Openers, Picks and Steel Thumbnails

This thread has been locked for quite awhile but since placing a Wanted in my signature line I have had a couple of people tell me they thought it would make a good Traditional thread. Those members were not around when I first put this up so I thought I would consolidate my pictures, add some new ones, and drag this out again for others that might be interested.

Some Common Production Versions:

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The Case Bottle Opener actually was marketed by Case at Christmas 2011 as a Pick! Notice the rounded point that on old can openers would have been pointed:

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Not sure about these. I assume all these trademarks were owned at one time by the same entity and they had these produced. Some interesting old names though:

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Interesting to me that Rough Rider would even make a pick let alone in three variations:

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Couple of AG Russell's and a GEC:

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I add this bore gauge because it was marketed where I bought it as a knife pick as well:

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A few Customs:

Knife Pick Mike

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Young - Not so sure about using Stellite

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Now for the really nice stuff:

Dowell

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Bose

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Erickson

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I missed this first time around Brad. Good idea for a thread.
 
I've seen these and have been intrigued, but could someone post a pic of a pick "in use"? I know it seems like an intuitive use, but is there an elegant and effortless way to employ them? Some kind of ingenious feat of digital dexterity? Or is it simply pry up from the nail nick? It just seems clumsy to my unenlightened mind. Also, do folks actually carry them around for their EDC, making it a several step process to open your knife? Just wonderin'. : )
 
SonnyJim said:
I've seen these and have been intrigued, but could someone post a pic of a pick "in use"? I know it seems like an intuitive use, but is there an elegant and effortless way to employ them? Some kind of ingenious feat of digital dexterity? Or is it simply pry up from the nail nick? It just seems clumsy to my unenlightened mind. Also, do folks actually carry them around for their EDC, making it a several step process to open your knife? Just wonderin'. : )
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+1, I have been curious about these since I saw the companion to a GEC Rendevous knife. I've been tempted to pick up one of AG Russell's, not that I need anything else on my keychain though :D
 
SonnyJim said:
I've seen these and have been intrigued, but could someone post a pic of a pick "in use"? I know it seems like an intuitive use, but is there an elegant and effortless way to employ them? Some kind of ingenious feat of digital dexterity? Or is it simply pry up from the nail nick? It just seems clumsy to my unenlightened mind. Also, do folks actually carry them around for their EDC, making it a several step process to open your knife? Just wonderin'. : )
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I don't know of any pictures showing their use but Kerry Hampton explains it well in Post #1588 in the following Thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/565806-Kerry-Hampton-Knives/page80?highlight=pick
 
Until I saw a Rough Rider one a month or so ago, I wasn't even aware of the existence of these. Nice little collectible I guess. Sometimes come across old knives that are rusted up, and have to put a coin in the nail nick, but nothing apart from that, even with my old army clasp knives.
 
Jack Black said:
Until I saw a Rough Rider one a month or so ago, I wasn't even aware of the existence of these. Nice little collectible I guess. Sometimes come across old knives that are rusted up, and have to put a coin in the nail nick, but nothing apart from that, even with my old army clasp knives.
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From Waynorth -"What Vince said, plus, cutlers, assembling and adjusting knives all day long, would make a few knife picks for themselves, to save their thumb nails from shredding to bits. Cutleries sporadically made them for sale or as giveaways. I think we've had a thread or two about them. Might turn up in a search."

Traveling knife salesmen also used them for pretty much the same reason. I know of a couple people that use them due to arthritis in the fingers.
 
Thanks for reawakening this thread, Brad.

I'm enjoying looking through your pictures.

I have a simple GEC knife pick (no covers, just steel) that has come in handy in the early days of some of my knives.

Offhand (and without them in-hand, heh), I'd think the Bose, Hampton, and Rough Rider blade picks and others with broader heads/more surface area would be easier to use than the pointer iteration, especially in the manner described in Brad's Hampton link above.

And yes, I just wanted to put those three in a sentence, because you know that's not going to happen otherwise. ;)

Ed. to add: another term for these is "blade key," in case that helps anyone looking for 'em.

~ P.
 
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ptradeco said:
From Waynorth -"What Vince said, plus, cutlers, assembling and adjusting knives all day long, would make a few knife picks for themselves, to save their thumb nails from shredding to bits. Cutleries sporadically made them for sale or as giveaways. I think we've had a thread or two about them. Might turn up in a search."

Traveling knife salesmen also used them for pretty much the same reason. I know of a couple people that use them due to arthritis in the fingers.
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Thanks for the link, I think we were posting at the same time :) Never heard them referred to in Sheffield, I'll have to ask a few questions about that.
 
Jack Black said:
Thanks for the link, I think we were posting at the same time :) Never heard them referred to in Sheffield, I'll have to ask a few questions about that.
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If you do discover at some point they were used in Sheffield I would appreciate hearing about that. Thanks
 
ptradeco said:
If you do discover at some point they were used in Sheffield I would appreciate hearing about that. Thanks
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Yeah, I'll ask about it the next time I'm over. Unfortunately, with the cutlery industry having comparitively gone, and most of my older relatives passed away, it gets harder to find out these things, but plenty of folk I can ask when I'm actually over there.
 
I have always found them interesting, but I never saw why people needed them. After reading that cutlers used them so their nails didn't get shredded makes total sense now. I really do not have a use for 'em, but man are they cool!

I could carry one on the keys for when I find old/crusty slippies. How thick are they usually? Maybe it could double as a screwdriver. I have a small flathead on my keys, but it isn't as pretty as these.
 
Very nice collection you have there! Some real beauties in those pics, thanks for sharing this with us.
 
Is it just me, or does that Tennessee Jack look vaguely familiar? ;)

SonnyJim said:
Ahh thanks! Also on further investigation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1KsO1QJjeY

~Jim
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Look at that smile at the end, whotta guy!

Thanks for the neat thread! Having been blessed with horse-hooves for fingernails, particularly the thumbs, I haven't really needed a pick.

It is nice to see them though and there are some nice ones out there....
 
pertinux said:
Thanks for reawakening this thread, Brad.

I'm enjoying looking through your pictures.

I have a simple GEC knife pick (no covers, just steel) that has come in handy in the early days of some of my knives.

Offhand (and without them in-hand, heh), I'd think the Bose, Hampton, and Rough Rider blade picks and others with broader heads/more surface area would be easier to use than the pointer iteration, especially in the manner described in Brad's Hampton link above.

And yes, I just wanted to put those three in a sentence, because you know that's not going to happen otherwise. ;)

Ed. to add: another term for these is "blade key," in case that helps anyone looking for 'em.

~ P.
Click to expand...

Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
 
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