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<< Fabrication <<
Knife manufacturing always needs, and in spite of mechanisation and automation of certain tasks, a great number of operations (stages). These operation can all be carried out in the company but equally some of them are done in specialized companies (forges, thermic treatment, surface treatment…).
Furthermore, according to the type of knife (pocket, professional, table) the manufacturing processes can be different, we are going to describe the main stages.
 Blade or blank production :
Cutting : consists of cutting stell bars of a given length. We then obtain cramp (blank), this operation is done only if the blade is forged.
Forging : the shaping if the metal while it is hot (professional blade…) or cold (monobloc, scissors). This operation is followed by trimming and strapping which permits the blade tobe completely straight with the help of a drop-hammer.
The cutting out : the cutting out on a press of the blade in a steel plate.
Thermic treatment :
Thermic treatment allows the steel blade to acquire the necessary hardness. The blade undergoes two series of thermic variation.
Hardening : quick heating and cooling which hardens the metal up to breaking point. Hardening increases steel mechanical behaviour. On the one hand it increases ultimate breaking strength and hardness, and on the other hand it reduces toughness and elongation. That's why there are different hardening processes : cool or classical, half-heating, heating, martensitic, bainitic, or under proper atmosphere.
Tempering : slower heating and cooling which restitues the blade its flexibility and allows machining. This operation homogenizes structures and gives stability to metal mechanical behaviour. In fact, it tempers hardening influence and brittleness involved by turning out internal stresses which reduces hardness and ultimate breaking strength and increases toughness and elongation.
The shaping of the cutting edge :
It means giving the blade a cutting edge according to the knife type.
Straightening : is done with a hammer or with special machines, this operation corrects any malformations which arise during heat treatment, it is only done for some high quality professional articles.
Grinding : a very important operation which helps to rectify the both sides of the blade with the help of special machines. To grind is to give the steel of the blade the shape making it cutting. Today, this mechanical operation is mainly machine-made, big stones fitted out with grindstone made of synthesis material which remove metal on the blade sides to bring it nearly to its final thickness. This operation requires great attention from the craftsman : the grindstone scrolling and the pressure you bring on it can have a lot of influence on the cutting edge quality. It can provide what we call in technological language, some grinding cracks or overheating marks involving desastrous crazes for the cutting quality.
Motching : allows the realization of serration or micro-serration of the blades. Can be done on one side or on both sides (better cutting edge).
Blade finishing :
Polishing and every polishing allow by using abrasive grains more and more minute, to obtain the require polish . Dull polish, satin finish, miror finish. Generally special tools are used (polishers). One can also use for this operation vibrators.
Sharpening : gives the blade its final cutting edge.
Washing and degreasing : is done in alkaline solutions or with solvents.
Wiping is done with a cloth in order to have a perfect presentation.
Marking : stamped before heat treatment or electrolyte silk screen printing, or by spark erosion or laser.
Assembling :
This operation takes place after grinding, it concerns assembling the parts (pocket knives or to assemble blades to handles, which have been either stamped and cut (metal handle) injected or machined (plastic) or,shaped (wood, horn, ivory).
The following operations are carried out for knife assembling :
Riveting which often replace clipping.
Over moulding.
Bonding.
Soldering, sometimes by ultrasound.
Packaging :
According to the product and the distribution network, the product is either packed in a special tissue paper, or in a blister pack or presented in a box, canteen or presentation box.
Variety of signs
Determination of mark
Even if the examination of mould deposit made of lead, silver, tin according the period is necessary, it is not enough.
It is difficut to identify a mark because of its small size, the imperfection of the hole impact, and schematism or symbolism of many sketchings. Deeds about marks sales between private individuals are interesting because they allow to know the mark definition, its printing in the deed margin (by ink or soot), its successives owners, the date when the transfert occured, its cost linked with the volume of production and its fame.
Variety of signs
Gustave St Joanny, perused 300 deeds registered between 1597 and 1750 and allows to have a good idea of the number of marks through the time considered.
We can Sort out several classes according to their number :
- Houseware, every day life tools : fork, candle stick, firedog, basket, shoe with hole.
- Alphabetical letters under different forms : small or big ones, roman or italian letters, doubled letters, coupled characters, superposed letters, crowned letters.
- Heraldic signs, alllegories, symbols : little ermine, sceptre, little radiant world, the hand of justice, Bale arms, Barcelone coat of arms, Lorraine Cross.
- Figures and numbers : 55, 101, 102, 69.
- Professional tools and ploughing tools : plane, cutter, swing pool, " coudière ", saw , pincer, sickle, wind mill, scythe.
- Military signs : halberd, loop hole, arquebus hammer, royal sword, rowel, foil.
- Cutlery articles : big knife, dagger, cutter, spoon, knives handle.
- Playing cards illustrations : poor diamond, crowned spade ace, turned upside down heart, clubs.
- Plant signs : stick with horn, oak leaf, oak acorn, marigold, rose.
- Religious or mythological themes : chalice, rosary, Bacchus sat on a barrel with a glass and a bottle in his hand.
- Animals figurine : feret, snail, dog life, antlers, the bird on the branch.
- Musical instruments : violin.
- Astronomical signes : star, sun, moon.
This listing only gives general information and is not a typology.
The arrival of the manufacturer's name
In the 19 th century the manufacturer's name appeared because of :
- Bad legibility of engraved signs. In 1739, Thiers's subdeleguate admited his trouble because of the similarity between the " royal stick " and the " Virgo's stick ", the " arrow " and the " little spear ", the " palm leaf " and the " pointed branch ", etc….
- Development of education allowing a lot of people to know how to sign their name and also to make out the manufacturer's name.
- The assertion of manufacturers' individualism in a society which was just releasing of the restricting guild supervision.
Today's range
We can notice several variations in the 20 th century :
- Only the sign remains whoever is the owner of the mark. And it permits to study through different deeds the " scissors branch " from 1640 to nowadays.
- The sign is added to the name : 32 and Dumas, 55 and Sauzzede Angely.
- Only the name appears.
The number of marks increased quickly through those last centuries. A simple perusal of CCI 's files or of mark registrations to the Trade Office Court is amazing. The mark is not anymore a sign to challenge time, it becomes a reflection of actual moment incorporating history, geography, sciences and technologies. More and more often, it is also a commercial vector for a specific customer.
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