Unusual knife--a tool for what?

[Ian]

I came across this knife many years ago in a yard sale in rural Minnesota. I did not know what it was used for, nor did the teenager who sold it to me after cleaning out his grandfather's barn.

Recently I discovered what this knife is used for. Does anyone else recognize it's function?

OAL = 16 inches
Blade = 10 inches

The blade has a sharpened beveled edge and is made from carbon steel.

Ian.

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[Robert]

If memory serves me right it is a bee keepers honey comb capping knife.

[Victrix]

Bricklayer's trowel?

[Ian]

Robert, you are absolutely positively correct. This is a beekeeper's capping knife used to remove honey from the frame.

There is a nice video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iqfW_0EHVw) that shows the process. Modern knives are heated electrically to facilitate the process of removing the caps that are made of bees wax. Older knives, like the example shown here, I am told were dipped in boiling water to heat the blades.

Ian.