Single Bladed Sheepsfoot

I

Itch Blade

Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
206
Very specific and picky request..

Are there any single bladed sheepsfoot traditional folders that aren't prohibitively expensive?

All I've found are Taylor Schrades that I don't want to gamble with.

Any recommendations?
 
If you don't mind a marlin spike i just got a rough rider marlin spike knife from ebay for about $10. it's got a decent sheepsfoot blade on it.
 
The Taylor/Elk Horn Sharks aren't a pure sheepsfoot but they sure work like one. These are currently being made by Schrade but the originals are always cropping up on ebay. This one is in stag but they were made in all manner of scale material.

sharkstag.jpg
 
Victorinox Gardener if you don't mind synthetic scales. They are sturdy and inexpensive.
 
Itch Blade said:
Very specific and picky request..

Are there any single bladed sheepsfoot traditional folders that aren't prohibitively expensive?

All I've found are Taylor Schrades that I don't want to gamble with.

Any recommendations?
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I'm a big Buck knife fan, but I do have one of the Schrade 190T Land Shark that I really like. Seems to be a very sturdy knife and I use it alot when cutting open cartons and similar tasks. They aren't expensive so there's not much of a gamble with them.
 
Pete1977 said:
Victorinox Gardener if you don't mind synthetic scales. They are sturdy and inexpensive.
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This was the first thing that popped in my mind. I always have a few of these lying around that I give away when people get interested.
 
You can also watch ebay for the Schrade 175 in white or dark, early U.S., late U.S. and garbage Taylor Chinese, and for the Schrade 163 much larger one with cocobolo handle and usually a bail. These are extremely heavy duty knives. I don't think the Chinese are doing these yet. Just watch for U.S.A. on the tang stamp and you are fine.
 
How about a Mercator German Sailor's Knife?

Image from worldknives.com
products_1464_1_original.jpg


I believe most sailor's knives come with a sheepsfoot blade and a marlin spike.
 
YayILikePie said:
How about a Mercator German Sailor's Knife?

Image from worldknives.com
products_1464_1_original.jpg


I believe most sailor's knives come with a sheepsfoot blade and a marlin spike.
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And a combo marlin spike kinife with a blade and marlin spike in the same frame are pretty much useless for serious work.

This from a thread titled "Marlin Spike Knife"

"While the combination Marlin Spike Knife knives talked about in this thread look good, they are pretty much impractical.

Think about it. There you are using the marlin spike portion of the tool and all of a sudden you need the knife portion to cut or trim the line. Whadda ya gonna do? Pull the marlin spike out of your line and lose all progress made using the marlin spike in order to use the knife end? A lotta guys/gals that do a lot of line/rope work run into that problem shortly after they get their shiny new tools and end up buying another knife to use along side their marlin spike knives.

Most Bosun's Mates in the Navy carry a stand-alone knife and a separate stand-alone marlin spike. So do other ratings that are also involved with rope/line work in their ratings (jobs). Even sailors that have nothing to do with working with line/rope carry marlin spikes that are separate from their knives. It's kinda a Navy thing.

These are my knife and marlin spike I carried while in the Navy. Both separate tools. A combo tool would have been pretty much useless.
casefoldinghunter.jpg
marlinspike.jpg


Some Bosun's Mates (especially those old salty ones) carry a knife, a marlin spike, and a fid in a scabbard that hangs off their belts. They'd use their marlin spikes, which are made of steel, to work wire rope and cable and their fids, which are made of wood, to work their hemp or nylon line and ropes.

More than one of those combo marlin spike knives have gone over the side after a frustrated sailor had to undo his/her work in order to trim the line they were working on.

I hope I haven't gone too far astray. Seeing those Marlin Spike Knives brought back a bunch of memories.

Oh, if ever aboard a U.S. Navy vessel, ask to see their Bosun's Locker. You'll likely see marlin spikes and fids up to three feet long and maybe even longer on some ships."
 
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Simply beautiful. Now comes the period of trying to scrape up the change.

How long can the human body survive without food?
 
Itch Blade said:
Interesting and informative story. Seems like a huge oversight in knife design.

Thanks for sharing.
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i'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. besides they have something to sell to inexperienced seamen who then learn their lesson and get a separate marlin spike. that way the company makes even more money.
 
GEC a couple of years ago offered a small jack with a wood handle and a single sheepfoot blade in 1095 carbon steel.

Or you could look for an older Case 11031 Sh (carbon steel) or 1199 Sh R Ss (stainless steel).
 
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