New Old Stock L'Enfer 25cm / 10" Plate-Semelle Rount Tip Slicer Carbon 3 Rosettes Rosewood 1920-30s?

Interesting marks on this plate semelle slicer that looks similar to ones found from the 1950s. If the mark is original than it was made by the Garret company of Thiers who forged and cut knife blades in the Le Creux de L'Enfer building in the heart of Thiers' Durolle river valley in the 1920s and 30s. The name Le Creux de L'Enfer supposedly references back to the third century when St Genesius was beheaded by a Roman soldier at the 'rock of hell'. This site was used for knife manufacturing as early as 1476, read more here about Le Creux de L'Enfer.

These were the working-class knives of their day, there was no vanity or ornamentation in them, just pure funciton and represent the last, large scale commercial application of a very old forging technique. First, a bar of steel was drawn out to form the blade on an old mechanical trip hammer. Next, a softer, lower carbon steel or iron tang is forge-welded on to the blade to form the handle. This would save steel and make it easier to drill holes through the handle and into the tang. The tang (handle area) is also drawn out on the hammer; making for a tapered blade and tang, with a thick area where the two meet.

The origins of the nearly ubiquitous bolster on western knives lies in this bulge of steel where the blade and tang meet. During the Middle Ages, fine cutlery offered at noble and church banquets were an important mark of wealth and power. In the making of fine cutlery, the bulge in the center of the knife was left thick and intricately ground, in addition to other embellishments to the knife. This feature became emblematic of fine cutlery. It lives on today in the more subdued, less ornate bolsters that characterize western culinary knives.

Being handmade, there are slight differences between knives and they may have imperfections; slightly wavy blades, asymmetrical handle scales, etc. They were made to be affordable, hard workers, without a lot of fuss. If you can deal with these imperfections, you will be rewarded with a knife that has a great cutting feel and is truly a piece of history!

10" blade, 14.5" overall 3.5 oz