Featured Can you please tell me about this ivory knife

When was it made? (J Garside)
Why is the metal rainbow tarnished? Can it be cleaned? (Also looks like it has some kind of square sticker mark on it).
Can the appearance of the cracks in the handle be minimised Ie lightened?
Why are there 2 men? Is one the grandfather? (There are 5 cameos total)
What is this knife for? Cheese?
27cm long
Thanks everyone

 

no size..
could be a butter knife
could be famous folks.....or just a family ???
the cracks are there for good..
the blade likely not stainless steel.......has stained... polish it....but don't touch the handle when you do..

what's written on the blade??

 

27 cm full length.
What do I use to polish it?

 

Looks like silver plate to me. Try your favorite silver polish.

 

Is there a Superior Silverplate in Australia? There is one in the US but this is not their typlcal marking.

 

The double ("jugate") cameo looks like Victoria & Albert. The lone female also looks like Vic, but don't recognize the other male.

https://www.rct.uk/collection/441447/badge-of-the-order-of-victoria-and-albert-third-class

It doesn't quite look like a page turner, but seems to me to belong on a desk rather than a dining table.

 

maybe a page splitter?.......or letter opener...... if it's silver plated

 

Looks like bone to me

I'd call it junk condition

 

How do I determine if it's real ivory

 

Do you think mine is faux ivory

 

I

I got this from the USA, not sure about provenance.

 

It is bone
Not faux anything
Ivory does not crack in this manner
Ivory has growth lines that are very recognizable

 

If you mean the Schreger lines that give that engine turned look, they do not show in all sections of tusk. Is this what you mean?

This is the front of the same piece:



Tusks have a grain running lengthwise & it is not uncommon for ivory pieces to develop cracks that follow those lines.

 

No hot needles, please!

Ivory is dense & heavy for its size. It may show either of the growth lines mentioned above or be quite featureless. This isn't helpful, but somehow, when you have it in hand, you can just tell when it's ivory.

Yes, some cellulose based polymer. I can't imagine all those little cameos being hand carved, but Celluloid & its kin make great ivory cameos. One of the ladies in this trio is a ringer:

 

The Smithsonian has an ivory handled knife by J Garside. They say he was active in the mid 19th C. It's of similar shape and they're calling it a dessert knife though yours is longer.

https://www.si.edu/object/knife-dessert:nmah_323915

 

This image, of the blade when it was vertical, but now horizontal, and inverted & sharpened, says "J. GARSIDE SUPERIOR CUTLERY"

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