Monkey see, monkey do

[Sylvrfalcn]

Monkey see this knife;

Monkey do this knife;

Good monkey.

Sarge

 

[Ad Astra]

<D'oh!> Thought that was a sharpening steel, not a marlinspike...



Mike

 

[kronckew]

just for interest the original is from sheffield knives here in the UK and is from their seaman's line, this one is the master mariner's knife with marlinspike ($50), it's geared to the bosuns and riggers amoungst us....i have one of their carbon steel seaman's knives as my normal edc around the house. see www.sheffieldknives.co.uk for more drool prompters.

 

[Mike L.]

I think I like the monkey's better than the factory's.

--Mike L.

 

[Nasty]

*Good* monkey!

 

[kronckew]

the youngster's of course has the benefit of being custom made & also made with affection and emotion behind it, rather than by a soul-less machine stamping them out by the hundreds.....his is priceless....that is the magic in the blade that cannot be factory produced. it's also carbon steel instead of soulless 420 ss

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

They don't list a lot of unnecessary info on the Sheffield website for this one, like blade length, handle length, etc., but I liked the basic shape and thought it would be a fun one to make. Mine has a 4" handle, and 5 1/2" file steel blade, just a skosh under an inch wide (15/16") and just a skosh under 3/16" at the spine (5/32). Went with just a slight clip on mine instead of their bowie style clip. Handle is full tang, Bolivian rosewood slabs, epoxied on, then hammer riveted with solid brass pins.

I borrowed from their pattern, but I obviously applied my own interpretation. Didn't feel a need for a lanyard hole on a knife with a bird's head grip. If I need to attach a lanyard, I can take a length of cord, tie a constrictor knot around the bird's neck, and tie the two loose ends together with an overhand knot to form a loop, piece of cake, one lanyard coming up. I also didn't like the flat sided, kitchen knife look of their handle, presumably to keep the knife from rolling on the deck. Tested mine, it doesn't roll, and there's not a flat surface or sharp edge anywhere on that Bolivian rosewood. Comfy grip, and solid too, I slathered it with mineral oil and set to cutting up rope, cardboard, and stuff to check the "slippery when wet" factor. No problemo :thumbup:

And yup Mike, I don't have a lot of need for a marlinspike, so mine's made from an old chainsaw file, with correct hardness to be a chakma, or an emergency firesteel. A shorter version of it lives on my keychain, and while I have used it in splicing rope, it mostly gets used to clean out the bowl of my pipe, pop the tops off beer bottles, and occasionally touch up the edge on a knife.

Sarge

 

[Kismet]

Nice work, Thumbcutter.

How's the garden?

And the 5 mile hikes?

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Nice work, Thumbcutter.

How's the garden?

And the 5 mile hikes?

Garden's pretty lush, but I'm frettin' as to who'll tend it when I'm gone to Florida in July. My friends who own the property are good people, but unreliable about such stuff as that. Texas in July/August ain't a frying pan, it's a dadburn incinerator, and them plants will need to be watered pretty diligently, or I'll be coming back to scorched earth.

The hiking was going well, did an 8.6 mile hike with a pack in 2 hrs 20 minutes. But I wrenched my left ankle the other day slip sliding down a river bank, and gotta let it mend before I can get back at it.

Sarge

 

[Kismet]

Maybe a gravity feed drum with some kind of "seepage" hose?

(don't laugh) Local garden club? Some green-life enthusiast?

Maybe some punk kid you rescue off the streets and turn his life around by having contribute to the growing of the garden?

I don't want those veggies to wilt.

 

[TomFetter]

Like the knife a lot - as noted, sweeter to my eye than the original.

I like the sheepsfoot rigging knife on the site too.

 

[Fiddleback]

I like that one Sarge. Thanks for posting.

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

I like the sheepsfoot rigging knife on the site too.

I like it too, probably going to make one, and other than running my tang on out the full length of the handle, I don't see anything I'd want to change about this one.

It looks "Sheeple" friendly and wouldn't get you flogged for toting a weapon aboard a ship of the king's navy.

Sarge

 

[TomFetter]

In traditional seamanship, that dead straight edge on a rigging knife's blade is important. The traditional way to cut a thick rope is to first do a whipping just behind where you'll cut, then baton through the rope with a single whack ... the flat edge means you have no threads left unsevered. Some prefer working a bit more knuckle space under the handle, so if you do that batoning on a flat board, you won't ding your knuckles.

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Uh, Tom, promise you won't get mad? Skipped right past the rigging knife and made another of the 4" blade "Seaman's Knife", along with a simple dangler sheath to tote it in.

I mentioned that this is "another" one. Yup, yup, ask Steve Ferguson what he thinks of the first "Seaman's Knife" I made. Bet he didn't know that's what it was, but it's the one at top right in this pic.

Don't worry Tom, I'll get around to a rigging knife yet, honest I will.

Sarge

edited to add: dadgum don't that rascal take purty pictures, almost embarrassed to post mine anymore

 

[TomFetter]

I won't get mad, Sarge, so long as you ping me first before sending another load of knives off for Ram support. I'm keeping my ear to the ground just in case a rigging knife, or a bellied French Trader knife shows up in one of those shipments.

Those seaman's knives sure have honest lines, eh?

t.

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Those seaman's knives sure have honest lines, eh?

t.

Flat out handy little cutters, rig a slightly longer than standard suspension loop for the dangler sheath, and they'll slip right in your pocket out of sight and out of mind. Since they're hidden in your pocket but their weight is suspended by your belt, they won't make your pocket sag or bow out. Dang near invisible enough to wear to Sunday school. "What's that cord?" "Nothing, just a watch fob" <snicker>
The "real deal" Sheffield versions apparently have finger grooves cut into the left handle slab, but being pretty much ambidextrous when it comes to cutting tools (oughta see how fast I can shave with a straight razor, it'd scare holy hell out of ya) I don't much cotton to finger grooves on my handles. They'd better work left or right handed, upside down or sideways, or I'll bust 'em off and put a new one on.
Rigging knife stuck in with the next batch I send Steve.........hmmmm, ya never know. . . . .Bwahahaaaaaaa.

Sarge

 

[Morgane]

Yours is much more likeable, as usual : ) The 2 piece yachtsman's and Navy clasp knife off the site appeal too. This is probably because I end up using nailfiles as spikes and fids due to poor planning. I do most of my whipping with a carpet needle, so no suprise there.

It's hard to give up the point as on the rigging knife, as it's just so useful to poke at things. I could see the rigging knife being left at a workstation rather than carried around like the Seaman's knives you've made so far.

 

[DannyinJapan]

check out the Guarded Rubber Workers' knife!

 

[Fiddleback]

This thread is awesome. I just love seeing pics of your knives bro.