Historic Long Blade Folding Clip Point

S

Stork

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Sep 24, 2025
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Came across a video on YT that mentioned an interesting historical knife design that was apparently popular in the American south a hundred or so years ago. It was a folding clip point blade where the blade tip actually extended past the handle while closed. The last third or so at the tip could therefore be used when the thing was closed or opened fully for maximum reach… evidently they were worn on the belt in a leather sheath in the closed position like a 110 or something.. the video mentioned that normally they were used in the closed position but quickly opened for combat situations.

What would be the advantage of this design? It seems like potentially you’d have the downsides of both a folder and a fixed blade with neither of the upsides.. or maybe the upsides of both not sure. Would be interested if anyone has photos or knowledge of this historic design, thanks.

Stork
 
Folding bowie, folding hunting knife, they have been around a long time. Many were made in Germany, Marbles Arms produced a Folding Safety Hunter in the early part of the 20th Century. Its nothing revolutionary, just a large folding knife, a way to have a normal size grip with a long blade. Just google folding bowie and you'll see lots of them.
 
The main advantage seems to be the larger blade, whilst not making the handle equally large.

you can still buy them new from various makers and there are cheap versions from e.g. frost cutlery
 
As late as the early 1980's, they were still made, and commonly available at a reasonable price, in Sheffield.
 
Arathol said:
Folding bowie, folding hunting knife, they have been around a long time. Many were made in Germany, Marbles Arms produced a Folding Safety Hunter in the early part of the 20th Century. Its nothing revolutionary, just a large folding knife, a way to have a normal size grip with a long blade. Just google folding bowie and you'll see lots of them.
Click to expand...
Here's a current Chinese-made Marble's safety folder. First photo is with blade closed. Note that the tip of the blade extends past the end of the handle, but the blade tip can't be used that way because there's a metal extension at the butt end of the blade that "safely" holds the blade tip.
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Next photo shows knife half-open, with swing guard beginning to deploy.
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Here's the knife with blade fully open. The handle extension has been swung "up and over" into the blade well and against the blade tang, locking the blade open.
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- GT
 
They were actually one of the reasons for NYC's locking knife size restrictions. I remember an old magazine article where they singled those and the old 007 knives out. You can conceal one of those folding Bowies pretty good by slipping the sheath into a jeans pocket, then slipping the belt loop on to your belt.
 
Thanks for all the info and photos guys. I found one listed for sale manufactured by Frost in 3cr with what seemed like dubious construction strength just based off the photos.. but also found a listing for an antique from Sheffield from 1860 that looked pretty darn solid, this may have even been the model that was popular at the time…

Now I wish a company like Cold Steel would do a functional modern take on this design… folded 10in sheath knife that unfolds into sword with a 20in blade!
 
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