What is a "Mill Knife" -- what's its purpose?

[Bolster]

What's a Mill Knife for? Obviously a knife used in a mill, but for what purpose?

 

[trboxman]

I've seen those or something very much like them used to trim leather shoe soles.

 

[G_P]

I have some like that that were called "budding knives" They were used to trim lettuce heads and other produce.

Store I worked for would never sharpen them. They just bought new ones when they got dull and I took the dull ones home and re sharpened them!

 

[Bolster]

I was wondering if perhaps it was stout enough to be driven with a mallet on the spine? GP if you need to relieve yourself of a spare, let me know. I think I need one of these.

 

[trboxman]

I'm sure it would be fine as a hacking knife. It looks a lot like a cable splitting knife too.

 

[trboxman]

Here's some reading on Isaac Hyde: http://www.industrialbladesandknives.com/company/history.php

 

[up_in_the_air]

we use for splitting lead sheaths on paper insulated lead power cables when jointing, tap with a hammer

 

[2CRUZ]

Hi Fellas
I ran a mill for many years in a tire factory that is not a mill knife. A mill knife has a short kind of thick blade about 3 in. with a slight hooked tip. That looks like what we called just a rubber knife general cutting