Is "Pattern" the specific design?

[qpuf]

Trying to find out a bit more and wondered if that's what people mean when talking about traditional pocket knives? Thanks.

 

[smiling-knife]

I think a pattern is a commonly produced design. Before machinery and mass production, cutlers had patterns or templates for the different knives they produced. They often stored these in tins. The templates were heavy steel so durable. They would use these templates as a guide to cut the liners, shape the blades, drill the holes, shape the springs etc. There were steel templates for drilling the recesses in the handles for the shields and so on. Literally it was a patten for constructing a particular design of knife.

 

[CorpsmanUP!]

yes Pattern is type of blade combination. ie. you can have a stockman pattern in a sowbelly, gunstock, or coke bottle handle. same thing with a trapper pattern.

 

[KnifeHead]

I think a pattern is a commonly produced design. Before machinery and mass production, cutlers had patterns or templates for the different knives they produced. They often stored these in tins. The templates were heavy steel so durable. They would use these templates as a guide to cut the liners, shape the blades, drill the holes, shape the springs etc. There were steel templates for drilling the recesses in the handles for the shields and so on. Literally it was a patten for constructing a particular design of knife.

Excellent description SK :thumbup:

 

[qpuf]

Thanks very much. I sorta figured this was the case. So, different companies would or could have similar "patterns"? Example-is a stockman only made by one company, or is a fairly generic design that different companies interperet on their own?

 

[DaveinNY]

qpuf, here are a couple of links that helped me when I started collecting. Also go to your local Barns & Noble and thumb through some of the knife guides.

http://www.agrussell.com/knife_information/knife_encyclopedia/index.html
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/research/knife_definitions.php

 

[qpuf]

Thanks very much, Dave. I appreciate the help.