I Smell a Rattail!

Pre-WWII Sailor's knife made by Camillus for our British mates, I believe.

CamillusMS01_zps9538f0d8.jpg


Hard use on the main blade :)
CamillusMS02_zpsf9f7c060.jpg
 
Two Empires, showing some of that Cutlery skill we talked about on the previous page.
The top Jack, a simple, working blackwood Harness Jack, with a nicely executed Rattail.
The bottom Gunstock model has it all! A square (flat) stamped bolster at the bottom, and a nice Rattail at the top/main. Harder than it looks to finish, the gunstock has a nicely shaped cutout, and the overall shape blends seamlessly from flat to round. Often knives like this have the Bolster etch looking worn and faded away - this one is nice and crisp! I wouldn't know where to begin to haft that knife!
Rattail3_zps1d1f5bcc.jpg
 
eisman said:
If you look at the knives shown in this thread you should notice the number that have the rat-tail groove cut to include the main bearing pin for the blade. That's one of the main reasons it's difficult to cut the groove prior to assembly of the knife. You could design the bolsters so that they had room to move the groove away from the pin, but that creates other issues in itself.

I feel the rat-tail groove is very much like the flat bolster, a sign of more involved hand work. I'd also be willing to bet that in some cases it was a signature mark by a craftsman.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, eisman. I've gone back and looked through the pictures here with this in mind, and will again!

Here's a friend's Boker (it was her father's, and her grandfather's before that), with rattails fore and aft:
IMG_1438.jpg~original


IMG_1411.jpg~original


waynorth said:
I wouldn't know where to begin to haft that knife!
Click to expand...

Best to leave it whole, then.







:p


Thanks, as always, for the pictures worth many words, and the words to help make sense of what's pictured. :thumbup:

~ P.
 
As noted by several,I believe this was a functional design for purchase,maybe as a safeguard when doing heavy work.If you notice ,many are pruners.I collect farmers jacks and almost all have rattails.These were hard working knives.

One problem I see was the lack of meat for the pivot pin.You can see this pin in many used farmers jacks.I have one in which I think it moves a little.

I found it interesting that Schrade adapted a smaller rattail on their farmer jacks and placed the pivot pin in the meat of the bolster.

The Crown with the semi-loose pivot pin


Adolph Blaich Arrow


Ulster NKIFE .Look at the stamping on the spey blade




A Schrade Walden NY USA with the pin in the "meat" of the bolster



All I have of this pattern (30 some) except two Wostenholms and a Holley have rattails.The rooster comb(AKA farmers jack) posted by Cuts Like a Kris also has a rattail.I believe it is a Lockwood Bros,huh Kris?
 
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Here's a couple of mine. The peanut has pinched and what I would call fluted bolsters. Does it count?

Chris-

drtlc10_zpsff802b8d.jpg


PinchedPeanut003.jpg
 
Hey Chris! Your curved Jack has great Rattail Bolsters!
On the Peanut, the bolsters with the thin lines are more properly referred to as "Threaded" Bolsters.
 
Thanks for the clarification, Charlie. The peanut is one of my favorites. The Lanny's Clip is from David Taber, (Dr. T), also a favorite.

Chris-
 
Really nice ones, Mike! The ebony sheepsfoot is really a gem, and the middle one with the crest shield is awesome! :thumbup:
 
Nice collection, Kris!

Great curved Jacks Mike! Too bad you don't still have them!
 
waynorth said:
Two Empires, showing some of that Cutlery skill we talked about on the previous page.
The top Jack, a simple, working blackwood Harness Jack, with a nicely executed Rattail.
The bottom Gunstock model has it all! A square (flat) stamped bolster at the bottom, and a nice Rattail at the top/main. Harder than it looks to finish, the gunstock has a nicely shaped cutout, and the overall shape blends seamlessly from flat to round. Often knives like this have the Bolster etch looking worn and faded away - this one is nice and crisp! I wouldn't know where to begin to haft that knife!
Rattail3_zps1d1f5bcc.jpg
Click to expand...

I can't stop looking at the gunstock!! What is the closed length on that magnificence, Charlie?
 
puukkoman said:
Really nice ones, Mike! The ebony sheepsfoot is really a gem, and the middle one with the crest shield is awesome! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Thanks, these have good homes of our forum members, just for the record these are top to bottom, Hammer Brand (NYKC), Schatt and Morgan, NYKC

Mike
 
Wow-this took me quite some time to find this photo!!
Here is my John Primble Half Congress, Full blades, and absolutely some of the best looking Derin I have seen -with those two Rat Tailed Bolsters!!
 
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