Adjustable Meat Slicer
Display: Cutting Edge
Culinary Technique: size reduction
Date: 1891
Manufacturer: Arcadia Manufacturing Company
Location: Newark, New York
Dimensions: 10" h x 22" w x 8" d
Watch collection donor Mel Mickevic demonstrate this object with
Dean Christopher
Koetke, School of Culinary Arts, Kendall College,
and Victoria Matranga, exhibition curator.
This slicer stands upright, a guide-frame mounted on its baseboard locking it into operating position. It sliced with a slide action that pulled the knife back and forth through the meat. The locking gauge, its key feature, controlled the thickness of the slices—adjusting this ruler moved the blade forward and back. The slicer conveniently folded up, locking its parts in place when not in use. Made of fine grain oak, with cast-iron name plate, handle grip, and adjustable gauge, this handsome device was invented by brothers John and Harve Stuart, who patented it in 1885 and 1891 and improved it again in 1897. It was used in markets, hotels, and restaurants as well as homes in the United States and abroad. In 1897, the Arcadian Weekly Gazette offered it as a premium to new subscribers.