Antique Canadian Beekeeping Uncapping Knife — Hamnott Mfg Co Ltd, Brantford Ontario, Ebonized Handle

A rare antique beekeeping uncapping knife by Hamnott Mfg Co Limited of Brantford, Ontario. The blade is stamped with the full three-line legend: Hamnott Mfg Co Limited / Bee Keepers Supplies / Brantford Ont.

The uncapping knife was an essential tool in honey extraction. After frames were pulled from the hive, the wax cappings sealing each cell had to be sliced away before the honey could be spun out in an extractor. This knife's wide, flat blade with its characteristic blunt angled tip is the classic uncapping form — designed to slide cleanly across the face of a comb frame without piercing the comb beneath. The notched tip allowed the beekeeper to hook under the wax and lift cleanly. It was often heated in hot water before use to melt through the wax more easily.

The handle is turned ebonized hardwood with a brass ferrule, solid and tight with no looseness or damage. The blade carries a heavy dark patina from decades of wax and honey residue, with the underlying carbon steel visible through the surface oxidation.