Question about Stockman Knives and blade use

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RickJ

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Mar 2, 2003
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I bought a Queen Cattle King and I love it, being 45 and getting older as we all are, I am getting into traditional knives more these days.

What is the purpose of each of the three blades? I like them all but I wonder what purpose each had, If you know the purpose of each blade please share.


thanks
 
way back when i think the spey blade was for castrating livestock - as to not puncture
 
It kind of depends on the individual. Classically, my understanding is the sheepsfoot blade was the most used, being a general purpose utility blade with a fairly strong tip. The spey blade was kept extra sharp and used for spaying/neutering of livestock, and the main clip blade was saved for food prep and other relatively light tasks. You will often see the sheepsfoot blade left very high when closed, sometimes with the tip covered only by the other blades and completely proud of the actual handle. I believe this was to allow a cowboy to pinch the blade open while wearing gloves.
 
Though many have claimed various functions for the typical blades, to me it's just a very good combination of functionality. You've got a good larger general purpose blade with a nice sharp tip (while being mostly straight with just a little belly toward the tip) in the clip; a strong, straight edged utility blade with a strong point in the sheepsfoot; and a blade with a lot of belly toward the tip and almost no point in the spey. Note that the same spey shape is used for ink erasing (scraping) and for carving concave hollows (like for a spoon) -- the spey is also fairly close to the typical profile used in the old corn knives, and scaled up a bit, in skinners.

In short, try not to get hung up on what each blade was "supposed" to do -- in the end, a sharp blade is a sharp blade, and if a particular blade profile works for the task at hand, use it.
 
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Well, the sheepsfoot blade was designed to cut, and the clip-point was generally used for cutting...:D (Sorry, I'm not really trying to be a jerk).

I like the sheepsfoot blade for opening just about any type of packaging. Next time you have to open a clampack you'll be wondering why anyone would want anything else. Spey blades are great for making shallow cuts. You can lay your index finger on the back to help control the depth of the cut. Think about peeling oranges, or gutting trout. (Note: After gutting trout you should wash your blade before peeling an orange). I use the clip point for anything that requires piercing (kind of obvious) or heavier cutting tasks (like cutting rope) because it is the only blade that has any real length to it.

There really is no right way to use the blades, as long as you cut what needs cutting and you don't cut yourself it's all good!
 
zerogee said:
Though many have claimed various functions for the typical blades, to me it's just a very good combination of functionality. You've got a good larger general purpose blade with a nice sharp tip (while being mostly straight with just a little belly toward the tip) in the clip; a strong, straight edged utility blade with a strong point in the sheepsfoot; and a blade with a lot of belly toward the tip and almost no point in the spey. Note that the same spey shape is used for ink erasing (scraping) and for carving concave hollows (like for a spoon) -- the spey is also fairly close to the typical profile used in the old corn knives, and scaled up a bit, in skinners.

In short, try not to get hung up on what each blade was "supposed" to do -- in the end, a sharp blade is a sharp blade, and if a particular blade profile works for the task at hand, use it.
Click to expand...

Yea I see what you are saying but there is a purpose behind the three different blades.
 
yablanowitz said:
It kind of depends on the individual. Classically, my understanding is the sheepsfoot blade was the most used, being a general purpose utility blade with a fairly strong tip. The spey blade was kept extra sharp and used for spaying/neutering of livestock, and the main clip blade was saved for food prep and other relatively light tasks. You will often see the sheepsfoot blade left very high when closed, sometimes with the tip covered only by the other blades and completely proud of the actual handle. I believe this was to allow a cowboy to pinch the blade open while wearing gloves.
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Yab, as always you have a great answer to a question, thank you Sir!
 
Valid question, thanks for having the courage to ask something I too have wondered. Originally each had an intended design purpose/use. Interesting to know history.
 
A sheepsfoot blade is good for whenever you need to cut into something with the tip. Clip point blades are good "general purpose" but nothing beats a sheepsfoot/wharncliffe for tip useability.

I don't really have a use for a spey blade. The only stockman pattern knife I own doesn't have one (clip, sheepy, pen blade).
 
I never understood the clip blaed being used for food. Ok, I understand it as far as it's shape, size, and length. However, I've heard many times "you use the sheepsfoot for general use, the spey for castrating, and you leave the clip alone and clean for food purposes.
Clean?
LOL.
It rubs against the other blades, and shares space with them. Any gunk/bacteria/dirt/etc. that is on the other blades will be on the clip, no?
 
Everyone is right on the money, will comment just to comment.

My BILs run a ranch with 1k head of cows at any one time and they carry one bladed knives. I have seen real ranchers and real dirt farmers carry anything from sodbusters to multi-blade stockman, trappers and jacks. Rangers and LE seem to favor larger-heavier blades. That said I feel the stockman and other multi-blades are just tools. Tool like phillips screwdrivers and flat-tipped screwdrivers. The different blades are best suited for different functions. Back when, whenever that was, back when you carried a knife because you needed one to work, to make a living, to survive. You had an idea of the function of a blade and when it was most useful.

I feel the stockman was designed for outdoor, farm and ranch carry. The other older designs like jacks, gunstocks would do in a pinch but might find more favor from carpenters, factory men and those that might work around town. So I carry stockman because.....I have no stock, no crops, I have not assisted in casteration for at least 35 years. I guess I carry one because I like it and keep the different blades set-up for different uses. I favor the sheepsfoot blade for opening boxes from knife sellers and outdoor stores. My spey blade I like to keep really sharp for apple peeling....thats sort-a like casterating, its not as loud for certain.
300/ch
 
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I always looked at the sheepsfoot being a heavier duty kept with a little coarser sharpening for general use. The spey was the casteration blade. The clip was kept for a fine edge and the sharp point to get in and dig splinters out.
 
Some older stockmen had an etch on the spey blade. Something to the effect of " For flesh only" or " for cutting flesh only". I have an old Kabar stockman etched that way.--KV
 
Voltron said:
I never understood the clip blaed being used for food. Ok, I understand it as far as it's shape, size, and length. However, I've heard many times "you use the sheepsfoot for general use, the spey for castrating, and you leave the clip alone and clean for food purposes.
Clean?
LOL.
It rubs against the other blades, and shares space with them. Any gunk/bacteria/dirt/etc. that is on the other blades will be on the clip, no?
Click to expand...
God made dirt and dirt don't hurt!

When I carry a stockman I leave the spey blade dull. It works nice as a dirty deeds scraper.

Paul
 
Paul 883215 said:
When I carry a stockman I leave the spey blade dull. It works nice as a dirty deeds scraper.

Paul
Click to expand...

If I recall correctly, my friend Steve Dick mentioned in his book that his family did similarly and used the spey for scraping spark plugs, cleaning field tools and the like.

I know some like to use the spey as their emergency scalpel for times when a clean sharp blade is called for but I too like to use it for the rough jobs thus saving the sheepfoot for boxes, packages and clean straight cuts while the master is preserved for chores requiring a longer or stouter blade.

The stockman is just an amazingly versatile pattern which lends itself well to virtually any task.
 
Since I got back into traditionals and actually started to appreciate them more I have been searching threads for "X" pattern history etc. I think the history is the coolest and most interesting part. The funny part though is I really got interested in it when I had a multi-blade knife that I was carrying and unless I got really inventive I couldn't figure out what the use of all the blades was. It seemed redundant. Having had a career in military testing and development I can understand redundancy completely. But this wasn't just redundancy, there seemed to actually be special purposes for each blade. I have read and read to find the original purposes. I find it all very interesting. Sadly, I can't find much use for more then a single blade. I think I would get into trouble if I went out to try my spey blade on the neighboring farmer's livestock :)

So, with all of this said, I would find it interesting to hear more from the guys in here that carry and use their multi-blades, what do you typically use each blade for? I guess history aside, what would people 50 years from now say we did with our stockman knives?

Not trying to throw the thread off, sincerely interested and Rick J if you would rather I took this out let me know :)
 
Now, I’m not 100% sure on this, but I believe this was the original intended function of each blade:

-Sheepsfoot Blade: That’s easy; if a lamb had the tendency to run away, you’d cut off one of its feet. If it continued to run away: lop off another one. They rarely ran after losing 2 feet because everyone knows that a 3-point structure is the sturdiest.

-Clip point Blade: Due to large number of military surplus firearms returning from WWII, a lot of cowboys used M1 Garands when they were out on the prairie. The prairie dust had a tendency to cause the Garand’s clip to malfunction when shooting sheep that were running away and the skinny blade was used to unjam it.

-Spay Blade: Now I don’t know why you perverts get off on talking about cutting animal privates, but nobody would EVER design a knife blade for people to do sick things like that. No, the intended purpose of this blade is difficult to decipher by its name, but it becomes quite clear once you connect the dots. You see, “Spay” is the slang way of saying the French word “espeer” which means “to cut with a sword”. Everyone knows the old saying: the pen is mightier than the sword, however cowboys never carried pens because they would leak and ruin their bottomless chaps. So cowboys carried pencils which needed sharpening and no other blade would do that as good as the short and safe SPAY blade!

So there you have it, you may have to dig a bit, but the original purposes of the blades are quite clearly stated in their names.
 
Well, I like the stockman pattern, and use the long clip for opening envelopes and cleaning fish, when I used to fish. The sheepsfoot for opening boxes and cutting leather, and the spey in reserve for when I need a razor edge for something. Back to the OP, how does that Cattle King carry in your pocket? Seems pretty big, but stout and useful, nonetheless.
 
I seem to recall from some show I watched way back when that the sheepfoot is aptly named and was used to tend to the hooves of sheep.... literally. Something about triming the up the hooves IIRC. I prefer to use it opening blister packs or boxes as others have mentioned.
I've never had a dedicated use for the spey blade but I do like mine to be sharp. Maybe it's just me but when I see (and use) stockman knives I think it is the main blade that get most of the use. It's nice to have the choices, and back up, when one blade gets dull but I think most people just tend to gravitate to a favorite blade.
 
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I think the stockman pattern is certainly one of the most useful of the traditional styles. I carried one for years (a 1970s Boker gifted by my Dad to me) in my construction job, and it did everything from sharpen pencils, open packaging and trimming moldings.

That knife went hunting during the season, as well as camping and hiking. It was infinitely useful, and I used all blades on it.

Although I don't carry the large ones anymore because of the bulk in the pocket, I still carry one of my medium stockmans as a EDC. They are too handy to stay at home.

Robert
 
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