shechita -judaism - Miller

[arnaldo berkes]

I"m a shechita knife maker in Brazil, the special blade used for ritual slaughtering in Judaism.
I made blade from steel class "D" and "Martensitic" (Brazilian classification).
There is a legendary knife for shechita known by "Miller". He was a bayonet maker in I world war, and after then a "shechita" knife maker.
He was never copied.
Do you know any book or information on "Miller" or shechita knife production?

Thanks for your attention,

A berkes

 

[James Mattis]

I don't know anything about a "Miller" who made shechita knives ("challif"), but I know that Spyderco made one (sized for poultry) for a few years, now discontinued. I made one several years ago, after consulting with a local Orthodox rabbi who was head of the board of kosher overseers. I don't know if it's ever been ruled a kosher challif or not (probably depends on the condition of its edge that day), and the Reform rabbi who owns it doesn't cut anything bloodier than a tomato with it.

For those not familiar with this material, shechita is the procedure for turning kosher livestock and fowl into kosher meat, as painlessly as such things can be done, with one clean cut across all the plumbing in the neck. The knife has no point, and its edge must be razor sharp and with no nicks or irregularities. A Spyder-Edge won't do!


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com

 

[george tichbourne]

If any knifemaker out there wants a humbling experience try making one. The poultry design is made from 1/16" steel, cleaver shaped, about 5" blade length with a 3/8"wide stick handle. The tough part is the grind. Almost all are taper ground from the spine to the edge a total blade width of 1" to 1 1/4" then mirror polished.

The grind leaves you with a paper thin knife and doing it without burning the edge or rounding the corners is very difficult.

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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com