J Russell & Co Green River Works 14.25" Bullnose Slicer Carbon Steel Ebony 1874-~1900s

Antique J Russell & Co Green River Works hand-forged, after-drop-forged carbon steel 14.25" bullnose slicer with one-piece ebony and iron ferrule handle. Blade is free from damage or heavy wear, thre are a few pits and a few tiny rust spots, the patina is so pleasing I opted to not re-grind the faces. Keep oiled or waxed if in long storage. 

Forged and ground thin, it feels nimble and maneuverable despite its long blade. The blade has a very English shape with the deep curved bullnose tip and nearly parallel edge and spine. The handle is a one-piece ebony with an iron ferrule. We have reset and epoxied the blade into the handle, as it had separated slightly, leaving a gap at the ferrule-bolster junction. It was previously set with cutlers cement (beeswax, resin, and brick dust). Handle has a few tight hairline cracks, which are consistent with antique ebony; it is stable and secure due to the gluing it received. 

J Russell was one of the very first American cutlery makers and was located in Greenfield, Massachusetts, the epicenter of American knifemaking and the American Industrial Revolution. in 1874, they moved to nearby Turner's Falls, and that is when this knife dates from, at which point an acid etch was used for the markings rather than a hot stamp