I appologize for the poor pictures, it was the best i can do my camera is a piece of poo. My mother found this piece behind a refrigerator several years ago and no one can identify it. It has a cast steel blade(?) and silver and antler handler. It resembles an old knife sharpener but there is no serations along the blade to sharpen a knife on. The silver is an ornate leaf pattern with knotwork on the bottom. My main concern at this point is finding out what this piece is more so then determining what the makers marks mean and so forth. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
It is a knife sharpener.
I’m not sure how it should be used but I have at least one boxed carving set which includes one of these pieces. I wondered whether it was to be used either before or after the use of the normal knife sharpener. However, I just checked the set I have and it doesn’t include the normal knife sharpener.
Are there any chefs on the forum???
thanks! its the strangest looking knife sharpener ive ever seen since it has no serations to hone a blade on…just a large vertical indention similar to a blood groove on swords. I wonder how the knife could actually be sharpened with it 
I know, from my personal habits, that things one finds in the kitchen, don’t necessarily belong in a kitchen. There is a thing similar to this that was used for turning glove fingers. But, obviously, not as long as a sharpening steel. You don’t give the length of yours.
But assuming it is a steel … The horn handle suggests it might be a “manly” sort of object. And it was the “man of the house” who did the carving. I have a newish steel, German brand, and it has a very fine, almost smooth, finish. Perhaps you could check out some of the German manufacturers (well known for the quality of their knives) and see if they make a steel with a finish similar to yours.
the length of my thingy is from my elbow to fingertip
A smooth steel is the best final sharpening method. I have looked at knife blades under a microscope, and its amazing how rough they are until they are stropped on a smooth steel a few times. In our kitchen I just strop the edge of the knife I’m about to carve with (or dice, or slice) on the back edge of another knife and it makes it much sharper. Most knife steels are very hard steel, usually high carbon steel, and the better ones will rust if not oiled now and then.
Now if you really want the knife edge sharp, use a barber’s leather strop for the final…or do like me and use an electric diamond pad sharpener…the lazy man’s barber strop.
An old saying in the kitchen - “more fingers have been cut off with dull knives than sharp”.
Uncle Vic