Favorite “peasant” knives

Joker also has a couple of lockring knives about the size of an Opi 6 or 7. I still have one, gave one away. Sorry, no pics, still “over the limit”.
 
Peasant I'm not sure about, but this is my least expensive knife, a Chinese Marbles sowbelly in ram's horn for $7.20, shipped.

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Pirate63 said:
I think the sodbuster pattern may qualify as a"peasant" knife.

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These knives have long been known as “working knives”. Many countries as well as domestic makers offer an example, like the German “Hippekniep”. I think Case may have been the first, and may be the only maker to call its version a Sodbuster, and probably claims it as a trademark. If so, the term has been diluted by generic use. Still, a maker might get a cease and desist letter, but they are still a sodbuster to me.
 
StrangeDaze said:
Who makes the middle one?
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Will Power said:
StrangeDaze StrangeDaze Sorry, can't recall :) No tang markings, but if you're patient I'm going to the country house nextwk. and I'll check its box. Christian kamagong kamagong if he's reading this will remember though.

I will say this, VERY durable, it has stainless liners & backspring with carbon blade. Couple of weeks ago I hear an ominous clunking noise from the washing-machine.....:eek: after the cycle finished I found I'd left it in a pocket., but none the worse for it at all:D
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Just Tom. said:
I believe it is the “Castor” knife, by Aitor (Spanish, I think).

I made this same joke once before when this knife came up, but with a name like “Castor Aitor”, it really aught to have a spey blade…
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Henry Beige said:
Looks like an Aitor. Sadly discontinued. Has the leaf-shaped blade that you see on some Spanish knives, and others, but the one that comes immediately to mind is Pallares de Solsona.
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As already noted, that knife is the Aitor Castor. It was offered in three sizes -- pequeña, mediana, and grande. I have the mediana. I think it's my favorite peasant knife.

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This knife makes me chuckle because Aitor removed all non-essentials. No swedges, no shield, no stamp, not even a nail nick. Just an etch on the bubinga covers that quickly fades with carry.

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I personally love the classic leaf blades. They seem well suited for the daily stuff. Food prep, to include kitchen type slicing and dicing if necessary, small game, and opening packages. My favorite right now is the French “Capucin” type.
 
Henry Beige said:
As you might have surmised, Just Tom has an impressive collection. My own assemblage pales in comparison, but includes Opinel ( the poster child), MAM, Antonini, Mercator, Douk Douk, Pallares de Solsona, Okapi, Aitor, Joker (some decent ring-lock knives), Higonokaml, Svörd, and probably some I don’t remember.
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I have actually reduced my collection some, and would not be surprised if you have a greater variety than I do. We do seem to share a similar taste in knives - is it the “peasant” in us, or the “hipster”? 🤔🤣
 
Real drag that the Castor Aitor have dropped out of production, castor means Beaver in Latin& French maybe Spanish too. Possibly a reference to the blade shape?? Really a well finished knife too: no gaps, play, spring flush open/close, pins flush on slabs and slabs well radiused.Plus, as I said earlier, survived unscathed a turn in the washing machine, no shrink!

Aitor make other inexpensive knives too but their lines have been cut back it seems. There is the PASTOR a kind of Sodbuster type that people may like to think about.

The Leaf blade can be found on other Spanish & Catalan knives too, notably Pallares who offer a lot of handle styles: woods, resin, plastics. The one I have is more 'Kulak' than Peasant as it's in Ram's Horn;) costs more than other choices obviously. Slices sublimely but finish is inferior to the Aitor despite higher price, sunken spring closed, fortunately flush when open and in use though.

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Another one which qualifies are the couteaux Coursolle from France. All brass stamped knives with a huge variety of motifs on them- fishing, hunting, rural, sports, Venus, agriculture etc. Cheapest ones are single blades, Spear, Clip and others. Multi blades may include corkscrew etc. They have nice keyring knives with shoe, clog, vintage car, cat, rabbit shapes. I believe the firm has been in action since around 1903

Here are mine. A Fox hunting scene and Bird hunter & dog which has caplifter/ screwdriver, blade on single-spring. It's on the kitchen top and gets a surprising amount of use opening bottles....:cool:Its slim size means pocket carry is no problem, unusual for cap lifters.

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Will Power said:
Another one which qualifies are the couteaux Coursolle from France. All brass stamped knives with a huge variety of motifs on them- fishing, hunting, rural, sports, Venus, agriculture etc. Cheapest ones are single blades, Spear, Clip and others. Multi blades may include corkscrew etc. They have nice keyring knives with shoe, clog, vintage car, cat, rabbit shapes. I believe the firm has been in action since around 1903

Here are mine. A Fox hunting scene and Bird hunter & dog which has caplifter/ screwdriver, blade on single-spring. It's on the kitchen top and gets a surprising amount of use opening bottles....:cool:Its slim size means pocket carry is no problem, unusual for cap lifters.

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Super cool!
 
Headwinds Headwinds I've seen those TEW Lamb Foot before, their style of blade is very different from the usual type, it seems more Sheepfoot/Wharn hybrid :)
 
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