The History of Electric Carving Knives

In the 1960s, many electric appliances were hitting the market. In 1964, Jerome L. Murray, a prolific inventor, patented an early version of the electric carving knife. It featured two serrated blades — one that moved forward and one that moved backward — and was powered by an electric motor. While Murray is credited with inventing the electric carving knife, it didn’t become a popular kitchen item until companies like KitchenAid, Black & Decker, and General Electric rolled out their own motorized knives. Unlike many kitchen appliances, the electric carving knife was targeted at men. General Electric, who ran multiple ads targeted specifically at men, reached almost $1 billion in annual electric knife sales by 1966. By 1971, 1 in 3 American families owned an electric carving knife. While it is clear that these knives were originally very popular, over the years, they have garnered a large faction of vocal detractors. Today, while they are no longer especially popular, many people continue bring their electric knives out once a year for the traditional Thanksgiving turkey carving.