE PAY, GOOGLE PAY AND ALL OTHER PAYMENT METHODS APROVED BUY EBAY. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHIPPING ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING FOR DOMESTIC BUYERS & TO THE EBAY U.S.A. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CENTER. FOR USA PURCHASES, SHIPPING, HANDLING & DELIVERY IS FREE VIA U.S.P.S. FIRST CLASS MAIL (UP TO 16 OZ.) OR U.S.P.S. PRIORITY MAIL USING ONLINE SHIPPING LABELS WITH DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. 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