Knife Terminology

[DaveinNY]

Good photo Rivit, that old Case sure has a lot of character. Love the warmth of that old bone.

 

[waynorth]

Thanks for the pic, Dan! The quintessential Trapper! Nice aged stag, purposeful use on the blades. It does it for me as much as any mint knife!!

 

[waynorth]

What about the
CANOE??
A useful knife, well suited to pocket carry, the canoe doesn't often get the respect it deserves. It may be because its name sounds like a gimmick. If we called it a "double copperhead", maybe more people would want one, because it sounds more dangerous and thrilling to own one! There is a lot to a name; think of Johnnie Cash's version of "A Boy Named Sue"!
Anyway, the Canoe is essentially an equal end knife, with peaks or bumps on the bolsters, to protect your pocket and hand from the sharp corner of the tang.
The most common configuration is a 3 5/8 to 3 3/4" knife, with a spear and a pen blade, riding on a single spring. There are larger and smaller ones, some with three or more blades, and even some with a "whittler" blade configuration.
Here are a few ordinary ones. If someone has something different, for instance a Case "gunboat" please indulge us!!
Two blades;

A three blade;

 

[ken erickson]

Nice looking collection of Canoe's!!

I like that first small Case with the long pull. What vintage , scale material and length?

Thanks for sharing!

This is a picture of a early slip that I made up for a BF member. A modified canoe I guess, with a wharncliffe blade riding on a second spring. .

 

[Blues]

Ken,

Were you to make the same knife today, would you be comfortable doing it on one backspring and crinking the blades as necessary?

 

[waynorth]

Ken, that little Case is a 2001 model, with black (actually a dark gray) jigged bone scales.
It is tiny, at 2 3/4" long. They call it a "butterbean". You can see all the modern Case models here;
http://www.casexx.com/PatternPageFH.asp

 

[waynorth]

Here is a link to a Canoe thread Sunnyd started, back a ways;
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438942&highlight=Canoe

 

[ken erickson]

Thanks for the reply Charlie. I have heard the term Butterbean but I guess I did not realize how cute they are! Thats a great link to the Case patterns, thanks.

Elliott, yes, if I were to make it today I would feel comfortable crinking the blades and using one backspring. My customer and I had discussed that very same thing back then and for several reasons (mostly my skills) decided to go with this configuration.

Ken

 

[Blues]

Thanks for the reply Charlie. I have heard the term Butterbean but I guess I did not realize how cute they are!

Elliott, yes, if I were to make it today I would feel comfortable crinking the blades and using one backspring. My customer and I had discussed that very same thing back then and for several reasons (mostly my skills) decided to go with this configuration.

Ken

Thanks, Ken. :thumbup:

 

[waynorth]

Is it a Canoe???
What do you think??

 

[thawk]

A three bladed canoe? Like your Wilkinson. Kind of sleek both at the stern and helm.

 

[brightred]

maybe a gunboat? honestly, i have no idea, i just checked the case website...

cool thread! :thumbup:

best regards,
hans

 

[6.0stroker]

? doesn't fully cover the tang on the main blade, or does it have to, to fit the afore mentioned explanation? I am only asking not questioning.

 

[waynorth]

Questioning is good, Stroker!
I'd like to see some more opinions before I open my big yap! I do think there's more than one valid opinion however!!

 

[ken erickson]

Resembles the Case Gunboat canoe with three blades 4 1/4 length.With the exception of less "up-turn" at the bolsters. What is the length of the Utica?

I would tend towards calling it a gunboat depending on if over about 4 inches ?

Ken

 

[waynorth]

It's 3 11/16", Ken, just shy of 3 3/4". Hint, notice the spey blade!

 

[ken erickson]

The shape of the spey blade reminds me of a spey on a sowbelly or some stockmans. which has me even more confused!

 

[Blues]

I'd just go with cattle knife since it has the spear master and is a derivative cattle pattern.

 

[waynorth]

I think it's a Cattle knife too. Here's a comparison, with one made by the same company, but later, as a "Kutmaster". Different blades, but you can see that the bolsters are not peaked, or copper-headed. The makers simply cut a crescent slice out of the pattern, on the top edge, on a Cattle pattern! The SEMI-SUNK JOINTS
confuse the issue a bit, making the eye think "Canoe".
The alteration of the handle makes it easier to access the pulls on the back.

Close but no Canoe!! Some people call them Cigars though!!

 

[6.0stroker]

I love it here as a student of this thread I'm learning alot thanks to all and keep em coming!! :thumbup: