Pick-bone. What is it, anyway?

r8shell

r8shell

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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There's been discussion about pick-bone (along with amazing photos) in the Old Knives thread from time to time, but I couldn't find a thread dedicated to it.

It's an old style of hand jigged bone. I've always assumed it got its name either from the "picked at" look of the texture, or from the method of using some sort of pick tool to chip at the bone. As far as I know, no cutlery manufacturer has offered this style of jigging since the mid 20th century.

I'll confess that when I was younger and didn't yet have an appreciation of antiques, I might have found the random roughness unappealing, but now I think it's absolutely beautiful. Not only the appearance itself, but the fact that you can see evidence of the artisan's hand at work. Sometimes absolutely random, sometimes more of a back and forth pattern. It's become a favorite.

Here's my pick-bone collection. I'd love to see some more, and if anyone has knowledge of the methods or history of pick-bone that would be wonderful.

kvJ4W6v.jpg

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Thanks for posting the splendid examples of pick bone, r8shell r8shell and danno50 danno50 ! :thumbsup::cool::cool::thumbsup:
I think it's very interesting jigging, and it has such a "vintage aura".
I sometimes wonder though, if some photos of knives that I think show pick bone might actually be very pocket worn "mechanical jigging" that has worn down so much that only the very bottoms of the deepest "gouges" are all that remain, and any sort of pattern that may have been in the original jigging has been "smoothed away".
Here's a thread from AAPK about pick bone that doesn't seem very definitive, although the 6th post on the second page has some very interesting illustrations of jigging tools, hand and machine:
https://www.allaboutpocketknives.co...sid=5834a7363312a4a611fa21e3ee4c5e9c&start=25

Here are a couple of Klaas mini canoes advertised as having red pick bone and autumn pick bone covers. They seem to me to obviously be "machine-jigged", but I can see an attempt to replicate (unsuccessfully) the look of older pick bone. (It actually reminds me more of Colt's, and later Rough Rider's, "buckshot bone" jigging.)
canoe.red.pile.closed.jpg
canoe.autumn.mark.closed.jpg

- GT
 
r8shell r8shell some very beautiful examples you show, particularly taken by the Congress type, second from right.

What it is appears to be an area of fog and confusion. I've heard it said that it means it's done entirely by hand using a small gouge- either before machine jigging or if a maker was unable to afford a jigging machine. Others have rejected that theory as being too time consuming and impractical on factory knives, some suggest it's an inter-changeable word with JIGGING and that with time, jigging became the favoured term for all worked bone. Could be? No sign of the word Pick-Bone in catalogues?

Myself, I've regarded it as a look or type of patterning that corresponds to the examples you have: random and small 'pock marks' that often appear to go all the way to the bolster. With moderate pocket wear they smooth down a great deal. But....terms are as we all know, used inventively or lazily whichever way you care to look at it. Hasn't GEC put out some Pick-Bone on a 3 blade M&G knife a while back? I have a Queen QCCC Teardrop that I thought was Peach-Seed/Kernel but somebody disagreed and regarded it as Pick-Bone. I think it can be seen on older Eye Brand knives too.

Au9e2Lj.jpg


Thanks, Will
 
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Here's a Lloyd English jack that I have. Originally it came with this Pick-Bone finish but problems and severe cracking soon set in and I had to have it redone in Stag. Looks like what I think PB is though and it was certainly hand done.

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This Eye Brand Tadpole type, an interesting blade assortment, has a kind of PB look to it and is a knife from this century or late last.

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Will Power said:
5K Qs 5K Qs Isn't that recovery Forum Knife 14 of your in a kind of PB?
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Will,
The bone/jigging in that recover is very striking, I think, but I probably would not have characterized it as pick bone. To me, there seems to be a nonrandom pattern to the jigging, and the individual "divots" are both larger and deeper than I'd expect in my "platonic ideal" of pick bone.
bf.2014.gec77.closed.jpg

- GT
 
Pick-bone is a term I have only heard here, and I would love to learn more about it. I believe that almost all the jigging on my vintage Sheffield bone folders was done by hand. The Sheffield manufacturers were too tight-fisted to invest in machinery, when labour was always so cheap. Heck, they were still hand-cutting files well into the 20th century! :D I do enjoy all the different styles and patterns, some of which are very specific to Sheffield. Few examples below :thumbsup:

k0FIbbR.jpg


V9GQvn7.jpg


DPw2k32.jpg


omvOowF.jpg


6YsID72.jpg


COhBt2d.jpg


WSxiLew.jpg


7294Fak.jpg


miC6AhS.jpg
 
Jack Black said:
Pick-bone is a term I have only heard here, and I would love to learn more about it. I believe that almost all the jigging on my vintage Sheffield bone folders was done by hand. The Sheffield manufacturers were too tight-fisted to invest in machinery, when labour was always so cheap. Heck, they were still hand-cutting files well into the 20th century! :D I do enjoy all the different styles and patterns, some of which are very specific to Sheffield. Few examples below :thumbsup:

k0FIbbR.jpg


V9GQvn7.jpg


DPw2k32.jpg


omvOowF.jpg


6YsID72.jpg


COhBt2d.jpg


WSxiLew.jpg


7294Fak.jpg


miC6AhS.jpg
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Is it done for cosmetic reasons or for grip?
 
Pick bone is tough to define but I know it when I see it, generally tight, random although on some examples you can see a pattern that makes me believe it was done by machine. Almost always on early knives, late 1800's to 1920 or so, when done right it is some beautiful stuff.
Some various examples I have.



IMG_6124.jpegIMG_5953.jpegIMG_5413.jpegIMG_5001.jpegIMG_4787.jpegIMG_3815.jpegIMG_3586.jpeg
 
Wow, some great examples, everyone!

Augie said:
Pick bone is tough to define but I know it when I see it, generally tight, random although on some examples you can see a pattern that makes me believe it was done by machine.
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Well said, Augie. "I know it when I see it."
There's something that sets it apart from jigging that is merely random. I've made the assumption that it's because of being hand done, but I may be wrong about that.
 
Augie said:
Pick bone is tough to define but I know it when I see it, generally tight, random although on some examples you can see a pattern that makes me believe it was done by machine. Almost always on early knives, late 1800's to 1920 or so, when done right it is some beautiful stuff.
Some various examples I have.



View attachment 1988345View attachment 1988346View attachment 1988348View attachment 1988349View attachment 1988350View attachment 1988351View attachment 1988352
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always appreciate the stellar examples you have John!
 
r8shell said:
Wow, some great examples, everyone!



Well said, Augie. "I know it when I see it."
There's something that sets it apart from jigging that is merely random. I've made the assumption that it's because of being hand done, but I may be wrong about that.
Click to expand...


Rachel, here are a couple examples of why I think it was machine done, this very old Miller Bros and Russell show a zig zag pattern if you really look, it's pretty consistent. I have seen the same pattern on other pick bone knives, sometimes you don't see it with your eyes but the camera picks it up.


IMG_0616.jpegIMG_0560.jpeg
 
Augie said:
Rachel, here are a couple examples of why I think it was machine done, this very old Miller Bros and Russell show a zig zag pattern if you really look, it's pretty consistent. I have seen the same pattern on other pick bone knives, sometimes you don't see it with your eyes but the camera picks it up.


View attachment 1988374View attachment 1988375
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I know exactly what you mean about the camera picking up a zig zag pattern. I noticed it on the pile side of this Howard Bros. pen. Could be from a machine. On the other hand, if I were chipping at scales all day, I'd probably fall into a back and forth pattern to cover a surface as quickly/efficiently as possible.

RW7n8ZS.jpg


To be clear: I'm not trying to make an argument either way, just thinking about all the possibilities. Maybe some were machined, some done by hand, or using a combination of methods. I'm even imagining a fork-like chisel thing that would make parallel marks as one rocks it down the surface.
 
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