On the Victorinox sheep foot blade

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Jun 18, 2009
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Lately there are questions on the design of the sheep foot blade that can be found on some alox Victorinox models. I know these blades are available on the Electrician and Electrician Plus models, but maybe some other models have them too.

I tried to make a few macro pictures of the sheep foot blade on my Electrician Plus. Hope it adds some information.

This picture shows how the blade looks like. As you can see, it is partly plain edge and partly a wire stripper. On the picture you can also see that both have a bevel on this side.

SB3.jpg


This is a close up of the wire stripper part.

SB1.jpg


If I turn the knife, you can see the other side of the blade. Here you can see that the plain edge part has a bevel, but the wire stripper part doesn't. So the plain edge part is a double bevel grind (this is also called sabre grind, correct?) and the wire stripper a chisel grind.

SB4.jpg


The picture below shows the wire stripper part from under. I tried to do this for the plain edge part too, but my camera couldn't focus on that part. But also in the picture below you can see that the bevel is only on one side of the blade.

SB2.jpg
 
I was just looking at mine and the blade itself is a chisel grind. It's only ground on the side with the nail nick. The edge though is a conventional double bevel.

This blade is also available on the Pioneer Apprentice (the one I have).
 
I'd be so happy if they'd do away with the wire stripper portion and just give us a true sheepsfoot....then life would be good :D
 
A double bevel can be called a v grind but it is not a sabre grind. A sabre grind is a primary grind that only goes partway up the blade, like a third or a half.
 
AWESOME pictures...thanks so much for that, a great representation.

canook at first I misunderstood your post, but now i get it. i wonder why the blade itself is only ground on one side...perhaps for added strength/thickness? i wonder is the wire scraper section edge ground on the left side for pull cuts or maybe so that when during a push cut along wire the edge doesn't bite too deep into the wire? i'd think if it were the latter the edge would be ground on the other side though, but i'm no expert at edge geometry/physics.

any one find good application for the chisel ground section besides stripping wire?

wire edge - i agree with you!

thanks again!
 
i wonder why the blade itself is only ground on one side...perhaps for added strength/thickness? any one find good application for the chisel ground section besides stripping wire?

I think it's really just for clearance and ease of manufacture. If it was a conventional grind it would hit the main blade on the Apprentice and the bottle opener on the Electrician.

I use the notch for cutting zipties and paracord mostly.


EDIT: :foot: Nevermind. I looked again and what I said doesn't make sence. It's ground on the wrong side for that to be the case and the blade is also krinked a little to solve the clearance problem.

I still use it for zipties and paracord though. ;)
 
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good points/info. on another thread someone replied:

"I belive most electricians to cut wire with the edge towards the hand and with support of the thumb and that way the shiselground blade becomes a righty."

i assume that to mean a pull cut toward the body with the knife held in the right hand and the right thumb guiding the wire, similar to some whittling techniques. seems reasonable. rope and paracord seem like a good idea, especially paracord/twine as i imagine some ropes obviously would just be too big.
 
A double bevel can be called a v grind but it is not a sabre grind. A sabre grind is a primary grind that only goes partway up the blade, like a third or a half.

Thanks, I wasn't sure about the differences between a sabre grind and double bevel.

I rarely use the wire stripper, but the sheep foot blade is excellent for opening packages. For example those plastic packages in which electronic devices are packaged these days. Also cardboard boxes can be opened very well with it.
 
I modified my Electrician Plus sheepsfoot blade for whittling. I ground off the chisel grind, and used the dulled notch for my forefinger, to choke up on the blade. Works awesome for detail work!!!!!!

If you want a sensational Vic sheepsfoot, try the 100mm Gardener. It comes free with some other SAK at Target. The blade is wonderfully chisel ground. It's the only knife my wife carries EDC.

21x8DgDN%2BpL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
Harayasu,

Thanks for taking the time to post those most informative pictures.

I've been thinking about one of the Alox models with the sheepsfoot blade for some time now.

dan
 
These are my sheepfoot blades, but there are more.
KopievanAfbeelding083.jpg


From left to right: electrician solo,apprentice, electrician old cross, electrician, electrician plus old cross, electrician plus, electrician plus blue, electrician copper.
 
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What is the model second from left? It has the shield on other other side as compared to the others.
 
These are my sheepfoot blades, but there are more.
KopievanAfbeelding083.jpg


From left to right: electrician solo,apprentice, electrician old cross, electrician, electrician plus old cross, electrician plus, electrician plus blue, electrician copper.




did the copper one come from Malboro?
 
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