POST MEDIEVAL KNIFE

1500

Part of an iron and copper alloy knife. One of the copper alloy scale plates forming the handle survives, with a mass of corroded iron on the reverse. The plate has the legend "REGEM" in counter-relief capital letters, and is decorated with transverse bands of cabling. The rectangular shape of the scale suggests a Post Medieval date in the 16th or 17th century, but a later date cannot be ruled out. The meaning of REGEM is not clear. It could be the accusative singular of rex 'king', but without further text this does not seem particularly meaningful. Another possibility is that REGEM is a personal name.Other Post Medieval knives with inscriptions are recorded on the database, but they have letters in relief in a recessed panel. See SOM-4B5883, KENT64, NMS-7AFE56 and LVPL-BD94F3. The other inscriptions refer to the use of a knife, or the strength of the blade. They date from the 16th or 17th centuries. There is also an 18th century knife with initials inscribed on the handle and a drawing of a prawn: LON-D9DD43. The shape of that one is similar to more modern knifes.