H70.142.49

• california gold rush

Knife sharpener set. Description: Whetstone set in painted wooden box with lid. a-b: Top and bottom From the History Information Station: This whetstone, for knife sharpening, is set into a blue wooden box with lid. A knife was sharpened by rubbing the side of the blade along the stone at a very slight angle, grinding it down to a fine sharp edge. Knives were fundamental pioneer tools, and their need for frequent sharpening made the whetstone a familiar sight in the frontier kitchen. Knives were indispensible in cooking, since food was prepared from scratch and almost everything needed to be cleaned or peeled or sliced or otherwise prepared. Knives were also used for butchering, harvesting plants from the garden, trimming clothesline rope, and other chores.