Posted 11 years ago
ATTWOOD
(155 items)
This tiny little tool is horn handle about 1 inch and blade 1 inch .The handle has grooves in it but I'm not sure what it;s for. It is quaint and I have it in my Asian collection.
Any help identifying and comments appreciated
Cheers Rose
First look I thought it was a knife still would most probably if you had not said but I do love it. The grooves could they be for the wire.
I was reading an article on this site About opium pipes and opium Smoking paraphanalia And thought it maybe for this purpose-What wire do you mean?
I have to be honest I really do not know I just reread comment on your knife for some reason I was picturing something to do with a musical tool & wire come to mind. By the way you never know if it is for opium maybe someone can help
I actually think this is a knife. It is part of a carving set. I would say it is a carving knife, my grandmother has one very similar in design. Hers is silver plated with a bone handle and similar engravings. It is from Scotland.
OHhhhh....sorry, I didn't see that part about it being one inch. You may be right on with the opium knife then.
I believe the knife is set on the fire until it is red hot. The tip is then touched to the tar, which produces clean smoke. It is then inhaled. I do not know how I know this......???
Thanks BHock... maybe we both read the same thing
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/journey-into-the-opium-underworld/
Mine is just a guess.
Any other ideas.
REMEMBER 1 inch blade....teeny tiny
You know because you must of seen it on a documentary. That's were I seen something similar.
I believe you're on to something with that idea, but the usage, in my opinion, would be to slice a chunk off the tar ball ad place in bowl to be smoked. The ridges on the blade are possibly to keep it from sticking to the flat surface of the blade. Just a theroy.
thanks for the input guys. I love the supersleuthing.I hop[e we are on the right track.
The opium history as told in above link tells us opium was very hard to actually prepare for smoking. People would you opium packers to do the work for them and why you always saw them laying down was not cause they were so out of it..lol.It was so not to get a draught on the flame of the pipe.
A very interesting story and a must read
CHEERS ROSE
yes, I must have read about opium dens somewhere along the line. Seems that everything everyone is saying sounds familiar. Interesting!
BHock I do think we are getting to the bottom of it!