My mother found it somewhere – it’s vintage. Georg Jensen, stainless steel, so it’s Danish, but what is it for? She didn’t know either. I’ve looked for it online for years but no luck, and no, it’s not on the Georg Jensen site anywhere. UPDATE: Anne wins the prize. It’s an orange peeler!
IIRC, it is a letter opener. They still sell it, so the item should be in the online catalog.
Hey!
I thought it might be a mayonnaise scooper (to get all the mayo out of the jar). But it’s so small! Letter opener? I’d lose it before I’d use it.
BTW, I love your blog! Keep up the good work!
Looks like it could pop open some cold beer bottles too…
I did try to open a bottle with it once and gashed my hand, so I don’t think so, but that could certainly have been user error. I think Kevin might be right: it’s a letter opener (though Google turns up nothing still). And now I have to go hunt for the thing to try it! It’s in the kitchen drawer somewhere.
Its an ORANGE PEELER!!
Is it flat?
Could it be a shoehorn?
It’s almost totally flat. Not a shoehorn but that seems like another good guess. The little hooked edge is relatively sharp, though, so I don’t think so. But not really quite sharp enough to be a string-cutter, though maybe it once was?
Anne, you win the prize, had there been a prize. It is in fact an orange peeler – http://old.georgjensen.com/English/Collections/Living/Small%20Gifts/Orange%20Peeler.aspx?pagenumber=2
and that’s what I’m going to use it for from now on. Thank you!
I am aware that the mystery has been solved, but I am nonetheless proud that I knew the answer before I’d even read the question! 🙂
I think this is something we barbarians in North America aren’t as familiar with as Europeans are! All over the world I’ve seen methods for peeling oranges in the most beautiful ways, but around here we mostly claw at them and get that orange peel oil under our fingernails. I watched a child in Thailand make a beautiful, non-sticky, convenient flower out of her orange in under 10 seconds with a little knife and felt completely ashamed of our unimaginative uncouthness around these parts.
Hi –
Saw the photo & the comments from years ago, concerning the flat
orange peeler. Do you still have it ?? If so what condition is it in ??
Would you be willing to sell it. It is great for peeling oranges.
Thank you. Hope to hear back from you.
Regards — fred ross
I have also one in very good condition. What do you want to spend for this fantastic vintage orangepeeler?
I don’t want to sell mine. But perhaps Fred would like Bartenstein’s… You probably need to supply contact info or a link if you want to sell it!