Beautiful Vintage Warther & Sons 8-3/4" Carving Knife! Handmade! Premium-Quality

Description

Offered for your consideration is an awesome vintage 8-3/4" carving knife from
E. Warther & Sons. Warther knives are always incredibly beautiful and of the very highest quality. The handles are always gorgeous and serve as a natural contrast to the beauty of the "engine turned" finish of the blades. This is an unusual version that's from their "Warther & Sons" era.  It has a coded blade with the "C3" pantograph etched just forward of the handle. Their production knives are not generally numbered or serialized with the exception of the pantograph etched knives from the "Warther & Sons" era, along with some special sets and examples made for notable persons. I'm not sure what it denotes on these pantograph etched knives. The pantograph etched markings are lighter than standard etching and they're always very difficult to photograph. The markings remain fully visible, although they do not show up well in the photos.
Ernest Warther was widely regarded as one of the finest carvers the world has ever known. His ivory and wood carvings are highly sought after and treasured by those who own them. Warther's skill and craftsmanship were legendary, with his carvings beyond the realm of normal comprehension. He even carved a scale model of locomotive at a young age that was as finely detailed as you'll see. Warther began making knives in the early 1900's because he simply couldn't find knives to meet his demands.  He eventually made his own highly sophisticated carving knives with over 100 custom designed inter-changeable blades.  He made his first kitchen knife for his mother in 1902 at the age of seventeen. He had figured that his tempering process would be ideal for kitchen knives if it would hold an edge while he was carving ebony and ivory. The famous machine-turned finish that gives Warther knives their unique look was actually patented by Warther in 1907, although it is still frequently copied. Warther also made fine custom fighting knives during WWII. The Warther kitchen knives were featured in an issue of Knives magazine back in the mid 1980's and were touted as being the finest kitchen knives available at any price. I think many who have owned their knives over the years would likely agree. The quality and performance of Warther knives has remained constant and true to Mooney's old-world craftsmanship over the years, as the business continues to be family owned and operated. The company is currently run by third and fourth generation Warthers and all the qualities that made these knives special in Ernest's day are still there today.  For anyone within a day's drive over Dover, Ohio I would highly recommend a trip to the Warther museum, home, and factory, all located at the same address. It's an absolutely fascinating and very informative tour.  The Smithsonian has declared Warther's carvings to be "priceless national treasures".
Warther knives are still made by hand. The blade steels have changed over the years, although they've always used premium-quality steels. For many years the blades were ground from high-grade tool steel and heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 58-60. They then switched to 440C stainless steel and their current knives use CPM S35VN stainless steel. Regardless of the steel type, the blades are always ground from premium-quality steel that's properly heat treated.  The blades are convex ground and this is still done by hand. The handles are of beautiful Vermont Birch and are tightly secured by highly polished rivets. This example appears to have a blade that was ground from 440C, although I'm not certain.
The knife has seen light to moderate use and it remains in excellent condition with no problems. It has not been cleaned or buffed and remains original.
The knife was beautifully crafted and presents a great look all the way around. The blade was convex ground and offers exceptional cutting performance. Ken Warner, the former editor of the Knives Annuals, was a great student of edge geometry and wrote many outstanding articles on the subject from sharpness to cutting ability. Warner often wrote of the superior attributes of the convex grind or "rolled edge." The one story that sticks with me is the story of a smaller knifemaker pushing his convex ground edge through a standard pine 2 X 4 and neatly slicing off one and two-inch sections. Stressed was how, for that particular task, it was edge geometry that resulted in the outcome, not blade steel, heat treating, etc. One maker of note that was a major proponent of the convex grind, was of course Bill Scagel. The blade finish is free of any errant grinder marks or harsh sharpening abrasions and it has been sharpened a couple of times. It looks as though it was professionally done, likely sent back to Warthers for their free sharpening service. The etched marking remain fully visible. The edge is free of any chips, cracks, dings, or damage and remains very nice with just a bit of normal light wear. It remains sharp and the knife is ready for immediate use, although a free sharpening from Warther would have it razor sharp in no time. The needle-sharp tip is intact and original with no breaks, burrs, blunting, or bending. The beautifully grained hardwood handle remains especially nice on this example. It shows absolutely none of the dishwasher exposure that's so common to wood handles with no damage from normal sink washing water exposure either. The highly finished scales were tightly pinned and they're free of any cracks, chips, marring, or damage with little wear. The surfaces are free of any stains or discoloration and the handle has a warm, rich, silky-smooth feel in the hand. The polished rivets are free of any marring or damage and they strike a dramatic contrast against the raw, natural beauty of the wood.
The knife measures just over 13-1/2" in overall length.
If you've not experienced the quality, tradition, and performance that Warther knives offers, you'll be very pleasantly surprised. These are quite simply some of the finest kitchen knives that can be had and they offer looks and performance beyond anything you'll find on a store shelf.
A beautiful, vintage Warther knife that's well-suited for a wide range of common carving/slicing applications!
Sorry but no international shipping.