copperhead; wildcat driller

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rprocter

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1) what are the defining characteristics of the copperhead pattern ?
2) i have a S & M wildcat driller. for classification purposes would this be a jumbo whittler ? i can find no information on the words"wildcat" or "driller" except in reference to this knife. so where does this name originate and what aspects of this knife make it apply ?
thanks for the help. rolando
 
You sure are asking question I can't help with today ;)
While I can't lay out the copperhead specs for you, I'm pretty sure the wildcat driller is a form of Sunfish pattern, also called an Elephant toenail or rope knife. The pattern goes back over a hundred years, and I have never seen a definitive origin. A few references I have seen say it came out of oilfield drilling in the early years, when they used less chain and more rope. The main blade is very wide, so it can be pounded through a heavy rope using a wooden mallet. I think this oilfield connection is where S&M came up with their name (a wildcat is a driller who explores for oil in new places rather than drilling in known fields).

Maybe someone else can help with the copperhead. They may even tell me I'm wrong, but I tried ;)
 
Copperheads distinguishing characteristic is the raised front bolster that covers the blades tang when close, like the ones on a folding hunter or canoe do. Supposedly the bolsters shape resembles the head of a copperhead snake, so that's the name that stuck. Looks more like "mini folding hunter" to me, and that's why I like them, they are just like a small folding hunter pattern.
 
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