A determination of history, and value along with this supporting documentation will be confronted with your inquire of information, and photographic illustration's, distinguishing the piece as follows: Renderings depict a single letter opener {sometimes called a paper knife or a paper opener} in the form of an animal's foot, European circa 20th century.

Paper knives were produced in greater numbers and in a wide diversity of shapes, and designs, were offered for sale not only by office supply companies but often by jewelry concerns, {M. S. Benedict Company, 1905 silver novelties Art Nouveau - handles - openers} {Otto Young & Co. in its 1907 catalogue depicts a variety of these paper knives with sterling handles and pearl blades at wholesale prices of from $4.25 to $18 a dozen}. Other designs encountered on paper knives include human heads, four-leaf clovers, crosses, geometrical arrangements, and occasionally heads of animals, the latter type of firm selling those with handles of sterling silver. Many elaborate letter openers were made with decorated silver plate handles and pearl blades; thousands of others were manufactured with blades of steel. Some handles were made with enameled gold, which imparted an appearance of costly luxuriousness, even though they could be bought early in this century for only a few dollars.

Blades themselves appeared in various shapes with fairly dull or blunt edges so as to minimize the chance of being wounded while opening a letter. Some blades tapered to a sharp point, more or less like a stiletto; but the majority were broad blades with a semi-curve at the cutting extremity. Still others had a long blade, slightly rounded at the tip, thicker in the center than at the edges.

Letter openers of numerous types are illustrated in nearly all late 19th. and early 20th. century wholesale jewelry catalogues, interestingly enough, many such dealers frequently listed manicure implements and letter openers in the same section of their catalogues. One reason was that both types of implements were usually produced in the same factories and their handles and blades were quite often made of the same materials. Also, writing sets (which some firms called "library sets") and offered in numerous catalogues in the sections showing manicure sets.

A typical writing set would include one or two crystal glass ink bottles with sterling tops, a rolling blotter, a letter opener, a pen, a seal, and a metal erasing implement. These were neatly packaged in plush-lined leatherette cases, which wholesaled early in this century at prices of $5 or $6 and up. There were book marks with flat blades that could be utilized for opening letters, newspaper wrappers, and the like. Some of these had pearl handles, others had handles of celluloid or metal. Matching letter openers and seals were produced, too, with precisely the same types of sterling handles.

One early 20th. century letter opener featured a long handle fashioned of embossed sterling grapes and leaves. Embossed floral designs predominated on handles of large numbers of these implements produced half a century or more ago.

The above statistics corroborate, and do imply authenticity, this piece is without restoration penalties, and in at least very good condition certainly not apocryphal, kitsch, a hybrid or even a red herring, far be it {from me} to be backward, when admiration for this paradigm is in order, we express our gratitude to you for your time and persistence, from our independent organization here in the great lakes region of North America., USA. I, Bruce L. Taylor, AOA 63378, VSA, USAF retired, an antiquarian, am your assigned enthusiastic independent senior evaluator. Research complete, 8:45 AM, EST, February, 23rd. 2006, thank you for your interest in our on-line valuation service.

Reference; International Antiques Price Guide 2001, page 624, circa 1860

Observations "after your appraisal" are encouraged, becoming an enduring permanent record and are respected.