Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

UNCAPPING KNIFE, BEEKEEPING

Date Range From

1910

Date Range To

1942

Materials

WOOD, STEEL, COPPER

No. Pieces

2

Length

39

Width

6.5

Description

HAND CONSTRUCTED UNCAPPING KNIFE WITH WOOD SHEATH. MASH TOOL HAS WOODEN OFFSET HANDLE, UNTAPPERED BLADE AND POINTED, TRIANGULAR END. TWO COPPER TUBES PROTRUDE FROM SWOLLEN, CENTRE AREA OF BLADE. A CRUDE WOOD SHEATH HOUSES THE KNIFE’S BLADE, ACCOMIDATING ITS COPPER TUBES. SHEATH IS CRACKED IN TWO, BUT IS STILL HELD TOGETHER BY NAILS.

Subjects

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY T&E

Historical Association

AGRICULTURE

History

THIS HANDMADE UNCAPPING KNIFE AND SHEATH WERE MADE FOR USE BY AN UNKNOWN BEEKEEPER. BEEKEEPERS USED SPECIALIZED, HEATED KNIVES SUCH AS THESE TO MANUALLY REMOVE “CAPPINGS” FROM FRAMES WITHIN A BEE HIVE. CAPPINGS ARE THIN WAX SEALS WHICH THE BEES CREATE TO SEAL THEIR HONEY IN INDIVIDUAL STORAGE CELLS. THE UNCAPPING OPERATION IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE HONEY EXTRACTION PROCESS AND IS CARRIED OUT WITH GREATER EASE WITH A HEATED KNIFE. TODAY, BEEKEEPERS HAVE THE OPTION OF USING ELECTRIC KNIVES AS A SOURCE OF CONTINUOUS HEAT, BUT IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, A SMALL BOILER AND CONDENSER, SUCH AS P20060005002, WERE USED FOR THE JOB. STEAM FROM THE BOILER WAS CHANNELED THROUGH A TUBE AND INTO THE KNIFE, HEATING THE KNIFE AS IT ENTERED AND EXITED. THIS KNIFE AND BOILER WERE LOCATED BY DONOR EMANUEL COHEN IN A LINE RIDERS’ SHACK DEEP IN THE LITTLE BOW RIVER VALLEY APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MILES EAST OF CARMANGAY. COHEN LOCATED THE ITEMS IN THE SHACK'S CRAWL SPACE VIA A SMALL HIDDEN TRAP DOOR. THE SHACK WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED AS PART OF THE HISTORIC “O” (CIRCLE) RANCH. COHEN’S FATHER HYMAN COHEN BOUGHT SIXTEEN SECTIONS OF THE FORMER RANCH’S GRAZING LAND FROM THE ESTATE OF NELS SOKVITNEY IN 1941/42. TODAY, THE SITE OF THE SHACK IS UNDERWATER, LOCATED AT THE FOOT OF AN IRRIGATION DAM EAST OF LITTLE BOW PROVINCIAL PARK. OVER THE YEARS, COHEN TREATED THE OBJECTS AS THOUGH THEY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ILLEGAL BOOTLEGGING/ MOONSHINE RELEVANCE, “SQUIRRELLING THE STILL AWAY SO IT WOULD NOT BE SEEN BY OTHER FOLKS”. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DONOR AND ITEM, SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060005003

Acquisition Date

2006-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail