[Note: I wasn't sure of what board would be better to put this on as the subject can and does encompass a wide range of cutting implements. And the boards are rather specific. So I defulted to what seems to be the general discussion. Perhaps a mod could sort it better if need be.]
It may be hard to think of something as simple and universally useful as a knife becoming obsolete. But Once in a while, just that happens. Sometimes a knife is so special built to purpose that it is only useful within a very specific context. Invented out of necessity. And when what is necessitated changes or something far superior comes along these tend to become forgotten. So I thought I would post a couple of these obsolete blades that I happen to know of (and talk about their former use and why they became largely obsolete). And perhaps others could do the same:
The Sugar Cleaver.
In the Victorian era sugar came in large clumps or as cane (as apposed to the mostly loose bags of powder we see today). This knife was specifically for processing sugar in the kitchen or at the dining table. And of course when how sugar was distributed changed this fell out of use and production. too large to be a butter knife, and too bulky and short to be a bread knife or to find any other good repurposing in the kitchen or at the dining table which another implement doesn't simply do better. This little beauty has become largely forgotten. Today they are often mistaken for an herb chopper.
The Lightning Hay Knife
After hay would be cut and grouped into hay stacks in a field, it would be transferred to a barn for longer term storage. When hay settles it becomes compressed. And in order to take what you need from a stack (this was before bailing became a process). One would need to cut out a block from a hay stack. For a long time this would have been done with improvisation. Using things like a flat shovel to cut it out. eventually implements like the hay hook and a small (relatively) knife were invented to get this job done. But the last incarnation of the exclusively hay removal tool was the larger Lighting Hay knife (this was an English invention that saw a bit of adaptation for the American market). This tool did the job well. But it was invented about the same time as the gas chain saw. Which cut hay a lot quicker and more easily (aside from it's main purpose of cutting wood, of course). So Hay Knives had a short period (about 10 years) of prolific use before they were mostly replaced by the advancement of technology. Today they are often mistaken for ice saws.
[Edit for Clarification]
Some have raised semantic arguments over my choice of wording in my title and OP. Specifically the word "Obsolete". Civil debate along these lines is pertinent to the topic, and permissible by me (unless a moderator/admin hereafter exercises their authority to override my OP prerogative). I would only like to remind any who are taking part in that side of the discussion of a few things:
1) Dictionary definitions are descriptive; Not prescriptive.
2) Being tolerated can only reasonably go as far as one is tolerant in return.
3) Someone being right does not automatically make you wrong (or vice-versa). Sometimes correctness is simply a matter of perspective, and measured in degrees.
It may be hard to think of something as simple and universally useful as a knife becoming obsolete. But Once in a while, just that happens. Sometimes a knife is so special built to purpose that it is only useful within a very specific context. Invented out of necessity. And when what is necessitated changes or something far superior comes along these tend to become forgotten. So I thought I would post a couple of these obsolete blades that I happen to know of (and talk about their former use and why they became largely obsolete). And perhaps others could do the same:
The Sugar Cleaver.
In the Victorian era sugar came in large clumps or as cane (as apposed to the mostly loose bags of powder we see today). This knife was specifically for processing sugar in the kitchen or at the dining table. And of course when how sugar was distributed changed this fell out of use and production. too large to be a butter knife, and too bulky and short to be a bread knife or to find any other good repurposing in the kitchen or at the dining table which another implement doesn't simply do better. This little beauty has become largely forgotten. Today they are often mistaken for an herb chopper.
The Lightning Hay Knife
After hay would be cut and grouped into hay stacks in a field, it would be transferred to a barn for longer term storage. When hay settles it becomes compressed. And in order to take what you need from a stack (this was before bailing became a process). One would need to cut out a block from a hay stack. For a long time this would have been done with improvisation. Using things like a flat shovel to cut it out. eventually implements like the hay hook and a small (relatively) knife were invented to get this job done. But the last incarnation of the exclusively hay removal tool was the larger Lighting Hay knife (this was an English invention that saw a bit of adaptation for the American market). This tool did the job well. But it was invented about the same time as the gas chain saw. Which cut hay a lot quicker and more easily (aside from it's main purpose of cutting wood, of course). So Hay Knives had a short period (about 10 years) of prolific use before they were mostly replaced by the advancement of technology. Today they are often mistaken for ice saws.
[Edit for Clarification]
Some have raised semantic arguments over my choice of wording in my title and OP. Specifically the word "Obsolete". Civil debate along these lines is pertinent to the topic, and permissible by me (unless a moderator/admin hereafter exercises their authority to override my OP prerogative). I would only like to remind any who are taking part in that side of the discussion of a few things:
1) Dictionary definitions are descriptive; Not prescriptive.
2) Being tolerated can only reasonably go as far as one is tolerant in return.
3) Someone being right does not automatically make you wrong (or vice-versa). Sometimes correctness is simply a matter of perspective, and measured in degrees.
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