Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

[Cambertree]

keeping her pretty mint there!!! even the etch is still showing I was wondering if mine was the only one staying mint

LOL, you got me Mrknife! Yeah, I'm ashamed to confess my Guardians knife has yet to cut anything but paper (and my fingertips while doing the three-finger edge sharpness test)!

When I first got it, I spent a few sharpening sessions, over a couple of days, very carefully grinding the edge back to 15 degrees per side with the Sharpmaker diamond rods. Once I was happy with it, I smoothed out the grinding marks going up through the progression of medium, fine and ultrafine rods, then gave it a very light 20dps microbevel with the ultrafine rods, and a couple of light passes on a hanging denim strop pasted with aluminium oxide compound.

As I have three user Lambsfoot knives already that I've experimented with different sharpening techniques on, I wanted this one to be pretty, as well as sharp.

Also, I have a few knives which I like to show to friends and family, to see their interesting reactions and comments to holding and examining them, and this is one of them.

I've noticed that the average non-knife person, if given a well patina'd knife to hold, will just exclusively focus on the 'tarnish' as a sign that the steel must be inferior. It's not just bowerbirds and magpies who are obsessed with shininess, it seems.

Anyway, as Stan Shaw called it, my Guardians knife is a knife 'for best'. I believe in parts of the US it's referred to as a 'Sunday go-to-meeting' knife.

It'll be used in time, no doubt, but for now, my ebony Lambsfoot is a fine worker, and a pocket perennial.

 

[Cutfinger]

Hi Chin, the blade and spring stock appear to be the same thickness on both the main and secondary.
The pull on the pen is almost off the scale, evidently from a bent mark side liner. The bent liner acts as a spring forcing the tip of the bolster to pinch the tang, causing a huge amount of added resistance which can be felt even at the half open point. I am going to try to straighten the liner and bolster, and then I'll work the pen. If I can get the two bolsters parallel I reckon the pull will be improved greatly. I may also have to thin the spring (last resort). it's hard to tell at this point, I'm confident I can fix the problem, but I've got my work cut out.
I too wonder what the pull is like on other examples of this same model. A pal of mine is expecting one in the mail, in a day or two I'll get the chance to compare two same model knives. I will report my findings.

Michael

 

[Old Engineer]

keeping her pretty mint there!!! even the etch is still showing I was wondering if mine was the only one staying mint

Neither of mine have even cut a piece of paper yet my friend .

Harry

 

[mrknife]

Neither of mine have even cut a piece of paper yet my friend .

Harry

thats the spirit! minty minty mint!

 

[Cambertree]

Hi Chin, the blade and spring stock appear to be the same thickness on both the main and secondary.
The pull on the pen is almost off the scale, evidently from a bent mark side liner. The bent liner acts as a spring forcing the tip of the bolster to pinch the tang, causing a huge amount of added resistance which can be felt even at the half open point. I am going to try to straighten the liner and bolster, and then I'll work the pen. If I can get the two bolsters parallel I reckon the pull will be improved greatly. I may also have to thin the spring (last resort). it's hard to tell at this point, I'm confident I can fix the problem, but I've got my work cut out.
I too wonder what the pull is like on other examples of this same model. A pal of mine is expecting one in the mail, in a day or two I'll get the chance to compare two same model knives. I will report my findings.

View attachment 819709 Michael

Thanks Michael. Yes that's what I was wondering about. I looked over maybe twenty A. Wrights when I was in Sheffield, and I think there were at least a couple of examples of two bladed versions, and I remember the pen secondaries seemed to have herculean level pulls on them. Although, since then I've admittedly become more used to the heavier pull and snap of these, and some other Sheffield knives. (And have succumbed to one of the marks of the confirmed traditional pocketknife user: a close clipped thumbnail shaped specifically to best lever pocketknife nail-nicks up. I haven't yet gone to the extent of using a file exclusively on the thumbnail, in order to thicken and strengthen it, a useful sounding technique Jackknife mentioned...)

Yes, I think I've taped up the bolsters and part of the covers and squeezed them gently between wood in a vice, or given them a sharp rap with a rubber mallet on my ebony Lambsfoot before. Funny thing is, it's perfectly centred with no play now, better than it's ever been.

Neither of mine have even cut a piece of paper yet my friend .

Harry

thats the spirit! minty minty mint!

Ha ha, I always feel halfway guilty about the few knives I have, that won't be used, just gloated over.

Seems a pity not to be using it, glad to see I'm not the only one, then...

 

[5K Qs]

... (or at least half-witty repartee )??

- GT

Thank goodness, I am qualified! Had me worried at first!

I'm sure MANY of us are qualified, B Bartleby !!

...
Interesting to see these contemporary variants, pitched at the gardening market, r8shell. They apparently have chisel ground edges too. It's been on my list of minor knife sharpening experiments, to try lefty chisel grinding a knife I have multiples of, for a side by side comparison with a standard 50/50 grind. I may acquire an inexpensive, wood handled Lambsfoot to try this experiment with, one day.
...
Went out for a walk in the forest down the road. Got a new phone too, so I can take pics again, now.

...

Chin, as always, I find your contributions, in this case on sharpening, thought-provoking! One thing I've often meant to ask you, but have failed to do until now: you're left-handed and you have a fine Vic Electrician with a chisel-ground sheepfoot - do those two facts cause you any problems, or do lefties have a way to adapt to this particular example of a RH world?
Your Guardians Lambsfoot looks as striking as ever!! Your new phone must have at least the photo-quality capabilities of your old one.

Hello brother and sister Guardians! ( bowing respectfully ) I've read the entire thread, so I kinda know y'all somewhat
I recieved this Lamb Foot & pen blade knife in the mail today. My first Lamb Foot knife! I fell in love right away because of its: robust construction, hand filling shape and size, strong springs, and its wonderful imperfection. It feels bigger than its 3 5/8". I cut choils and sharpened it, but have some fettling to do yet.

I believe this is the pocket knife I've been searching for. It is beautiful but not not pretty, tough as nails, and has a mark side secondary pen blade. Now to put it to work.

MichaelView attachment 819636

Congrats, Michael, on your Lambsfoot! I have a 1-blade rosewood model that I greatly appreciate! In a later post, you mention that the pen blade is a challenge to open, which disappoints me. I tend to favor more than one blade on my folding knives, so the 2-bladed lambsfoot models appeal to me in theory, but I don't enjoy struggling with my blades! I admire your confidence that you can make it right with some effort on your part! Here's a photo of my rosewood with our eyeless dog:

keeping her pretty mint there!!! even the etch is still showing I was wondering if mine was the only one staying mint

LOL, you got me Mrknife! Yeah, I'm ashamed to confess my Guardians knife has yet to cut anything but paper (and my fingertips while doing the three-finger edge sharpness test)!
...

Neither of mine have even cut a piece of paper yet my friend .
Harry

thats the spirit! minty minty mint!

...
Ha ha, I always feel halfway guilty about the few knives I have, that won't be used, just gloated over.

Seems a pity not to be using it, glad to see I'm not the only one, then...

Jack, the Guardians Lambsfoot you so generously sent me has been carried continuously since its arrival, but has cut nothing so far. I hope you (or Harry or Chin) won't be offended, but one of my few New Year's resolutions for 2018 is to start using that lambsfoot like a rented mule!!

- GT

 

[mrknife]

I'm sure MANY of us are qualified, B Bartleby !!


Chin, as always, I find your contributions, in this case on sharpening, thought-provoking! One thing I've often meant to ask you, but have failed to do until now: you're left-handed and you have a fine Vic Electrician with a chisel-ground sheepfoot - do those two facts cause you any problems, or do lefties have a way to adapt to this particular example of a RH world?
Your Guardians Lambsfoot looks as striking as ever!! Your new phone must have at least the photo-quality capabilities of your old one.


Congrats, Michael, on your Lambsfoot! I have a 1-blade rosewood model that I greatly appreciate! In a later post, you mention that the pen blade is a challenge to open, which disappoints me. I tend to favor more than one blade on my folding knives, so the 2-bladed lambsfoot models appeal to me in theory, but I don't enjoy struggling with my blades! I admire your confidence that you can make it right with some effort on your part! Here's a photo of my rosewood with our eyeless dog:

Jack, the Guardians Lambsfoot you so generously sent me has been carried continuously since its arrival, but has cut nothing so far. I hope you (or Harry or Chin) won't be offended, but one of my few New Year's resolutions for 2018 is to start using that lambsfoot like a rented mule!!

- GT

Please use to your heart's content professor! it wouldnt do you much good sitting pretty in that sheath, my friend

 

[WhittlinAway]

A belated Merry/Happy Christmas to everyone. I took a break from the forum and the internet in general over the holiday, but I’m looking forward to catching up and resuming work on the index tomorrow.

In the meantime, chores. Before:

After:

 

[Cambertree]

Chin, as always, I find your contributions, in this case on sharpening, thought-provoking! One thing I've often meant to ask you, but have failed to do until now: you're left-handed and you have a fine Vic Electrician with a chisel-ground sheepfoot - do those two facts cause you any problems, or do lefties have a way to adapt to this particular example of a RH world?
Your Guardians Lambsfoot looks as striking as ever!! Your new phone must have at least the photo-quality capabilities of your old one.

Thanks GT.

Regarding chisel edges, this line of conversation made me wonder if an interesting blade variation for a Lambsfoot wouldn't be a fully rendered single bevel ground chisel edge. It might be an interesting variant for woodcarving, and slicing and paring work in the kitchen, with the much more acute overall inclusive edge angle, and a dead flat grind on the back. It would make an intriguing Lambshank style fixed blade variant too.

I actually don't have an SAK Electrician, but funny you mention it, as I lost my Pioneer on my recent roadtrip and have an Electrician on the way to replace it. In the case you mention, of having a chisel ground knife "the wrong way" so to speak (with the angled face of the knife grind facing towards the side of your non dominant hand), my first response would be to use it that way for a while, in order to understand what effect it has on the cutting dynamic, then try it with the reverse grind. Left handers get used to many designs 'not being for them', from industrial plant equipment, to cars, tools and packaging, and traditional slipjoints' opening features are no exception. I tend to get around it by only using knives with pinchable main blades. If a pocketknife doesn't allow smooth, consistent pinching open of the blade, like my ebony Lambsfoot, I won't carry it.

Jack, the Guardians Lambsfoot you so generously sent me has been carried continuously since its arrival, but has cut nothing so far. I hope you (or Harry or Chin) won't be offended, but one of my few New Year's resolutions for 2018 is to start using that lambsfoot like a rented mule!!

LOL, use it in good health, GT, I applaud your resolution.

One of my favourite subcategory of Lambsfooty photos over the last couple of months, has been seeing the ongoing patina development on all those Guardians knives that are being well used. I look forward to seeing the same, on your knife.

A belated Merry/Happy Christmas to everyone. I took a break from the forum and the internet in general over the holiday, but I’m looking forward to catching up and resuming work on the index tomorrow.

In the meantime, chores. Before:

After:

Cool before and after pic, Greg. I hope you had a refreshing and enjoyable holiday.

 

[Bartleby]

I too wonder what the pull is like on other examples of this same model.

I have one that has just about perfect pull on both blades, but I had someone check for pull for me prior to shipping. Don't do anything drastic beyond oiling and working the joint. If the liner is creating friction, the brass should burnish in quite a bit just by working the knife (I had a similar situation with my single blade Lambfoot, needed a coin to open at first, but it burnished in with use and was suddenly "just right". This occurred the day after I had abandoned all hope--it took about a week).

 

[mrknife]

just taking mine out to share with some of the fb groups,

 

[Pàdruig]

I took this picture earlier today to show here but unfortunately Imgur's uploader was broken for much of the day... Apparently it has been fixed. Had this one with me in the office.

 

[Jack Black]

Morning Guardians,

Hope everyone is well, and not suffering too much from seasonal over-indulgence I've missed you all, but it's great to see how busy this thread has been, it really has turned into a great thread I think



It was pretty cold in Whitby, with a biting Arctic wind, and some snow. We stayed in the hotel where Bram Stoker stayed, pretty good view from the window I think.



More pics of Whitby in this old thread: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...eading-for-the-coast-more-at-post-41.1214977/ (We also called in at Pickering on the way home).

A nice trip, but I feel tired out after getting home last night!

Jack

 

[Jack Black]

I've been trying to catch up with all the great discussions here, but have run out of time, and need to go out now! Catch up with you later Guardians

 

[Jack Black]

Wow I’m gobsmacked,thank you so much for your generous comp.I will look forward to it’s arrival .

Congratulations sir, as per your choice, I shall get the small Sambar model off to you as soon as the post offices open

 

[Jack Black]

Hello brother and sister Guardians! ( bowing respectfully ) I've read the entire thread, so I kinda know y'all somewhat
I recieved this Lamb Foot & pen blade knife in the mail today. My first Lamb Foot knife! I fell in love right away because of its: robust construction, hand filling shape and size, strong springs, and its wonderful imperfection. It feels bigger than its 3 5/8". I cut choils and sharpened it, but have some fettling to do yet.

I believe this is the pocket knife I've been searching for. It is beautiful but not not pretty, tough as nails, and has a mark side secondary pen blade. Now to put it to work.

MichaelView attachment 819636

Well done Michael, that's a titanic effort Great-looking Lambsfoot too, good to have you here

 

[Jack Black]

Interesting to see these contemporary variants, pitched at the gardening market, r8shell. They apparently have chisel ground edges too. It's been on my list of minor knife sharpening experiments, to try lefty chisel grinding a knife I have multiples of, for a side by side comparison with a standard 50/50 grind. I may acquire an inexpensive, wood handled Lambsfoot to try this experiment with, one day.

Perfectly symmetrical edge grinds are one of those qualities which seem valued in many Western knives, for no other reason than aesthetics, it seems. One of the interesting divergences in Japanese knife design is that even Ryoba style ones which appear to be 50/50 ground, have long been slightly asymmetrically ground, by design. This is on the grounds that if you closely observe a persons cutting angle and the way force is exerted from the muscle groups of the arm and hand, it is rarely perfectly symmetrical, with the blade held exactly straight and vertical. Japanese kitchen knives are often ground with a 70/30 bias on the edge, to correct for this (and also to give a little assistance in throwing material off to the correct side, when slicing on a board).

The steel seems to be specified as 420 stainless on the plastic handled ones and carbon on the straight handled wood one, so that carbon designation may actually be correct.

I'll be interested to hear how you go with them.

Went out for a walk in the forest down the road. Got a new phone too, so I can take pics again, now.

That's a very interesting thought Chin I'm glad you have a new phone (and camera) my friend as your pics are not to be missed

Thanks for your thoughts on this knife, I find it interesting how people who have handled and used a lot of different knives, like this pattern as soon as they have it in hand. And it really grows on you too.

keeping her pretty mint there!!! even the etch is still showing I was wondering if mine was the only one staying mint

LOL, you got me Mrknife! Yeah, I'm ashamed to confess my Guardians knife has yet to cut anything but paper (and my fingertips while doing the three-finger edge sharpness test)!

When I first got it, I spent a few sharpening sessions, over a couple of days, very carefully grinding the edge back to 15 degrees per side with the Sharpmaker diamond rods. Once I was happy with it, I smoothed out the grinding marks going up through the progression of medium, fine and ultrafine rods, then gave it a very light 20dps microbevel with the ultrafine rods, and a couple of light passes on a hanging denim strop pasted with aluminium oxide compound.

As I have three user Lambsfoot knives already that I've experimented with different sharpening techniques on, I wanted this one to be pretty, as well as sharp.

Also, I have a few knives which I like to show to friends and family, to see their interesting reactions and comments to holding and examining them, and this is one of them.

I've noticed that the average non-knife person, if given a well patina'd knife to hold, will just exclusively focus on the 'tarnish' as a sign that the steel must be inferior. It's not just bowerbirds and magpies who are obsessed with shininess, it seems.

Anyway, as Stan Shaw called it, my Guardians knife is a knife 'for best'. I believe in parts of the US it's referred to as a 'Sunday go-to-meeting' knife.

It'll be used in time, no doubt, but for now, my ebony Lambsfoot is a fine worker, and a pocket perennial.

Neither of mine have even cut a piece of paper yet my friend .

thats the spirit! minty minty mint!

LOL! I use my Guardians Lambsfoot (for slicing pizza in Whitby for example), but I haven't used it on fruit yet. With my ebony Lambsfoot, it was only when I started using it on fruit that it started to patina, even though I had used it a fair bit generally. I guess meat, or some vegetables would be the same, but that polish will keep pretty well otherwise

Hi Chin, the blade and spring stock appear to be the same thickness on both the main and secondary.
The pull on the pen is almost off the scale, evidently from a bent mark side liner. The bent liner acts as a spring forcing the tip of the bolster to pinch the tang, causing a huge amount of added resistance which can be felt even at the half open point. I am going to try to straighten the liner and bolster, and then I'll work the pen. If I can get the two bolsters parallel I reckon the pull will be improved greatly. I may also have to thin the spring (last resort). it's hard to tell at this point, I'm confident I can fix the problem, but I've got my work cut out.
I too wonder what the pull is like on other examples of this same model. A pal of mine is expecting one in the mail, in a day or two I'll get the chance to compare two same model knives. I will report my findings.

View attachment 819709 Michael

Good luck with that Michael I've only handled one Wright's two-blader, which was a gift for another member. That had a degree of cant, but the blades opened OK. The other two-bladers I have are all older knives, but they also open OK (the stiffest is on my Needham I think - shown below). While I initially thought the addition of a pen blade would make for a much more versatile knife, in practice I've found the Lambsfoot blade itself to be so versatile that the pen secondary becomes less useful than on other two-blade Jacks, almost to the point of redundancy, for me at least. Obviously some users would prefer a secondary pen - if I were a pipe-smoker, I'm not sure I'd want to clean my pipe out with my main blade for example

Jack, the Guardians Lambsfoot you so generously sent me has been carried continuously since its arrival, but has cut nothing so far. I hope you (or Harry or Chin) won't be offended, but one of my few New Year's resolutions for 2018 is to start using that lambsfoot like a rented mule!!

- GT

Look forward to see the patina progress GT Excellent pics my friend

A belated Merry/Happy Christmas to everyone. I took a break from the forum and the internet in general over the holiday, but I’m looking forward to catching up and resuming work on the index tomorrow.

In the meantime, chores. Before:

After:

Hope you had a great time Greg Nice to see your Lambsfoot at work

Regarding chisel edges, this line of conversation made me wonder if an interesting blade variation for a Lambsfoot wouldn't be a fully rendered single bevel ground chisel edge. It might be an interesting variant for woodcarving, and slicing and paring work in the kitchen, with the much more acute overall inclusive edge angle, and a dead flat grind on the back. It would make an intriguing Lambshank style fixed blade variant too.

I actually don't have an SAK Electrician, but funny you mention it, as I lost my Pioneer on my recent roadtrip and have an Electrician on the way to replace it. In the case you mention, of having a chisel ground knife "the wrong way" so to speak (with the angled face of the knife grind facing towards the side of your non dominant hand), my first response would be to use it that way for a while, in order to understand what effect it has on the cutting dynamic, then try it with the reverse grind. Left handers get used to many designs 'not being for them', from industrial plant equipment, to cars, tools and packaging, and traditional slipjoints' opening features are no exception. I tend to get around it by only using knives with pinchable main blades. If a pocketknife doesn't allow smooth, consistent pinching open of the blade, like my ebony Lambsfoot, I won't carry it.

Interesting thought Chin

I have one that has just about perfect pull on both blades, but I had someone check for pull for me prior to shipping. Don't do anything drastic beyond oiling and working the joint. If the liner is creating friction, the brass should burnish in quite a bit just by working the knife (I had a similar situation with my single blade Lambfoot, needed a coin to open at first, but it burnished in with use and was suddenly "just right". This occurred the day after I had abandoned all hope--it took about a week).

just taking mine out to share with some of the fb groups,

You've done a lot to spread the Lambsfoot love Jack

I took this picture earlier today to show here but unfortunately Imgur's uploader was broken for much of the day... Apparently it has been fixed. Had this one with me in the office.

Looking good Dylan

 

[rockman0]

Got this old Alfred Blackwell recently. Sheffield stamp but no England on the stamp. Does that indicate it's pre 1891? Blade is tight with no wobble and strong snaps with a half stop. It looks lambsfoot to me, if Jack shoots it down I'll take my lashing ! Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

 

[WhittlinAway]

I wonder if Greg has reserved a section in the index for "Witty Repartee" (or at least half-witty repartee )??

I think I'll leave that one out. Far be it from me to separate the full-wits from the half-wits.

 

[strokednbored]

Since a new year is coming up, i've decided to start carrying a new knife for the very first time for the occasion.

Getting sharpened up now - yes, yes, i know i should freehand it - but this just does a better job than I can.