Extinct knives?

[Will Power]

I know that many manufacturers have disappeared over the last 50 years (list would still be nice) but what about knife styles? In the traditional area we are used to canoe,muskrat,whittler,sodbuster el al. but are there any extinct forms of knife? Sailfish doesn't seem to be very much in vogue and why is it so named?
Any others? Any European styles that have gone out?Pix are of course very welcome!

 

[Sword and Shield]

Sailfish? You mean sunfish?

 

[Bob W]

I don't know of anyone currently making a "closed-back, shadow, crown pattern, pen knife." This is the only one I've seen:

The Ring Knife pattern has been out of production for a long time, until this year.

There are companies/makers still doing the Sunfish pattern. Just check out the work of Don Hanson III, who incidentally has named his shop Sunfish Forge.

-Bob

 

[waynorth]

Harness jacks were extinct :grumpy: until Schatt & Morgan (Queen) found some DNA and resurrected them in 2005!!

 

[smiling-knife]

They stopped making the old pattern horseman's knife with the long hoof pick around 1920 ish. Maybe S & Ms next revival project? A few others on the endagered if not extinct list; the fixed blade pen knife and the folding fruit knife. One doesn't see much of the ear wax spoon attachment on modern knives but that is one not likely to be revived anytime soon imo.

 

[Will Power]

Earwax spoon? I know a few types who could do with one of those.....yes I meant Sunfish, posting in the early hours leads to incompetence.More pix please?

 

[smiling-knife]

Here is the horseman's knife and fixed blade pen knife.

 

[kamagong]

A.G. Russell sells a folding fruit knife.

 

[smiling-knife]

A.G. Russell sells a folding fruit knife.

I didn't know they were still made. Do you have a photo of one. Thanks.

 

[smiling-knife]

Here are a two more that you don't see made these days as far as I am aware. The first is either a Hawkbill Jack or a two-bladed Prunner depending on how you see it. The second is a Champagne pattern. There are modern bartenders knives but they have a sharp curved blade for cutting foil/plastic around the top of wine bottles. This one has a very stout serrated blade for cutting the wires that held champagne corks before they were twist off. The button/glove hook seems to have gone out of fashion aswell.

 

[Bob W]

Here's AG Russell's "Fruit Testing Knife".
http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_...g_knives/a_g_russell_fruit_testing_knife.html

Schrade also made knives of this style until they closed in 2004.

The "fruit knives" that might be extinct are a different style. They're much shorter and have silver blades. Don't know of any knife companies currently making a product like that.

yes I meant Sunfish, posting in the early hours leads to incompetence.More pix please?

For Sunfish photos, check out the website for Sunfish Forge:
http://www.sunfishforge.com/folderautosunfish.html

-Bob

 

[smiling-knife]

Thanks for the fruit knife link Bob. Glad to see the tradition lives on.

 

[Will Power]

Bob, thanks for the sunfish link some well impressive stuff there.Also, thanks to others for the excellent pics of old Sheffield knives etc,too bad nothing decent is made there any longer,or?I have a French knife with one of those long spikes for horse hooves but can't put up a pic as the bone scales got cracked when my office cleaner DROPPED IT on the floor-horrific. Waiting for a repair on this one.

 

[El Lobo]

Here is one you don't see much of anymore...

I've heard them called Fruit Testers, Melon Knives, Sausage Knives, maybe it's a Picnic Knife...

Bill

 

[El Lobo]

Oooops,

Found one more...

Production folders using "Birdseye" rivits.

Bill

 

[smiling-knife]

Great knives El Lobo. Thanks for showing those.

Does anyone make sleeveboard lobster pattern knives anymore?

 

[Sword and Shield]

Not that I've ever seen.

Another I would warily call extinct would be the large Scout. Back in the early days, the 3 3/8" and 3 5/8" were standard, but 4 3/4" existed, though rare. Aside from the Remington reissue in 97 or so, I don't know of a company making one.

 

[A. G. Russell]

Here's AG Russell's "Fruit Testing Knife".
http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_...g_knives/a_g_russell_fruit_testing_knife.html

The "fruit knives" that might be extinct are a different style. They're much shorter and have silver blades. Don't know of any knife companies currently making a product like that.
-Bob

Silver fruit knives died in 1910 when stainless steel was invented.

 

[A. G. Russell]

I know that many manufacturers have disappeared over the last 50 years (list would still be nice) but what about knife styles? In the traditional area we are used to canoe,muskrat,whittler,sodbuster el al. but are there any extinct forms of knife? Sailfish doesn't seem to be very much in vogue and why is it so named?
Any others? Any European styles that have gone out?Pix are of course very welcome!

If you want to see oldtime patterns over the next few years just subscribe to our weekly e-mail and watch.

 

[Bob W]

Silver fruit knives died in 1910 when stainless steel was invented.

And so confirmed as "officially extinct."

-Bob