Silver salt cast handle for paring knife blade

Silver knife handle with iron blade
Silver knife handle with iron blade

The blade is from an old wooden handled knife of my father.  I think it’s a small paring knife – the blade is 5cm long.  Whether it is a family heirloom or something he picked up for 5p in a car boot sale I will never know!

I decided to make a silver handle for it.  This is a salt casting, with a tube beneath to take the knife tang.

The hallmark on the silver was new to me.  I had included the blade when it was sent to the London Assay Office.  They chose not to punch the marks as I expected, but lazered them on adding  ‘+Metal’ to  allow for the iron blade.

UK hallmarks from a silver knife handle
UK hallmarks from a silver knife handle

I’ve had stainless steel brooch pins stamped ‘METAL’ before, but never  the base metal unscathed and the hallmark done like this.  Not that I mind at all – it just wasn’t what I expected.