Wade And Butcher... Carving Set!

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This was a lucky eBay grab I picked up recently. I was searching "Wade And Butcher" for Razors but this came up so I dropped the initial bid thinking I'd get outbid quick but no other bidders so the win was mine! :)

Antler handles, Blade has 'Wade And Butcher" and Fork has "Stainless" on it. Fork also has what I believe is a stand on it though I'm not completely sure that is what it is for; just seems intuitively to make sense. Not sure on the steel type but I have my Grandfather's Carving Set and it is marked Vanadium... This blade has similar super-flexible and 'tinfoily bright' finish but could simply be coincidence or just the same finish process.

When I got them they were in great shape and so all I did was use elbow grease and Tuf Glide/Cloth to clean them up then oil the antler on the handles to bring out the contrast. Initially I thought the knife had brass and the fork SS butt plates but the SS brightened up on the knife with the TufGlide and they match perfectly.

I put the blade up on my Sharpmaker dropping a 30° back bevel on it then finished the edge at 40° and it is absolutely scary/shaving sharp! :D

The set is now just in beautiful shape! Blade is moderately scratched and there is enough color difference from patina that they retain that beautiful vintage look. Antler handles are really well done and show a surprising convex bias to improve ergonomics which I thought was somewhat unique for the age! No idea how old they are but been around awhile that's for sure!

Loosely Razor related but I thought it was a really cool find woth sharing. I'm thinking of having a box built for them... Nothing could pry my Grandfather's set from me but maybe this set for non-Holidays.

Anyone know more specifics about these? Post any details you may have, please.

Nice find - congrats! I've had my eye on a few other non-razor W&B items lately too but haven't pulled the bidding trigger on any yet.

My grandfather, who I sadly never met, was a long time butcher and had a full set of W&B butcher and carving knives. My uncle has them now and has shown them to me several times. They are all carbon steel with ebony handles. Beautiful knives for sure.

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Originally Posted by Prahston

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Fork also has what I believe is a stand on it though I'm not completely sure that is what it is for; just seems intuitively to make sense.

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Certainly looks like the 2 short "legs" could be a stand.
I have seen similar carving knives with the single longer flip-up leg which I was told was a guard to protect the fingers when carving towards to the hand using the long tines of the fork as a guide.


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Professional Carving Fork with Fold down safety guard: Amazon.co.uk: Kitchen & Home

Great pic for comparison! Maybe it is to serve both uses? I worked at The King's Table when I was a kid carving at the end of the line and would use the lower tine to hold meat and top angled to guard but still managed to cut myself a few times. A guard would have been nice as that was many years before the Shark Proof Gloves common nowadays.

Very cool! I brought an old hunting knife that way recently (searching for Wostenholm) - may lead me back down the knife AD path if I'm not careful!

Time to hone 'em up and give 'em a test shave.