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A Knife Cleaning Machine
This is an English Oak knife cleaning machine from the days of Queen Victoria. Before the invention of stainless steel, knives were very hard to keep clean and shiny. If they got too wet, they would get rusty and water could leak down into the handles, which were made of wood or bone. After simply wiping the knives after use, Victorian maids would use this special knife-cleaning machine to polish them up.
The table knives would be put, blade down, into the holes along the top of the machine and the larger meat carving knife into the hole on the side. A small amount of polishing powder was put into the machine and then the handle was turned to let the hard brushes inside do their work.
These machines and polishing powders were originally invented by John Oakey in 1858 and soon copied world-wide. This is probably one of the copies as it bears no manufacturers name, only instructions for use. The machine measures 36cm in diameter. One can only guess at which rich household once owned this item.
To read about the polishing powder used in this machine, click here.