Muskrat, Schatt & Morgan pattern numbers

[WVDAVE]

What was or is the purpose of the muskrat pattern? I've looked all over for information on this pattern and have turned up nothing. I would like to find out how to read Schatt & Morgan pattern numbers too this one in particular ( SMJV032125 ).


Thanks,

 

[Planterz]

It's a skinning knife, so named because it was used by hunters/trappers of muskrats. The blades are fairly thin and fairly flexible, although not as flexible as a fillet blade. The dual blade design gives you twice the time needed inbetween sharpenings. Which is useful when you're out for several days. Personally I don't see much use for that sort of thing in modern city life, or for any knife with duplicate blades for that matter, but there's still people that like that sort of thing. Some people consider a "true" muskrat to have both blades on the same single backspring, but there's lots of muskrats that have a spring for each blade.

There's a couple variations on the muskrat. Buck for example has a clip blade and a spay blade, effectively making it a trapper but with the blades on opposite ends instead of on the same end, jack style. Then there's the hawbaker muskrat, named for Stanley Hawbaker, a trapper and author. He liked the muskrat, but wanted a different blades, one clip and one straight. Such knives were named "Hawbaker Muskrat" or "Hawbaker Special". I'm a big fan of the hawbaker.

As for Schatt and Morgan's numbering system, I don't know if there's any rhyme or reason to it.

 

[DennisStrickland]

planterz covers this pretty well. thin blades like the rats are really understood when one tries to skin a squirrel or cottontail rabbit.---dennis

 

[black mamba]

I would like to find out how to read Schatt & Morgan pattern numbers too this one in particular ( SMJV032125 ).

Thanks,

In the pattern number above, the SMJV is, I believe, a retailer's code and not part of S&M's pattern numbering system, which is the 6 digits following.

The first two digits are the handle materials. Here are the codes I'm aware of:
03 = stag
04 = bone (and sometimes horn)
05 = white pearl and abalone
06 = winterbottom bone (1993 series III)
12 = mammoth ivory
14 = buffalo horn w/ MOP shield (2002 series XII)
15 = black or black lip pearl

The third digit is the number of blades.

The last three digits are the frame number. I don't know of any system to these 3 digit frame numbers.

So, the one you inquire about is a stag, 2-blade pattern 125, which is their 4" muskrat.

 

[Paul 883215]

Personally I don't see much use for that sort of thing in modern city life, or for any knife with duplicate blades for that matter, but there's still people that like that sort of thing.

Don't you own a retractable utility knife? You know, the ones with the disposable blades. I would guess they are the most used work knives "in modern city life". They have duplicate blades.

Does anybody know if the S & M muskrats have 1 or 2 springs?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Planterz]

Does anybody know if the S & M muskrats have 1 or 2 springs?

Thanks,
Paul

AFAIK, Queen makes all their muskrats with 1 spring.

 

[WVDAVE]

The one I asked about has two springs.

Don't you own a retractable utility knife? You know, the ones with the disposable blades. I would guess they are the most used work knives "in modern city life". They have duplicate blades.

Does anybody know if the S & M muskrats have 1 or 2 springs?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Planterz]

The one I asked about has two springs.

Did some googling, and you're right. Some S&M Muskrats have 2, some have 1. That's very interesting, I wonder why they did that.

 

[Paul 883215]

The one I asked about has two springs.

Thanks, I have a strong preference towards two spring 'rats.

Paul