French leatherworker's knife pattern?

Codger_64

Codger_64

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I am always noseing around looking for pattern ancestors and found this knife described as in the title. Are any of you familiar with this tool? My recent find labeled 'coupe cuir' leather knife, by Blanchard of Paris:

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Is this a traditional French leatherworkers' pattern? Or a traditional leatherworkers' pattern made for an export market? Any old ad copies for this maker or a merchant? Any help will be greatly appreciated. I posted this question in Levine's Identification forum back on the 19th and while it has received many views, no one there has chimed in with a response yet.

Michael
 
Great find Codger! :)

I've found one of these before and according to the research I did back then the "bill hook" pattern makes for easier cuts on thick harness leather. Instead of pushing the knife its drawn towards you. I love these antique finds! :D
 
Fantastic guys! I found this example searching "Billhook knife", but it struck me because it looked much like one of Webster Marbles knives, his "Fish Knife" which looked like Adolph Kastor's Fishing Knife" which to my eye is an obvious ancestor of Henry Baer's Sharpfinger. I hope I am not jumping too many conclusions here. But few knife patterns are entirely unique, usually new twists on old patterns.

Thanks again! :thumbup:

Oh, and just for the halibut, here is the Kastor knife, circa 1911. Perhaps you will agree with the resemblence with both the French knife and Baer's knife.

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This is the Marbles also as seen in a c. 1911 ad

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Fantastic! I can see the family resemblance! I really like the Kastor knife, definitely one to keep my eye out for. The Marbles knife is one I've never seen before and would snap up if I ever saw it.

Thanks much for the pics and history, being a nut for the more esoteric knives I love this kind of stuff! :)
 
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Codger's knife appears to be sharpened on the outside edge, like a traditional half moon saddler's knife - they did make small billhook types, sharpened on the inner edge as well - usually with a brass ferrule - these were often bought and used for traditional vine pruning as well.... The closest UK verion is the linoleum knife (also often also sold as a pruning knife).

Image above show a Blanchard catalogue, source is: http://www.forum-outils-anciens.com/t4153-Catalogue-Blanchard.htm?q=blanchard - a wide variety of knives are shown, top left and centre of image...
 
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Thanks for posting that Billman. :) What I'd give to have some of those tools!
 
Interesting. A friend and I were talking about a leather knife that I'm planning to make and he emailed this pic earlier today.

BtVOr8f.jpg


Never seen anything like it.

Cool thread. :)
 
Strigamort said:
Interesting. A friend and I were talking about a leather knife that I'm planning to make and he emailed this pic earlier today.

BtVOr8f.jpg


Never seen anything like it.

Cool thread. :)
Click to expand...


Strig, the knife you have pictured above is a skive knife commonly used in commercial flooring. I've had several in my line of work and use them often. It's used for skiving down the weld rod that fuses sheet good together.
 
That pic is from the Vergez Blanchard website. They call that a Cornette knife for saddle making. Other European leather tool sites sell this same knife by Blanchard but they call it a Half Round knife. 46 Euros from Blanchard and 48 from other places. Siegel here in CA use to sell Blanchard tools, I have one of their knives but not this one.
 
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