5 Blade Sowbelly question

The Fort

The Fort

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Aug 11, 2012
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4,275
Anyone actually carry, and use, a 5 blade sowbelly? I'd like to know if it's really noticeable, being so thick and heavy, when you carry it in your pocket? Also, do you find yourself using all 5 blades? What's the most common use for the punch blade? I'd love to see some pics of users, if they're out there.
 
Those are on three springs, correct? Are they linerless? I'm interested in being educated.on this as well.
 
They do have three springs. It's a bit wide and I usually carry a 3-blade instead. The Moore Maker 5-blade does have a punch. I don't use a punch very often. But it's very traditional. Not all of the 5 blades have a punch. Case's 5-blade has a pen blade in its place. Rough Rider also makes a 5 blade. Between RR's 5-blade and 3-blade, I prefer the 5 blade since the main blade is a bit more full.

There was also a Queen/Winchester 4 blade with 2 springs that may interest you.

Queen/Moore Maker


Old ad


Old Remington


Modern Case



Old ad


modern Queen/Winchester 4-blade

 
so, looking into the blade well, it looks like the springs "do not" have brass liners between them? i.e. backspring up against backspring?
 
IIRC I´ve had one many years ago. But it wasn´t my beer at all. Too much blades I hardly ever needed. So no reason for me to carry such a knife with me.

I gave it to someone here on BFC, if I´m correct.
 
Rockon75 said:
so, looking into the blade well, it looks like the springs "do not" have brass liners between them? i.e. backspring up against backspring?
Click to expand...

I don't remember about the Case knife. The Moore Maker is in my pocket (thanks to this topic) and it has liners between each spring. The Case might not... but I don't recall. It makes sense though. In other conversation, Tony Bose said a 3-spring with liners would be like carrying a potato in your pocket. :D And Case's sowbelly is a Bose design.

The 4 blade Queen/Winchester is surprisingly thin even though it has liners. Iirc, it's about the thickness of some of their 2 or 3 blade sowbellies. The blade stock is thinner on the 4 blade compared to others.
 
Jake ,nice knives,but I'd sure like to have your catalogs. I smile.

That Shapleigh is from? and what year?
 
Thank you, Lyle. It's from a 1942 Shapleigh catalog. Very late for a sowbelly. As far as I can tell, the pattern originated in 1910 either in the UK (for export) or USA (I'm not sure who was first) and seems to have vanished after the 1940s. I know there were some Stan Shaw / Ibberson sowbellies in the 1970s (I had one that was dated 1974 by SS). I don't know the range of years though. You have one, iirc. Was yours marked with a date? Cripple Creek made some sowbellies... I don't remember when off the top of my head.... maybe 80s. Queen made some for Case (Case Classics 1990s) and Winchester (late 1980s and later), and Moore Maker (???- present). Case did make a sowbelly in their early years but the pattern was rebirthed with Tony's pattern around 2000 or 2001 iirc.
 
Thanks Jake. I'll have to find me one of those 4 blade two springs. I can really appreciate the moore maker though. A punch is very versitile and a preference secondary over many other possibilities.
 
I had 4, Vince sold 2 and I have 2 left. The ivory and the Ibberson. If I remember right mine were "71-74",but I'm not sure. The Ibberson is not marked that I can tell,but it came with 5 other Stan Shaw's,one was not a sowbelly. All the others were pearl,including the stockman pattern.

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