Leatherworking Knife

This gorgeous medieval leatherworking knife was found alongside 8 others from an excavation at Peth High Street. They are all whittle tang knives and have wide but slender blades with distinctive square ends which were also sharpened to act as a cutting edge. Such knives were used for cutting and paring leather. This particular example has a distinct pattern welded design in the middle, indicating a high degree of craftsmanship in its making. However, when it came to AOC, most of the design was covered beneath a thin layer of rust and dirt.

Before conservation.

Before conservation.

AOC’s conservators gently cleaned the surface using glass bristle brushes and small hand tools. After that the metal was stabilised using dilute tannic acid to prevent further corrosion problems.

During conservation.

Close-up of the pattern during conservation.

Close-up of the pattern design after conservation.

The conservation treatment revealed the three distinct layers of the knife and the pattern in the middle.

After conservation.

After conservation.