Made For Roping?

J

John_0917

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Apr 15, 2014
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Question...is there any shred of truth that Spyderco knives and the leaf shake specifically were originally intended for cowboys/people on horses?

Some bubba working at Cabelas told me that when I was looking at a Sliverax, I assume it’s 100% wrong since most of their staff are idiot know it alls but wanted to check.

If not, what is the origin of the leaf out of curiosity?
 
Leaf shaped blades have been around since the bronze age but from what I remember. They are very easy to sharpen and that would benefit a cowboy or cattle rancher who has to hack through rope on a daily basis IMO but we need one of the cowboys on the board to back that up.
 
Hi John,

As Night Rider mentioned, the "leaf shape" is about 40,000 years old and was used on flint knives and arrowheads for a long time. It is a very efficient bade shape for universal application. When it comes to particular applications, like cutting rope, we have usually recommend a serrated sheepfoot blade. A leaf shaped blade would certainly work on rope, especially if it was serrated, but the curve/belly does give up force as if "rolls" out to the tip. In my opinion.

sal
 
I don't have any information about Spyderco's intent, but I have done my fair share of cowboying, for a living when I was a young man.

I have been in a couple of pretty good binds involving horses, cattle, and a lariat rope.

I've been in some wrecks.

I wish I would have had a one hand opener clipped to my pocket where I could have gotten it out with one hand and got it open with one hand.

I like traditional knives a lot.

But the older I get and the worse the arthritis gets in my hands, the more I like the couple of Spyderco knives I have,and the more I carry them.

I especially like them when I am a horseback.

I have a Stretch in Hap 40 that is my current favorite carry.
 
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Not likely they were intended for this purpose, though they will perform admirably this way. One might as well claim they were originally meant for sailors.

Zieg
 
I'm not a cowboy, so take my post with a grain of salt; but I would assume a serrated sheepsfoot blade might be the ideal blade shape when working around livestock. The rounded tip could be slipped between the rope and the animal's skin without (or with far less) risk of injuring it.

Jim
 
A cowboy's working knife needs to do more than cut rope, so I don't personally like a serrated edge.

I worked on an outfit that wanted me to rope calves, tie them down and castrate them.

That requires a plain edge.

Serrations are good for cutting hay strings and opening feed sacks, but a plain edge is more versatile.
 
Up here in Alberta Canada the majority of Cowboys here have some kind of fix blade. What about something like a nice Spyderco Bushcraft?
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi John,

As Night Rider mentioned, the "leaf shape" is about 40,000 years old and was used on flint knives and arrowheads for a long time. It is a very efficient bade shape for universal application. When it comes to particular applications, like cutting rope, we have usually recommend a serrated sheepfoot blade. A leaf shaped blade would certainly work on rope, especially if it was serrated, but the curve/belly does give up force as if "rolls" out to the tip. In my opinion.

sal
Click to expand...
A serrated blade is so much better at cutting things than a non-serrated it's hard to justify a plain edge in terms of practicality. I think people choose a plain edge knives for aesthetic reasons, which is just fine. I have more plain edge than serrated.
 
I get a kick out of walking around these big box stores and watching people ask the person behind the counter for advice. I want to go up to them and whisper in their ear, “hey, you got the internet in your pocket.” It’s quicker and a lot more accurate.;)
 
Shotgun said:
I get a kick out of walking around these big box stores and watching people ask the person behind the counter for advice. I want to go up to them and whisper in their ear, “hey, you got the internet in your pocket.” It’s quicker and a lot more accurate.;)
Click to expand...

Lol yes...it came up when I commented on the downward angle of the blade orientation on the Sliverax in relation to how you hold it.

That was impetus for Howdy Dudy to tell me "whelp they were made for ropers..."
 
Coonskinner said:
A cowboy's working knife needs to do more than cut rope, so I don't personally like a serrated edge.

I worked on an outfit that wanted me to rope calves, tie them down and castrate them.

That requires a plain edge.

Serrations are good for cutting hay strings and opening feed sacks, but a plain edge is more versatile.
Click to expand...

I hope you washed your hands well afterwards...come to think of it, the Civilian would be good for that, on humans too!
 
Having cowboyed a bit during summers while I was in college, I can tell you that I needed a knife that could open and close one-handed with a locking mechanism that didn't mind getting dirty. It also needed a robust tip, as I snapped the tip off of a PM2 one too many times within the first few weeks. I carried a Benchmade Contego for a few months until I got tired of the size, rust, and the glass breaker wearing holes above my pockets from climbing on and off of horses/tractors. I found that my most-carried knife over those years was a BM AFO-II auto.

If I was back on the ranch I'd pack something with a Wharncliffe blade shape for the thick tip, and to get the most "usable" real estate out of the edge.
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi John,

As Night Rider mentioned, the "leaf shape" is about 40,000 years old and was used on flint knives and arrowheads for a long time. It is a very efficient bade shape for universal application. When it comes to particular applications, like cutting rope, we have usually recommend a serrated sheepfoot blade. A leaf shaped blade would certainly work on rope, especially if it was serrated, but the curve/belly does give up force as if "rolls" out to the tip. In my opinion.

sal
Click to expand...
And for me personally the two Spyders that fit that description that I like the most and I would without any hesitation recommend to any newcomer or serious worker or tradesman are the Stainless RESCUE SE and the original D'Allara models >> those two are super rope cutting machines. I actually started my Spyderco tool use with the mid 90s era, stainless handled, full Spyderedged, GIN-1 MARINER model which was also a sheepsfoot, Spyderedged blade.

I would also include all the Spyderedged Hawkbills for serious rope cutting chores as well.
 
There was a pro rodeo association that had a Spyderco Q or R and possibly a Delica with serrations about 15 years ago. It was a knife for "real rodeo cowboys" :)
 
The angled down of Sliverax might work better for rope cutting because of that downward angle, like many Spydercos are, IMO. Having said that, accompanying it with SE Atlantic Salt or Delica Wharncliffe SE might be a better option.
 
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