Posts: 169 Location: Henley On Thames
Wed 22 Jul, 2020 8:05 am
Hi Dave,
I can only speak from my experience handling a relatively small number of these items, however I have noticed that some of them do indeed exhibit subtle hollow grinds. For example the first knife I posted, the small, double-edged Joseph Rodgers dagger, has this feature. Whether this is primarily a result of the tools and methods used in their manufacture or is due first and foremost to their intended design, I do not know, although the makers of these objects were certainly highly proficient in their trade. In any case I have noticed subtle hollow grinds particularly on double-edged daggers. As a result these items can often exhibit very fine edge geometry relative to their narrow bevels and thick medial ridges.
In my experience, these features are often very subtle and apparent only on close examination. Another such feature I have noticed on some of these knives is that their edges, while appearing to proceed straight from the guard until declining towards the point, will in fact exhibit gentle curves along the way. For example a double-edged dagger blade which appears in profile to take the form of a straight sided triangle will be slightly waisted ('leaf-shaped') which, while not being immediately apparent to the eye, does lend the blade an elegance of form and proportion which I imagine would be lacking were these almost indistinguishable features not present.
In contrast to such hollow ground daggers however, others, such as the single-edged, spear-pointed Joseph Rodgers knife I attached to the first post and the Remington Arms Co 'bowie' I attached to the second have meatier, almost convex grinds and thick 'apple seed' edge geometry. I assume the intended use of each object as well as the aesthetic preferences of individual buyers played a role in these variations, with makers producing a range of designs to fit a range of tastes and tasks.
I am attaching to this post a picture of another, larger dagger from a Sheffield maker as it displays (although sadly not visible due to my rather poor photography) the above mentioned features. It has a stout medial ridge with a shallow hollow grind into very fine edges as well as a subtly waisted, 'leaf shaped' curvature in profile.
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