Chinese Fisherman's Knife

Ribbed like a shell and tethered to a twisted chain that wanders.

This fisherman's knife is from Dongbei or Shan Xi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is iron, wood & horn. Knives of iron with wooden or horn handles were everyday tools in rural northern China, where they were used for cutting line, cleaning fish and general work. Curved body with rough, dark ridges around the thicker end, tapering to a smooth point at the left. A twisted metal cord leads to the right and finishes in a ragged fitting. It is 11.5 inches wide and 1.25 deep.

Knobbly, restless, and nobody's idea of subtle.