Sailors of the Sheepsfoot Main

Jack Black said:
Very interesting Bart, I was lucky enough to be gifted this Klein Rope Knife by @r8shell :)
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It is difficult to be certain if they are still being made. Klein shows them as discontinued (although they still carry the liner lock version), and it is difficult to know whether Utica/Kutmaster still makes them or not. A lot are around as NOS here in the States. They were made in huge numbers and sharpen up pretty nicely (certainly the only way the word "pretty" can be used in a sentence referring to this knife!).
 
afishhunter said:
Utica/Kutmaster shows a 100% Stainless Steel "Heavy Duty Rope Lockback" on their website.
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Thanks for clarifying that! I was referring to the small Delrin handled knife they made for many years, rather than the current stainless sheepsfoot knife they carry now (which is, as you rightly point out, still available).
 
Bartleby said:
Thanks for clarifying that! I was referring to the small Delrin handled knife they made for many years, rather than the current stainless sheepsfoot knife they carry now (which is, as you rightly point out, still available).
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not to mention the current offering is EWWWwwgly :thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:
(where is the "sick" smiley when you need it?!)
 
Jack Black said:
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Looking at Jack's fine old adverts, I began to wonder, what is it that makes a sheepsfoot "For New England Whalers"? Is it just an early form of marketing hype? Or are there particular attributes that make these particularly suitable for some aspect of Whaling?
 
Dug out my old copy of Levine's Guide which makes a few distinctions between sailor's rope knives and whaler's knives based on size and whether or not a bail is present. It seems the "sailor's rope knife" is at least 4" long closed, usually with a bail. A "whaler," according to Levine, is under 4" generally without a bail (although they may have a lanyard hole), and used for lighter line.
A knife with a locking marlin spike is a "Rigger's knife", while a knife without a lock for the spike is "yachtsman's knife"
 
Kind of a bump.
donn said:
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stole this from the guardians of the lambsfoot hope no one minds thought It would be a good blade comparison.
 
WinchesteRalox said:
Kind of a bump. stole this from the guardians of the lambsfoot hope no one minds thought It would be a good blade comparison.
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It is an interesting comparison to make. In this example the handle designs are even farther apart than the blades! The clasp knife handle has a form that is dictated by the need to meet practical military requirements, and has evolved over time as these requirements have changed. It is what it has to be. No real concessions to user comfort.

I am often really surprised at how comfortable the swayback handle found on many lambfoot, sheepsfoot and pruner knives is in actual use. Counter-intuitive nearly, it looks like it would be uncomfortable but fits the hand well.
 
I ordered an Otter Anchor knife. It looks like just the ticket for EDC. Based on recommendations here, I figured I would try a full sized rope knife as well, also have a larger Klein rope knife on order. It is a second, but should be fine for trial purposes. It will be interesting to see how it carries.
 
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The Klein knife arrived in the mail today, 4" long closed, a bit shorter than my Dad's old Coastie knife. Razor sharp. I did have to stone off a few edges on the handle (still not bad for a $10 second!) When I was a kid, back on the east coast, a lot of the real salt fishermen used to carry these hanging off a a clip on their belts. Will carry it around for a few days and see how it serves (at least until the Otter arrives!).
 
Otter Anchor knife came in yesterday. Impressive fit and finish for the price! I like that it arrives in an old school plain box wrapped in a plain brown wrapper. I also like the ease of pinch opening afforded by the sheepfoot blade. A great traditional working knife!
 
WinchesteRalox said:
Who’s the maker?
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Oakedge

Edit: I should clarify. I purchased the knife from Oakedge. However, it wasn’t terribly clear if they were the maker, or if they commissioned other makers in Sheffield. The knife itself has no other markings aside from “Made in Sheffield.” Someone more familiar with Oakedge may know the answer.

I will say that I’m pleased with the quality of the workmanship.
 
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Astronaut FX said:
Oakedge

Edit: I should clarify. I purchased the knife from Oakedge. However, it wasn’t terribly clear if they were the maker, or if they commissioned other makers in Sheffield. The knife itself has no other markings aside from “Made in Sheffield.” Someone more familiar with Oakedge may know the answer.

I will say that I’m pleased with the quality of the workmanship.
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An excellent tastefully embellished version of the basic sheepsfoot knife. I especially like the elongated bolsters. These are SFOs by Oakedge, made for them by Wrights (the stamps are used by Wrights on several SFOs). I have a pair of clip point worked back Barlows type knives done by them using the same bolsters, and they are very nicely finished knives indeed, especially for the price. I am not certain who they have doing the file work at Wrights, but it is very well done on the Barlows.
 
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