Possible knife problem?

[Errata]

Ear to ear throat cuts are almost never a single cut. Two, even three cuts, but not just one. It's the windpipe, it's the force applied, it's the curvature of the neck..

Most knives cannot make that cut in one pass. Not in one pass, not at that depth, not with the blade length needed to cut in the right place while the victim is lying down. It can't be an eight inch blade. It can be a three inch one.

And I can't think of a knife that could make this single cut. Not without the victim being standing, and we know they weren't. Not even a scalpel, whose blade is too small and too weak.

Is it possible that the descriptions of a single cut are exaggerations or just snap judgement?

[RivkahChaya]

Is it possible that they were some hybrid of a single-multiple cut, where the killer changed his grip, but did not remove the knife? That might be possible, if the victim was passed out before the cutting began, and the beginning of the cut opened the carotid artery, so there was a loss of blood to the brain that didn't allow the victim to wake up from the shock of the stabbing.

I was using a jigsaw this weekend, and did some things that were sort of single cuts, except I did turn off the saw, and reposition myself, but didn't move the saw, so I suppose there's an argument that they were not truly single cuts.

[Shaggyrand]

It's possible that its an exaggeration, though I find it unlikely that would escape each of the coroners examinations, but there are knives that can do it. Off hand the knifes used in both kosher, called a sakin, and halal, don't know what te name for this type is, slaughter are designed to cut like that. A sakin should be able to cut a throat in one stroke at most angles but, without a point, I'm not sure it could have done most of the other wounds.

[RivkahChaya]

Yeah, but those cut an animal trussed up a certain way. I'm not sure you could use a shecting knife on a smaller human throat anyway.

What about a coroner's autopsy knife?

[Joshua Rogan]

A skilled battlefield surgeon was said to be able to cut a man's thigh down to the bone all round with one sweep of an amputation knife, so I don't think it's impossible to do the same to a throat.

[Shaggyrand]

Yeah, but those cut an animal trussed up a certain way. I'm not sure you could use a shecting knife on a smaller human throat anyway.

What about a coroner's autopsy knife?

They are made in a rather large variety of sizes. Finding one that could work on a human shouldn't be difficult. As long as they aren't struggling too much it would work, be they knocked down or surprised quick enough. Not saying others won't work, just that I don't think it's a type to be discounted.

An 1880s coroner's breadknife or long knife should work for it too.

[Scott Nelson]

I'd like to see a picture of a 1880s coroner's breadknife. I've seen most nineteenth century knives, but never this one.

[Shaggyrand]

I'd like to see a picture of a 1880s coroner's breadknife. I've seen most nineteenth century knives, but never this one.

I've saw one in National Museum of Crime & Punishment in DC a couple years back. I have been looking for a picture after posting but only ones I can find I think are more recent. It was very similar to an American Civil War era amputation long knife, though single edged (I think the amputation long knifes were double edged usually).