Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

[Jack Black]

Awesome little lighter.

Thanks John, it get used a fair bit when I go out hiking

 

[cigarrodog]

Thanks Harvey, I'm surprised it's gone on so long. Hard to get anything OTHER than a telephone consultation since the pandemic here I'm afraid. At the practice I just left, the minimum waiting time for a phone consultation was 6 weeks!

Sorry to hear that. Appalling. Feel better quickly.

 

[TXGatorbait]

Sounds good to me! I've seen Spam on the menu of some local taquerias, but never ordered it. Afraid (paranoid?) they may be using a substitute or a low fat or low sodium version, so I cook my own at home!

You should definitely give it a go, Vince! I’ve introduced several skeptics (of Spam) to bean/spam tacos and have made believers in every one

 

[TXGatorbait]

As I leave early on Thursdays, I usually try to get a shave the evening before, rather than when I'm half-asleep! I know it can be a chore, but I do enjoy shaving properly. My pal with the tool-stall said something to me the other week, which has stuck with me. Out of the blue, he asked me, "If you were a millionaire, would you use a new blade every time you shaved?" We both agreed we would! It struck me as such a 'blue-collar' conversation! I could give my pal a whole sack load of blades, and he'd still ration them!

Now that I've had a shave, and got my bag together for tomorrow, but before I have a beer, I'm going to pick out a Lambsfoot for tomorrow. In fact, I think I'm going to treat myself to a Double Lambsfoot Day, with my Peaches & Cream Big 'Un and my Hartshead Barlow

(That's my Zippo, a kind gift from @paulhilborn a good few years back )

Looking good. Looks like a killer combo for tomorrow’s adventures

 

[Pt-Luso]

Dark and rich... I like it.

Many thanks, John.

 

[Jack Black]

Sorry to hear that. Appalling. Feel better quickly.

Thanks Harvey I feel OK, until I try to speak! Just having some whisky to kill any germs down there

Looking good. Looks like a killer combo for tomorrow’s adventures

Thanks a lot my friend, I think I'll put the Big 'Un on cake-cutting duty

 

[bigfish64]

Thanks Harvey Perhaps contrary to appearances, those frustrating stories are not ones I enjoy re-telling. I just wanted to explain Marilyn's origins, and why I have a knife that is different to the others. Of course, I was in a position to get any number of one-off knives made back then, and it would have made things a heck of a lot easier, but I wanted everyone here to be able to have one. Unfortunately, a few people took a different approach, and that's why we don't have an annual Guardians Lambsfoot anymore



Cool pic Harvey

Great start to the day Vince I see we have similar taste in preserves!

I might do Rosewood next week!

Market day tomorrow, and I've just noticed that I still haven't done anything with the Lambsfoot knife I picked up last week I'm not sure how long I'm going to be down there though, as I have a bit of a strange problem at the moment. Last Friday, I sprayed my new stinky Barbour jacket with Febreeze. According to the label, it's a purely natural product, containing no chemicals. I had to use it indoors, but did so with the window wide open, and at arm's length. A couple of hours later, I received a phone call, and found that I could barely speak. I drank a lot of water, and rested my voice. I also took a Covid test, just in case. Nearly a week later, I'm still drinking a lot of water, and have avoided speaking as much as possible, but I still have a really croaky voice, and am struggling to speak. I talk more on a Thursday than the rest of the week combined, but I don't know how long my voice will hold out. If it's still like this on Friday, I might go to the hospital, but there are huge waits here at the moment, and Covid transmission rates are high too. I have a birthday party to go to, the following weekend, and will be seeing a lot of old friends, some of whom I haven't seen in a decade, so I really hope I'm going to be able to talk to them

That stinks Jack. Actually my wife says she has a hard time breathing when I spray Febreeze, but I’ve never experienced any issues. Hope you get your voice back soon.

 

[cudgee]

But it doesn't seem to me like a "Lambsfoot Knife", if you know what I mean.

. It's a knife with a Lambsfoot blade. You don't call a stockman a "------foot knife because it has that particular style of blade as one of 3.

 

[Angry Waiter]

Every day is peaches once work ends.

 

[JohnDF]

It's a knife with a Lambsfoot blade. You don't call a stockman a "------foot knife because it has that particular style of blade as one of 3.

Give the man a cookie... he makes an excellent point.

 

[traumkommode]

Traditionally, it comes with a nail nick. Don't forget it's a relatively late pattern. In Sheffield, nail nicks are applied by hand, either with a hand-held punch, or with a press, and they're a lot easier to let in than a pull. I'm sure there are exceptions, Joseph Rodgers, for instance, did one with a pull, in the 1970's I think. Off-hand, I can't recall seeing an old Lambsfoot with a pull though

That settled that. Thanks Jack!

 

[Fodderwing]

Out of the blue, he asked me, "If you were a millionaire, would you use a new blade every time you shaved?" We both agreed we would! It struck me as such a 'blue-collar' conversation!

I guarantee you I would Jack. I shave my head, face, neck... with a five-blade razor. A daily new blade would be heaven.

Just having some whisky to kill any germs down there

I should be germ free.

Jack I sure hope your throat and voice clears up soon my friend.

 

[Pt-Luso]

 

[5K Qs]

I saw a bald eagle Saturday, over 131 between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.
...

That's cool, Jer!
I don't recall seeing bald eagles in southwest Michigan until I saw one a year ago at Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids. (I intended to insert a photo here, but can't locate the eagle photo on my computer. Maybe I can just copy the photo from when I originally posted it in "Carl's Lounge":
View attachment 1548822

Gary, your discipline is legendary.

Just trying to bring a little bit of order to the chaos that's my life, Todd!

Thank you very much Gary, it's great to see you here! Fantastic pics of your 2019 Guardians Lambsfoot

Thanks for the kind words, Jack. Just to go on record for my recent lambsfoot carry history, the day after Easter I switched to Black Jack, my 2018 ebony Guardians lambsfoot, for a week:


Then a week with Cracker Jack, my Ashley's Choice stag lambsfoot:


Next, a week with Lam Jack, my 2017 horn Guardians lambsfoot:


And this week I'm carrying LamBarJack, my rosewood Hartshead Barlow:

Yes, I'm afraid my tastes aren't very refined... price always plays a factor in my decisions.
Especially when it comes to restaurants and hotels... I don't want to stay in a flea bag motel, but I'm not going to pay for the Ritz either.

My wife would probably say that sounds familiar.

Good Morning Guardians
I will join Jack and carry my Horn Lambsfoot again today.

That's a LOT of horn lambsfoot, John!

View attachment 1814383
I've tamed this one. (Another @CelloDan!)

You're an eagle (and stone bull) whisperer, Vince!!

Thank you GT. Jack agrees with you. I tend to seek out the odd ones.

I appreciate your sharing the results of your searches, Harvey!

No kimchi for me, GT.

Thanks anyway, Barrett.
I seem to be in a "cabbage craving" phase in which I have a dollop of sauerkraut or kimchi mixed into, or served next to, almost everything I cook. So I need to find a good source for "bulk kimchi".

Thrilling threesome of lambsfoot knives, Ken!

Hey Guardians, hope you’re all doing well. Had a bit of a rough weekend here — sick kid and a sick dog — but things are looking up.

Although I’m a big fan of both GEC knives and the Lambsfoot blade, I was really planning on sitting out on the new #88 pattern. Then the opportunity presented itself (right place, right time sort of thing), and I figured why not give one a try.

For my taste, at least, I have to say that my instincts were spot on. This thing is just a bit… odd. It feels bulky in hand (probably in pocket, too), mainly due to the high sitting Lambsfoot blade, and the lines all look a bit goofy to me. It’s certainly well-made, with a nice pull and snap that has been missing from some recent GEC runs, but I think it’s a strange choice of pattern to throw the Lambsfoot on.

Very interesting knife (I love the green one best), but it seems to me the lambsfoot belongs as a single blade, and not a secondary. Beautiful, nevertheless.

Sorry to hear about your rough weekend Barrett, I hope everyone is OK now I'd quite like to examine one of these knives, but judging on looks alone, they do look...odd I'm still fascinated by the thinking behind this knife, particularly from such a traditional cutlery company as GEC. The Lambsfoot they (eventually) made for Charlie is superb, but Charlie put a lot of thought into that knife, and based it on a genuine historic example. I think it's great that they think the Lambsfoot blade has further mileage, and I'm glad that more folks will get to try one out, but if the Lambsfoot was at its best on a Sowbelly frame, and with a secondary Turkish Clip, I suspect that, bearing in mind that so many cutlers produced these knives, in large numbers, over a 150 year period, some other cutler would have produced a knife like this. While there is certainly an inherent conservatism, among Sheffield cutlers, (certainly for much of the 20th century, at least), we see Lambsfoot blades on differing frames, and in differing forms. I'm not saying that a Lambsfoot blade won't work on a Sowbelly frame, I'm sure it's a better choice than not having a Lambsfoot at all, but even though I love my Hartshead Barlow, and think that the blade works well on a straight frame, on which it is commonly found, I still think the blade works best on a Swayback frame.

Gotta agree with you Vince, 100% I think it's understandable that those who are not used to carrying a Lambsfoot think that a secondary blade would add something, giving a more versatile package, but the Lambsfoot is so versatile alone that I doubt I'd hardly ever use the Clip, if at all, and adding a secondary blade is always a compromise

I'll give my thoughts on the new Sowbelly from GEC...
I figure this is a much safer place to speak on GEC knives without upsetting too many people.
And I will keep my comments to the Lambsfoot blade alone, this is the Guardian's thread after all.

I, like many of you, find the Lambsfoot blade to be an odd choice for that knife... there is nothing historical about it.
I think making it a Trapper with two full sized blades was an odd choice too. One of those blades is ALWAYS going to be in the well when the other is open, and if it's the non-Lambsfoot that's open, then the Lambsfoot blade is going to run straight across all those curves which is going to nullify any ergonomics of the handle shape. I think it would have been much smarter, if they were going to insist on using a Lambsfoot blade, to use it as a true secondary and make it much shorter like most companies do with the small Sheepsfoot blades. That's where you would have really seen the value of the Lambsfoot blade, it wouldn't have stood up as high as a Sheepsfoot, it would have been more tucked into the frame, and would have added to the ergonomics of the pattern rather than taking away from it.

Hope I didn't offend any GEC fans out there, it wasn't my intention.

I’d love to see a slightly-less-long-and-slim Lambsfoot from GEC, something a bit shorter but somewhat beefier as well, if that makes sense.

My 2 Bobs worth, for what it is worth. A Lambsfoot - single blade. That is what they were designed as and for, a single blade working/farm knife.

Congrats to those who have obtained one of the recent GEC sowbellies with a lambsfoot blade included!
I've enjoyed reading your posts containing your reactions to and evaluations of those knives.
Although I don't have a GEC 88 model, I suspect my reaction would be almost exclusively positive because
1) I love the sowbelly frame
2) I'm a big fan of a lambsfoot blade
3) I strongly prefer multiple blades over a single blade pocket knife
4) I have an underdeveloped sense of "reverence" for history/tradition

(I'm the guy who was thrilled when waverave photoshopped me some mini trappers with lambsfoot/spey blade combos. )

I certainly admire the grain in your ironwood, José; outstanding knife!

View attachment 1815019
Anyone up for a peanut butter & Spam sandwich?

Sounds great to me, Vince!
But I think I'd want one more ingredient: mustard or jelly. Which would you recommend?

- GT

 

[Onebigbill]

As I leave early on Thursdays, I usually try to get a shave the evening before, rather than when I'm half-asleep! I know it can be a chore, but I do enjoy shaving properly. My pal with the tool-stall said something to me the other week, which has stuck with me. Out of the blue, he asked me, "If you were a millionaire, would you use a new blade every time you shaved?" We both agreed we would! It struck me as such a 'blue-collar' conversation! I could give my pal a whole sack load of blades, and he'd still ration them!

Now that I've had a shave, and got my bag together for tomorrow, but before I have a beer, I'm going to pick out a Lambsfoot for tomorrow. In fact, I think I'm going to treat myself to a Double Lambsfoot Day, with my Peaches & Cream Big 'Un and my Hartshead Barlow

(That's my Zippo, a kind gift from @paulhilborn a good few years back )

Two great photos of really nice LF knives. The gnarly covers on your HHB go well with the gnarly wood (tree?) in the background. The Zippo is a nice gift.

Good morning Guardians. I was going to play golf today at Oak Island, NC but I think that I am cancelling - 70% chance of thunderstorms. Not a good idea to be out on an ocean links course during lightning and you are the highest point standing there with a metal shaft in your hands.

I think I will stay indoors and do some garage projects with the help of my HHB today instead.

 

[JohnDF]

That's a LOT of horn lambsfoot, John!

Thank you, GT.

Stellar lineup of Lambsfoot knives, GT... Thanks for sharing your rotation.

 

[JohnDF]

Good Morning Guardians

 

[Jack Black]

That stinks Jack. Actually my wife says she has a hard time breathing when I spray Febreeze, but I’ve never experienced any issues. Hope you get your voice back soon.

Thanks Todd

. It's a knife with a Lambsfoot blade. You don't call a stockman a "------foot knife because it has that particular style of blade as one of 3.

Well said

Every day is peaches once work ends. View attachment 1815705

Cool pic Pete

I guarantee you I would Jack. I shave my head, face, neck... with a five-blade razor. A daily new blade would be heaven.

Welcome to the Modest Ambition Club Dwight!

I should be germ free.

Jack I sure hope your throat and voice clears up soon my friend.

Thanks a lot buddy

Thanks for the kind words, Jack. Just to go on record for my recent lambsfoot carry history, the day after Easter I switched to Black Jack, my 2018 ebony Guardians lambsfoot, for a week:
View attachment 1816023

Then a week with Cracker Jack, my Ashley's Choice stag lambsfoot:
View attachment 1816024

Next, a week with Lam Jack, my 2017 horn Guardians lambsfoot:
View attachment 1816026

And this week I'm carrying LamBarJack, my rosewood Hartshead Barlow:
View attachment 1816028

Fantastic line-up Gary

Two great photos of really nice LF knives. The gnarly covers on your HHB go well with the gnarly wood (tree?) in the background. The Zippo is a nice gift.

Good morning Guardians. I was going to play golf today at Oak Island, NC but I think that I am cancelling - 70% chance of thunderstorms. Not a good idea to be out on an ocean links course during lightning and you are the highest point standing there with a metal shaft in your hands.

I think I will stay indoors and do some garage projects with the help of my HHB today instead.
View attachment 1816063

Thanks for the kind words Bill I think you're right to avoid that potentially shocking experience! Have fun with your Hartshead Barlow

Good Morning Guardians

It's nice to see the return of the Rose John

Hope everyone is having a good day The market was fun I took a pic of my mate's Spam, bacon, and egg sandwich for Prester John

 

[JohnDF]

It's nice to see the return of the Rose John

Thank you, Jack.

The market was fun

Glad to hear it... How's your voice doing?

 

[Prester John]

Sounds great to me, Vince!
But I think I'd want one more ingredient: mustard or jelly. Which would you recommend?

Well, Gary, I love mustard, but it does not go well with peanut butter. Jelly (or jam or preserves) goes with both, so that's my recommendation.

Hope everyone is having a good day The market was fun I took a pic of my mate's Spam, bacon, and egg sandwich for Prester John

That looks delicious, Jack!