3 blade slip joint question

C

Colton B

Joined
Jul 19, 2011
Messages
139
Hi I was just wondering what the different blades are designed for

4rDLa.jpg
 
This is a matter of much debate, but there are several threads on this topic if you use the search function. In my understanding, the clip blade (the long one) is a multipurpose, pointy blade design. I use mine for food prep, mostly. The sheepsfoot blade (the one next to the clip) is typically used as a general purpose utility blade and was (perhaps?) designed for the trimming of hooves. The spey blade on the other end is ostensibly for neutering livestock.

Despite their historic uses, I find the different blade shapes useful for a variety of tasks. Try the different profiles for different jobs and see what works for you.

Frosty
 
Hmmm thank you I think this will be the knife I use to cut open boxes in such at work so people don't freak out about my tactical blades
 
Colton B said:
Hi I was just wondering what the different blades are designed for

4rDLa.jpg
Click to expand...

Well, for cutting ;)

No, just joking!

That pattern is pretty traditional.

The speyblade, the left one, of you pic was usually for cattle castration. The sheepfootblade was for general cutting tasks and the clip was for food prep. I like the stockman pattern very much. The three blades give you the possibility for cutting everything you need to cut. I like that one.

Kind regards
Andi
 
Thank you and as i had this one on another thread asking about the steel I'm happy to say I used tr spyderco sharp maker on it and the steel seems to be a pretty good stainless steel
 
Just a note:

I use the long clip for food prep, but would not if I were castrating cattle with the same knife. I MIGHT, however, use the long clip as a skinning blade for birds or small game...."food prep" of a different sort. I believe this may have been the original purpose for the blade, even though many of us are more likely to peel an apple than to skin a rabbit.

Frosty
 
Well lucky for me I am always varmint hunting and that will probably be my use since I have a knife I love peeling apples with :)
 
Most Stockman come with the blade lay-out you picture. Some have a Spear Master rather than Clip(or Turkish Clip) and Pen rather than Spey. I actually prefer the Pen to Spey blade,more useful. Spear blades are often found on older European knives .

Talking of other three blade knives, I like the Whittler (split back or taper) a good deal. It has Clip, Pen,and Cope blades for carving work etc. Some have a small Clip instead of Pen too, I find this pattern more comfortable in the hand, the joints are usually lower as well.
 
Colton, there are also 4-blade cattle (or stock) knives which then add a punch blade, for working leather harness and such.

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Haha that was Funny jwh and yeah I don't have have the blade lay out thing it was a gift from a decade ago
 
I don't think you can trim a hoof with a pocket knife. I'd say the long blade for general use. The Spey blade for castrating bull calves. The sheepsfoot is great for cutting leather.
 
Hmmmmm I wish knives like that were only 1.50 nowadays I would have a lot more knives.
Thanyou for the help everyone now i just need some cattle from castration
 
Colton B said:
Hi I was just wondering what the different blades are designed for
Click to expand...

(parody)

The pointy long one (clip point) is for punching a nice little triangular hole in the palm of one's hand when the correct closing technique is not used.

The one with the turned-down tip (sheeps foot) is for slicing off a bit of knuckle flesh when stripping the insulation off of electrical wire.

The one with the up-turned tip (spey) is for putting a nice, deep gash in the finger that was holding the stick you were foolishly whittling with it.
</parody>

I figured you had the serious answers already. Why not inject some humor?

To motorheads, this is akin to Peter Egan's column about 'The Right Tool for the Job.'
 
supratentorial said:
According to this 1910 catalog page, the large blade is for whittlin' and the sheepfoot blade is for cuttin' tobacco or carpentry work. The third blade is for speying or castrating livestock.
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supratentorial: that is pure gold. Thanks for sharing.
 
Colton B said:
Hmmmmm I wish knives like that were only 1.50 nowadays I would have a lot more knives.
Thanyou for the help everyone now i just need some cattle from castration
Click to expand...

I believe that'd be about $40 accounting for inflation. I wonder how the quality would compare to say, a Boker medium stockman with jigged bone on the market today.
 
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