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Page 16 The Antique Shoppe January, 2017
VINTAGE BLADES ON WRITING DESKS

New Information on Paper-Knives, Letter Openers, Paper Folders and Page Turners

By Ian Spellerberg

Victorian writing desks could have a veritable array of reading Literature has been very revealing to the extent that one of those blades turns out to be
and writing accessories. You might find a paper-weight, an inkwell, a myth.
a pen holder, a nib brush, a pounce pot, a stamp moistener and a For example, the difference between the history and function of paper-knives and
stamp box, an ink eraser and a pencil eraser, a pen knife, desk seals, letter openers has not always been clear. Researching the literature reveals that paper-
measuring rulers, a rolling ruler, blotting paper, gum (mucilage), and knives were originally known as paper cutters. In 1778, while in the Pacific Islands, one
several blades. of Captain Cook’s officers likened the local paddle boards (surf boards) to bone paper
Those blades could include paper-knives, letter openers, paper cutters.
folders and page turners. Researching the history and functions Dated much earlier is a paper cutter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art thought to
of those blades is like being a detective. Primary evidence in the have been made in the 16 Century. It is Italian, 6 ½ inches long and made of ivory and
th
form of old trade catalogues, patents, advertisements and English silver gilt.
Paper cutters or paper-knives have surely been in existence ever since paper has
BRANDON Blue been in use. But what was the function of a paper-knife and what were the design
characteristics? Paper was expensive. In the 19 Century, small sheets of writing paper
th
Clay Ave were cut from large sheets with a paper-knife. The paper was first folded and the blade
I-75 Willow was run along the crease. The expensive nature of paper and cost of postage probably
I-4 Victoria St contributed to the practice of ‘cross writing’.

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301 HWY 60 Plant antiques • vintage • primitives • collectibles
Brandon Blvd City 408 N Parsons Avenue
John Morre Rd
Brandon, FL 33510
Lumsden bluewillowantiques@aol.com Two paper-knives that belonged to John Scott (1851-1914),
Tue-Sat 10am-4:30pm
Bloomingdale 813-324-9166 first Dean of the Otago Medical School in New Zealand.
1
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The pages of books, magazines and
PLANT CITY newspapers were assembled from
“signatures”. These were large sheets of
paper folded in half several times. The
COLLINS STREET finished product meant that pages could
JUNCTION not be turned until the leaves had been
separated. A paper-knife allowed the
Antiques & Collectibles LLC pages to be turned.
117 N. Collins Street Paper-knives have a distinct handles
Plant City, Fl. 33563 1 with broad blades rounded at the end.
Ph. 813-659-2585 They were often made of material that
was smooth such as silver, ivory and
nephrite. Other materials included bone,
brass, and wood. They ranged in length
from just a few inches to over 20 inches.
The most common length was about ten
2 inches.
They were sold individually or as part
3 of a writing desk. Paper-knives once
Mon-Sat 10-5(1st & 3rd Sat 10-9) owned by eminent still survive. For
CSJANTIQUES.COM example Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826),
1 the third President of the United States,
Mimi’s Place had a plain mahogany paper-knife. The
first Dean of the Otago Medical School in

3402 James L Redman Parkway New Zealand (John Halliday Scott, 1851-
1914) had one plain ivory paper-knife and
Plant City, FL 33566 one wooden souvenir paper-knife from
Italy where his Mother lived.
By the early 20 Century, printing
th
methods had advanced and pages no
longer needed to be cut open. However,
“uncut” old books still survive and are
very exciting to find.
Letter openers and paper-knives
are not the same. They have different
Vintage Furniture • Shabby Chic • Salvage histories and different functions. Letter
Repurposed Furniture • Garden • Painted Furniture openers were invented not for opening
letters but opening envelopes. Indeed
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-3
We are on Facebook....Mimi’s Place. the early patents referred to “envelope
813-752-1818 3 openers”. A long thin pointed blade
Continued >