Foster Bros. French Cook 11" Heavy Chef Knife Carbon Steel USA Early 20th Century

Hand forged "French Cook" heavy chef knife made sometime in the early 20th century with carbon steel blade, rosewood handle scales and 1/2 birdseye brass rivets.

In an interesting twist we posted recently a nearly identical but larger 13" knife also marked "French Cook" and Village Blacksmith (Washington Cutlery Co.1898-1940 Watertown Wisconsin), suggesting that Foster Bros and Village Blacksmith made knives for each other over their histories. 

This knife has a very heavy heel and thick spine at neck tapering quickly into a thinner edge. It had been sharpened down a little and needed a thinning along the face of the blade behind the edge to bring the original convex edge back, without removing all the markings it was impossible to blend these grinding scratch markes into the entire face of blade. 

Handle is a brass riveted rosewood and is nice and secure 

11" blade, 2.25" wide at heel 1/4" at the thickest point 17.25 oz