Yellow Stone Flour Bread Knife

[Desert Rat]

Older bread knife I recently came across and since it had Idaho history attached to it my wife wanted it.



The back side is badly rusted and will be pitted. The front side isn't too bad and wanting to save and enhance the etch I treated like I would an old saw, some instant gun blue and a pumice stone.





St Anthony Milling & Elevator was incorporated Nov 21 1906 in St Anthony Idaho and forfeited Dec 1 1917. The company filed a circular "AVALANCHE" trademark in 1915 so I suspect this knife predates 1915.

 

[Ericfg]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

A very old-school profile to that serrated edge, and it doesn't look like it's been overly sharpened. A little more love and that can still be a very functional knife.

 

[boblob]

Older bread knife I recently came across and since it had Idaho history attached to it my wife wanted it.



The back side is badly rusted and will be pitted. The front side isn't too bad and wanting to save and enhance the etch I treated like I would an old saw, some instant gun blue and a pumice stone.





St Anthony Milling & Elevator was incorporated Nov 21 1906 in St Anthony Idaho and forfeited Dec 1 1917. The company filed a circular "AVALANCHE" trademark in 1915 so I suspect this knife predates 1915.

how did you sharpen the serrations ?

 

[Desert Rat]

how did you sharpen the serrations ?

A half round file initially (pictured after the file), it proved too coarse so I have followed it up with the corner of a stone on a treadle grinded, then the same grinder was used to further flatten the back.
If it needs further refinement I will probably use sandpaper.

Dang that sounds rough....

 

[Desert Rat]

I'm happy with the edge off of the grindstone. The corner of the stone is quite a bit coarser than the surface but it's working well.

Deburring was difficult and I went to the edge of a board and used the knife much like a saw, followed by a loaded strop both sides.