A Congressional Question

[afishhunter]

On the traditional 4 blade Congress knife, why two sheepsfoot main blades?

 

[eisman]

First, while some Congress patterns have paired blades, many do not. Likewise, it's not always the primary blades that are duplicated, nor are they always a sheepsfoot pattern blade. I have dozens of knives in this pattern and they vary quite a bit. Here's one I carry often, and the scalloped blade is a less common pattern.

 

[Trout Hound]

I always assumed it was for similar reasons as the dual clip blades on a muskrat. You can use one blade until it's dull, then switch, or you can sharpen them differently for different purposes. I think a lot of congress knives get used for wood carving, and you can dull the sheepsfoot pretty quickly roughing out a piece, especially in hardwood. That said, I love the spey blade on my Boker Congress Carver.