ABSTRACT

The electric carving knife is a rare instance of a domestic appliance addressed to male users. A transitional object that mediates between the interior, service space of the kitchen and the public, ceremonial space of the dining room, the electric knife belongs to a population of machines that play an ancillary role in the larger architecture of the domestic environment, mechanizing the labors of modern life. General Electric introduced the electric knife in January 1963. The engineering department created several experimental prototypes before arriving at a workable technical solution: the motor moves two parallel blades back and forth counter to one another, eliminating the need for sawing motions by the user. Market surveys by GE’s consumer panel suggested that the knife would be a welcome addition to the mechanically enhanced homes of the period. The perceived market included both men and women.