History of Cotton Sampler Blade?

A

ATF6281914

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Jan 31, 2009
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Does anyone know why the Cotton Sampler has that funky blade shape? What was the purpose for the knife in the cotton fields? Any good info about its history is much appreciated. I haven't been able to find much.

Example:
 
As the name implies, it was for sampling bales of cotton. They had to be sorted to their respective staples. Fiber lengths. This was usually done at the compress after the cotton had left the gin where it is cleaned of seeds, hulls and other trash and first compressed in to bales of 350-500# each. Then they are taken to a compress for sorting, sampling and further compression before being sold. Today, like the Tidioute name, the blade shape is mostly a nostalgia shape.

c.1930 E.C. Simmons catalog showing this blade type.

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No real purpose for field hands. Cotton Samplers were used by the buyers as a rule. That first inch or so of the blade profile in front of the tang is used for rolling the fiber on with the thumb. The shape of the rest of the profile was intended to make it easier to dig into the bale to get the sample. Buyers were able to determine something concerning quality from this test. I know a couple of cotton farmers in the Boot Heel of Missouri and they do in fact still use these knives. Many Samplers you see made currently do not have that 1" or so in front of the tang and I think these knives are just modern renditions without a great deal of purpose. So I have been told.
 
Thank you for the replies -- keep 'em coming! I love learning about where different blade shapes came from and how they were originally used, so all your info here is, again, much appreciated.

Old Hunter: This is not my knife; I took the photo from KnivesShipFree's site. But I am thinking about getting the one pictured.
 
Pipeman said:
A perfect dedicated skinner IMO.

Regards

Robin
Click to expand...

I also have one that I use for skinning. The short section at the beginning of the blade that is not sharpened actually comes in handy when your finger accidentally slips up past the tang.
 
I hadn't thought about it until reading the skinning discussion above, but this particular Cotton Sampler blade and Buck 103 Skinner are very similar in size and shape. OH

IMG_1252.JPG
 
Fancied reviving this thread in the hope that others will show their Samplers.

The information is very useful and I particularly liked Codger's post with the advert. worthwhile read notably for source of materials, types of Stag.

Here's a model that the purist may look askance at...but it's very well made and being small only 3" would be useless as a real Sampler. RR do make full sized ones too.Nevertheless it has ingenuity and makes for a very tidy small pocket-knife: RR Small Cotton Sampler in jigged bone.

GzIbXat.jpg
 
Codger_64 said:
As the name implies, it was for sampling bales of cotton. They had to be sorted to their respective staples. Fiber lengths. This was usually done at the compress after the cotton had left the gin where it is cleaned of seeds, hulls and other trash and first compressed in to bales of 350-500# each. Then they are taken to a compress for sorting, sampling and further compression before being sold. Today, like the Tidioute name, the blade shape is mostly a nostalgia shape.

c.1930 E.C. Simmons catalog showing this blade type.

5dpd7m.png
Click to expand...
Fantastic reading, and love the reprint of the blades and handles. Well done.
 
I recently ordered both large and small models from Rough Rider, in ram's horn bone and stag bone, respectively. Haven't used either one very much yet, but I think the larger one will do well in the kitchen with the cutting I do for food prep.

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- GT
 
You guys are all spot on. The Cotton Sampler is somewhat of a specialized profile that has garnered some interest over the past years. It is unique among blade profiles in that it has a very specific need. Many patterns claim some limited use like the Farmers Jack, the Hawksbill Pruner, among others, horticultural patterns, the castration blade, etc. Unfortunately most of these patterns have been bastardized to a point where the original intent has been lost. The Cotton Sampler remains, to me, pure to original form.
 
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