Proto-folder/peasant knives

H

Houlahound

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Aug 2, 2017
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Stumbled across these knives that have a similar action to a barbers shavers. The manufacturer (Svord??) made them with bright coloured handles.

I would definitely own this style of knife if I could find them with natural handle material.

Anyone here appreciate or own this style of knife, I think I have a new thing to collect.
 
Svord makes them with wood handles, too. There is even one like the Peasant but with a clip blade.
 
Svords are pretty cool knives. I own the Peasant and Mini Peasant. The blades are very rough, but hold a razor edge very well. I recently was using mine to cut and trim tons of softish plastic for several days at work. I made sure they were sharp prior to starting that work. Still shaved arm hairs when I finished that job. They are really simple, cheap and rugged. When I bought mine, I planned on making my own wood scales but frankly the plastic ones are pretty good. Great knives for work you're not comfortable using nicer knives for. If you think you'll like them you should try them. I love mine.
 
Glad others know them and like them.

Will do some research and try find some totally rustic looking ones.....with actual rust.

I just found them pleasing to look at in this era of ultra-high-tech-cyber looking moderns.
 
I kinda bought them with project knife in mind. I think I paid less than $20 for the pair. If you search around, you'll find some folks making quite elaborate handles for them. They are rough and a lot of people don't like that. They came sharp but very roughly ground. I spent a little time working on the edge to even out the bevel.
There are a few custom knife makers that build friction folders similar to these. Having owned these, I would certainly consider this style in a more expensive knife. I hear a lot of people say they won't have them because they appear prone to open in the pocket. I've carried mine 100's of times and never had it happen to me. I have also pushed the envelope a bit with them and used them to stab through tough material, which seems a little dangerous given the mechanics of the knife. I can say that if you use your head while you use your knife (which you should always do regardless of the knife in use) and have firm grasp of the handle, the blade will never close on you unless your hand is made of dust.
 
The wood-handled ones shouldn’t be too hard to find. I have a couple of the mini size, a wood one and one with an alloy handle fabricated by a fellow board member. It has been a few years since I carried one.

Be careful with these knives lest you find yourself going down the rabbit hole of Opinel, Antonini, Higonokami, MAM, Mercator, Douk-douk, Pallares, Mora, Marttiini, Old Hickory, Green River and Okapi. You might also find yourself wanting to spend a couple hundred dollars on a Michael Morris friction folder.


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Well put, Henry. I can affirm that I own more than one example of a couple you mention above. I may have more than my share of Opinels.
 
The advantage of the wood handles is that you can grind off the pointy pommel (which is offputting, IMO. For the handling, not talking aesthetics). Maybe you can also rework the plastic handles. I don't know but I had not very satisfying results with grinding to shape other plastic handles (Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife, cough, cough...). I will add that this is certainly the safest folder out there. As long as you have a firm grasp on the handle (blocking the lever), you can do some edgy stuff I wouldn't do with a slipjoint.
 
I am not worried about the safety issues. If I hard use a knife I use a fixed blade without exception.

On BF we have come to call the tradionals "old timey" knives but to me these are a different genre of knife (is knife genre a thing?) - I see them as "old worldly" to be different from the traditionals.

Whatever the case I like what I see in those knives Henry Beige Henry Beige mentioned.
 
I appreciate the elegant and simple design. But aren’t they a pain to carry with the lever sticking out? Are you guys pocket or sheath carrying these?

I have a Ruslock Case with a similar lever and can’t stand it in my pocket.
 
It could be the oldest folder type. It is said that the Roman soldiers had one in their pack (or their belt) as everyday utility knife. And a cool thing the Romans didn't have (quite sure about this) is that the Svord Peasant has a threaded pivot ! You can adjust the opening / closing action very precisely to your liking.
 
@eveled Yes, the lever is a pain in the pants pocket, can't say otherwise. You have to carry it in a vest or jacket pocket. The fact is : the longer the lever, the safer the knife. Belt sheath carry can be a solution. I gifted mine long time ago because it didn't make it in the rotation anymore. Still, I consider it a brilliant knife. If I ever take a shot at making a knife, that would be it.
 
Carry it tip down with decent tension on the pivot screw and it won’t open up in your pocket. The tang is an annoyance to be sure, but i suspect that is partly because I know it is there. I have never had a problem carrying it in the RFP with a couple of other knives. The bulk of the handle is a bigger issue for me; the tang does not make it any better. A slip streamlines the package, but adds to the bulk.

For a friction folder, a Higonokami is a less obtrusive carry. I like the Svord better in a tank bag or tool roll.
 
Yes. I guess the ideal length of lever is somewhere between the Svord Peasant's "huge" lever and the traditional Higonokami's diminutive lentil lever. If I have to belt carry, I have a lot of small fixed blades who blow the Peasant out of the water. And they are even pocket friendly, at that.
 
Pocket carry both sizes with the lever up (tip down). I do not even notice the lever, but you could certainly shorten it a bit if you wanted. I keep the tension on the pivot so that it won't move unless I want it to. Using the lever, I can one hand open and close them. They're easy to take apart and clean so I find them good for food and game. Really kinda cool how simple it is.
 
Everyone should have one for their collection, however I'm not sure how often I use mine. They are one of the easiest designs to clean so I do find a use mine more for camping.
 
herisson said:
The advantage of the wood handles is that you can grind off the pointy pommel (which is offputting, IMO. For the handling, not talking aesthetics). Maybe you can also rework the plastic handles. I don't know but I had not very satisfying results with grinding to shape other plastic handles (Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife, cough, cough...). I will add that this is certainly the safest folder out there. As long as you have a firm grasp on the handle (blocking the lever), you can do some edgy stuff I wouldn't do with a slipjoint.
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You can shape the plastic handles too, with the added benefit that you don’t have to stain or reapply any protection. I have a couple that I have shaped with good results,
 
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