Vintage Meriden Cutlery Co Carving Knife 1855-1924

Carving knife from Meridan Cutlery Co. with English style carbon steel blade, and gutta percha handle.

Gutta percha a crystallized latex made from the latex of the Palaqiuim gutta tree native to the Malay archipelago had been used for centuries for knife handles among other uses was ‘discovered’ by Europeans in the early 19th century and became very popular as a moldable durable material. It revolutionized communications in being the first material to successfully insulate underwater telegraph cables in the 1850’s. It’s properties as a electrical insulating material led to over harvesting.

Meridan Cutlery Co (of Meridan Ct.) as the blade of the knife is marked was used roughly between 1855 and 1924 when the company was bought by cutlery giant LF&C also of Meridan Ct. Being that this mark was used for a good length of time it is not a great diagnostic feature in itself, I would assume it is from the later 19th or early 20th c from its general design. 

Blade is nice and sharp and was not so sharpened down that it required a re-profiling but does have pitting from previous rust.