All sterling silver patterns use a hollow handle knife construction, since an all-sterling blade could not cut anything other than fish or butter. In fact, a few patterns offer an all-sterling silver Fish Knife and Butter Spreader (such as Francis I).
In order to hold the stainless steel knife blade in place, the handle is made with a hollow center, then filled with a super strong epoxy to hold it in place. Years ago, cement was used to hold the blade in place, but it became brittle over a long time (especially in the dishwasher).
Many years ago, some manfacturers would apply a layer of silverplating to the stainless steel blades to give the impression of an all-silver knife, but that hasn't been done for quite some time.
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