Sleeveboard questions

[ken erickson]

I would like to get some feedback on what qualifies a slipjoint to be called a sleeveboard. Does anyone have pictures of a single blade sleeveboard? Thanks in advance for your imput!

Ken

 

[Bastid]

Not sure if this would count as the offical definition, but I consider a sleeveboard a long oval (long in shape not in actual length size), with rounded ends.
Once end is narrower than the other and both sides taper down evenly to the narrower end.

Sizes I have seen range from 5" down to 2.5".

Now we can wait for the real experts to chime in and fill in the gaps I have left.

Ken,

I keep buying knives instead of a camera.
If you want me to send some examples that I have, just let me know.

(That goes for any knifemaker I know or who is a member here.)

 

[smiling-knife]

IMO sleeveboard refers to the shape of the handle only. It dates back to Victorian times and, not surprisingly, derives its name from the shape of a the small ironing board used to press the sleeves on gentlemens' shirts. There are sleeveboard penknives, lobsters with 3 and more blades. This is the closest I have to 1 blade sleeveboard... easy opener to boot. The working of 3 blades/attachments on a single split-spring, or multiples there of, is a lobster pattern and these often have a sleeveboard handle, but not necessarily. Just my 2p

 

[ken erickson]

Not sure if this would count as the offical definition, but I consider a sleeveboard a long oval (long in shape not in actual length size), with rounded ends.
Once end is narrower than the other and both sides taper down evenly to the narrower end.

Sizes I have seen range from 5" down to 2.5".

Now we can wait for the real experts to chime in and fill in the gaps I have left.

Ken,

I keep buying knives instead of a camera.
If you want me to send some examples that I have, just let me know.

(That goes for any knifemaker I know or who is a member here.)

Do you think it would be fair to say in GENERAL the master blade is on the wider end of a sleeveboard?

Smiling knife,

On the peal single blade easy opener do you consider this to be more of a sleeveboard than a standard jack because the frame is "oval" rather than straight sided?

Ken

 

[Blues]

Handle/Frame only.

 

[neeman]

I love threads like this.
I learn so much.
thanks

 

[Bastid]

Ken,

Maybe maybe not. Smiling knife - great examples!

 

[smiling-knife]

Do you think it would be fair to say in GENERAL the master blade is on the wider end of a sleeveboard?

Smiling knife,

On the peal single blade easy opener do you consider this to be more of a sleeveboard than a standard jack because the frame is "oval" rather than straight sided?

Ken

On the sleeveboard pen knives the the master is at the wider end. On the lobster it is at the thinner end. On a lobster, the spring is in the shape of a Y with the two forks at the wide end supporting smaller blades or files that open from the top and bottom.

The one-blade knife shown seems to curve-up from the middle when spring side down on the table rather than lying flat if that helps at all.

 

[ken erickson]

"The one-blade knife shown seems to curve-up from the middle when spring side down on the table rather than lying flat if that helps at all."

Thanks for the pictures and comments so far! :thumbup:

Yes this does help. It does seem to me, to be a very fine line between the example of the single blade pearl sleeveboard and a standard jack pattern.

One of the reasons I have started this thread is to learn more and I was asked to make a sleeveboard single blade clip with the blade on the wide end. Any comments on this also would be welcome.

Ken

 

[smiling-knife]

"The one-blade knife shown seems to curve-up from the middle when spring side down on the table rather than lying flat if that helps at all."

Thanks for the pictures and comments so far! :thumbup:

Yes this does help. It does seem to me, to be a very fine line between the example of the single blade pearl sleeveboard and a standard jack pattern.

One of the reasons I have started this thread is to learn more and I was asked to make a sleeveboard single blade clip with the blade on the wide end. Any comments on this also would be welcome.

Ken

You're welcome Ken and thanks to everyone for your positive comments. Yes a very fine line. I would have called that a jack knife but it has some sleeveboard to it also. The sleeveboards vary greatly in terms of the degree of taper from end to end. The main problem I see with a clip blade at the wide end is that lots of it will be showing above the scale at the thin end.... unless it is quite thin. This is the only sleeveboard knife I have with a blade at the wider end.

 

[d.parker]

Here are a couple of Sleeveboards, one with a single back spring and 1 blade on each end. Masterblade on wide end, second smaller blade on narrow end. A sleeveboard whittler with master blade on wide end and 2 blades on narrow end with two springs and a catch bit. You could have a sleeveboard whittler with a split back spring and one with a split back and tapered wedge as most modern whittlers are made. I haven't ever seen a 4 Bladed Sleeveboard but maybe there is such a pattern. You can certainly have a sleeve board pattern with a single blade on the wide end of the frame. If you put the blade on the narrow end to me it would be a swell end Jack pattern.

 

[Tony Bose]

I agree with Darrell, a sleeveboard has the master blade coming out the wide end.

 

[lambertiana]

Sleeveboard refers to the handle shape only. It can be a pen pattern with blades at opposite ends, or a jack pattern with both blades at one end (can be either end). That is what Bernard says. It has to have rounded ends to be considered sleeveboard.

 

[d.parker]

I wish Mr. Levine could post a picture of a sleeveboard pattern knife with the Master and pen on the narrow end or a single blade on the narrow end. I haven't seen a knife in this configuration called a sleeveboard. There's a lot I haven't seen or know but I'm sure willing to learn new things or old either...

 

[anon1]

I wish Mr. Levine could post a picture of a sleeveboard pattern knife with the Master and pen on the narrow end or a single blade on the narrow end.

would this be a swell-end or sleeveboard?

 

[Blues]

Anon that second knife would be a regular jack or swell-end jack depending on who's doing the defining but definitely not a sleeveboard.

 

[anon1]

Anon that second knife would be a regular jack or swell-end jack depending on who's doing the defining but definitely not a sleeveboard.

thats what I've always thought... this post just had me thinking:

Sleeveboard refers to the handle shape only. It can be a pen pattern with blades at opposite ends, or a jack pattern with both blades at one end (can be either end). That is what Bernard says. It has to have rounded ends to be considered sleeveboard.

 

[waynorth]

would this be a swell-end or sleeveboard?

The definition becomes blurred at anon's last knife. The rounded ends allow it to be called a sleeveboard, more or less. A regular jack is more often seen with somewhat squared-off bolsters, but SOMETIMES with the rounded ones.
But calling this jack a sleeveboard will mislead someone who can't see it, but is trying to visualize it.
The language isn't black or white, but if understanding is the key (and I hope it is!) Call anon's knife a regular jack, with a rounded bolster if you will,
and reserve the name sleeveboard for a tapered, rounded-end knife, with the master at the big end.

 

[never too sharp]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/3048152420_e3a0005757_o.jpg[/img]

I would have guessed this one to be a barlow.

 

[ea42]

Never Too Sharp, barlows are characterized by a much larger bolster, such as this one:

[/IMG]

Here are a couple more sleeveboards for keeping this post threadworthy

[/IMG]

Eric