A knife with a painted wooden blade might sound like something strictly decorative. If it’s a flax knife, or scutching knife, that’s not the case. Before mechanization, making flax into linen fabric was a very long, complicated, multi-step process.

Scutching, removing the tough stalk from prepared flax stems, comes partway through this process. The resulting flax fibers are then further processed, spun into thread and finally woven into linen. The fibers are separated from the stalk by scraping or beating, not cutting; so scutching knives are made of wood.

There are simple wooden scutching knives that date to prehistoric times, but most that exist today are from the 18th or 19th centuries. Most are plain wood, maybe with a little carved trim, but Swedish scutching knives are often painted. This one, which sold for $90 at Leland Little Auctions, features favorite motifs: a blue background and multicolor flowers. Dated 1876, it may have been a wedding gift.

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Q: What is my antique plate worth? It is square with a picture in the center. The picture is a courting scene with a man and woman in old-fashioned dress. The rest of the dish is covered with leaves and vines. The back reads “Royal China, Warranted, 22 Kt. Gold.”

A: Your plate sounds like the French Garden pattern by Royal China of Sebring, Ohio. Based on the shape, it is probably a salad plate. Royal China was in operation from 1934 to 1986 and made dinnerware in many patterns. The company used the mark you described from about 1940 to 1950. Its other patterns include dishes printed with Currier & Ives designs and its own version of the famous Willow pattern inspired by Chinese porcelain. Individual dishes by Royal China generally have low values, selling for under $10 each.

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Q: I have an Anniversary Edition Original 1959 Barbie doll in the original box with accessories. She has blond hair in a ponytail and wears a black-and-white striped swimsuit. Can you tell me how much she is worth?

A: The first Barbie doll was created by Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler in 1959. She had a blond or brunette ponytail and wore a strapless black-and-white striped swimsuit and black high-heeled sandals with holes in the soles to fit on an included stand. She was packaged in a narrow cardboard box with several rows of Barbies in different outfits and different hair colors printed on it.

The Anniversary Edition was released in 1994 in honor of the doll’s 35th anniversary. This was a reproduction of the original doll. The packaging has a clear front and is marked “35th Anniversary Barbie,” but includes a replica of the original box among the doll’s accessories. The 35th Anniversary Barbie is worth about $50.

Even without the packaging, there are noticeable differences between the 35th Anniversary Barbie and the original. The anniversary edition is marked on the back of the neck; the original is not. The original doll was made of vinyl with a partly solid body; the anniversary doll is hollow plastic. The anniversary doll’s swimsuit has clear straps, but, if the doll was played with, they may have deteriorated over time.

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Q: Can you tell me any additional information or possible value of my print? It is called “The Lacemakers,” from the painting by Paul Constant Soyer (1823-1903). It was framed by Frederick Keppel & Company, Rare Etchings & Engravings, New York, No. E8163. It is signed by both Paul Soyer and the etcher Claude Faivre, pupil of Charles Country, Paris.

A: Paul Constant Soyer lived in Ecouen, a town near Paris with a community of painters in the late 19th century. His most famous paintings are portraits, scenes of everyday life and craftspeople at work. “The Lacemakers” was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1865 and the Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair held in Paris, in 1867. Later, it was on display at the Luxembourg Museum.

Your print copy may have come from an exhibition catalog. Claude Faivre apparently specialized in making engravings of celebrated paintings. His prints include copies of works by Rembrandt and Raphael. Frederick Keppel, born in Ireland in 1845, came to America in 1864 and became a print dealer, publisher and expert on etching, promoting many contemporary artists like Felix Buhot. Your print could be worth anywhere from about $50 to over $200. A used book or print dealer in your area may be able to determine a specific value.

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TIP: Sap bleeds from the knots in old wood and it stains the paint. This discoloration is one way to determine if paint is old.

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CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Doll, porcelain head and arms, molded hair, blond, painted face, blue eyes, rosy cheeks, leather body, long green dress, yellow lace, brown shoes, 21 inches, $40.

Hawkes, plate, cut glass, six hobstars, vesica, strawberry diamond, star, split tusks, six-lobed, scalloped rim, signed, 7 inches, $50.

Rookwood, vase, aqua blue glaze, raised stylized flower and leaf band, short collar, tapered base, marked, 1928, 7 inches, $140.

Rug, kilim, two diamond medallions, multicolor field, block border, fringe, late 20th century, 8 feet x 5 feet 1 inch, $220.

Furniture, pie safe, walnut, painted brown, gallery top, two doors over drawer, side panels, eight tin panels, painted yellow, punched pinwheels, tapered legs, c. 1850, 55 x 44 inches, $315.

Candlestick, silver plate, allover raised scrolls, flared cup, baluster stand, round foot, removable bobeche, weighted base, marked, Elkington & Co., 1851, 10 inches, four pieces, $320.

Lalique, pitcher, Chene, oak leaves, frosted molded, clear handle, etched Lalique France, 8 1/2 inches, $420.

Coin-operated machine, vending, Pulver, Hi Hi Bubble Gum, 1 cent, cylinder top, multicolor graphics, clown blowing bubble, banners, teal base, 1950s, 16 x 9 inches, $900.

Pottery-contemporary, jar, lid, figural finial, bear, multicolor waving bands, round medallions, geometric, signed, Marvin Blackmore, 7 x 7 inches, $1,170