Name That Knife!

waynorth · Sep 17, 2006

A friend sent me this knife, saying he had a Cattle knife with a punch I might like, me being a bit punchy

! Well here it is, and it has the attributes of a punch Cattle knife, with a spey blade, a punch and a main spear blade, all in an equal end handle. But a Cattle knife usually has the 2 secondary blades sharing a spring, leaving the main blade on its own mainspring. Consequently one of the secondaries is next to the main.
Now you look here, and you see both secondaries at one end, and a wedged split spring, for each, shared with the main blade, just like a whittler! So what is it? This is not a test

!!
A split backspring knife is a test however, of the talent of the cutlers; harder to make well than a straight spring knife! Hopefully these pictures will show up the details. So what do we call it??

Amos Iron Wolf · Sep 17, 2006

Zoiks! Leave it to Charlie to come up with the odd duck. Maybe it's a cow whittler? Seriously, I'm curious to hear what it is. From the pic that is some good fitting on the wedged backsprings.

I bet you're glad to have that one in your "punchy " collection.

ahgar · Sep 17, 2006

very nice knife, don't know a dang thing about it but i like it. ahgar

knifeaholic · Sep 17, 2006

I would call it either a "split backspring cattle knife" or a "cattle knife whittler". Remington made som variations of that type knife, and Case made it in the Tested era on the '45 frame.

Dijos · Sep 18, 2006

it's definitely made right. all cattle knives should have a spey blade(for doing what cowboys do), like this one does.

Amos Iron Wolf · Sep 18, 2006

Dijos said:
it's definitely made right. all cattle knives should have a spey blade(for doing what cowboys do), like this one does.

Well, since it isn't quite a seahorse whittler, maybe it's a CUTTIN (the) horse whittler! (ba dum, bing!)

waynorth · Sep 18, 2006

Or ouch, depending on where you are standing

!
But I guess whittling cattle with it, is what you could do

!

freezergeezer · Sep 18, 2006

I XL was George Wolstenholm's mark. Although I believe that they had long since been bought by someone (Richards possibly) by the time that one was likely made. Anyway, if it is Wolstenholm, then it's from Sheffield. What are the tang markings Waynorth?

drk1993 · Sep 18, 2006

Most unusual... stockman blades on whittler springs. From the photo the blades on the left look a different material from the master on the right. Could just be the photo. Have a good close look at them. I'm not drawing any conclusion.

Wostenholm was bought by Joseph Rodgers in 1971, Richards in 1975 and the American company Imperial in 1977. Hence there were Schrade-Wostenholm knives with the I*XL mark 1977-1982 then the co went bankrupt. The wostenholm I*XL mark now owned by something called the Egginton Group which also owns the Rogers and Ibberson marks. What has the world come to?

waynorth · Sep 18, 2006

I'm quite sure the steel is similar or identical, and original, drk. Someone has lightly polished the main blade (grrrrr!), so it reflects differently.

drk1993 · Sep 19, 2006

waynorth said:
I'm quite sure the steel is similar or identical, and original, drk. Someone has lightly polished the main blade (grrrrr!), so it reflects differently.

Glad to hear that. Best wishes in your search for further info. Looks interesting.

rev_jch · Sep 19, 2006

hmmmm...well it would probably still be considered a cattle knife, even though it is in a whittler configuration. It was not unusual for may manufacturers over the years to change styles around a bit. This is a great example here.

They would take left over blades, scales, etc. and put them into whatever handles (configurations) they had around. I have seen some similar strange things around. Just like old trappers I have seen with a short secondary blade! You never know what you may find out there. You have to understand that over the years there has NEVER been an industry "set", "standard" way a pattern was suppose to be made. Now certain companies do, and have "standarized" the way a particular pattern is made. but, even these, over the years have changed. And some fof these have been guilty of assembling "loose" parts. It happens. Rarely, but it does. And at one time it use to happen mroe often than it does these days.

You could just call it a "cattle whittler". Im sure it would be appropriate.

waynorth · Sep 19, 2006

It's interesting looking at the unusual and different. Thanks for your comments everyone, and especially rev_jch for your insight into the overall industry!
If you have anything unusual in your cigar box, or knife drawer, how about starting a new thread?? Nothing better than going to BF and finding something that provides a little mystery!
CC

Gary G · Sep 19, 2006

Thank you, Waynorth, for that oddity. Love those wedged backsprings. Those alone are worth the posting.