So, what constitutes good bone jigging?

[Boggs]

Hi Meako.......

Yes it's considered jigged.....simply a larger diameter so GEC coined the phrase to describe this deeper/wider jig

 

[jc57]

I like the jigging to cover all if not the majority of the scales, and be reasonably deep enough to provide an improved gripping surface.

Good jigging:


Better jigging (though some might not like the color):


Not-so good jigging:

 

[pertinux]

Hard to summarize what constitutes good jigging, but you know it when you see it.

Agreed! There is, or can be, an art in choosing and implementing patterns (and cuts or divots within) proportional to each knife. Of current custom cutlers, Ken Erickson's jigging consistently stands out to me in that regard-- so well-proportioned relative to each knife's aesthetics.

Here's a nice old jack with what collectors call "Worm-Groove". BRL maintains the proper name for this is Indian Trail.

Ah, such a promising development! I hadn't heard the descriptive "Indian Trail bone" before. Not tolerating worms well, I have shied away from "worm-groove bone." (Why would I want to see where a worm has crawled?) Now, I shall consider each groove an indian trail, and broaden my horizons. Thanks!

Found via search after reading of Indian Trail, above:

3 1/4 closed, potassium permanganate Rogers Indian Trail bone. Cochran & Alcock, Hardware, Carlisle, Penna., l904.

Heres some really old Camillus (just after WW1) with random jigging that predates jigging machines

Interesting-- thanks.

This Schrade Kious Collaboration has some 50 year old brown bone. The favorite of what I have.

Sorry for the small image.

Sorry for the what, now? I can see why that one's a favorite.

Better jigging (though some might not like the color):

Hunh.

Thanks for the comparison pictures. :thumbup:

~ P.

 

[Turk88]

Queen and S&M have multiple "patterns" of jigging that they use, and I like that when looking at the companies broadly instead of specific knives. It seems to me that the other companies (minus GEC that has a few patterns) merely offer small variations of those same patterns. Do the machines and tooling lead to this or is it simply just easier to not make drastic changes across the product line?

 

[Kisatchie]

there are none shown here I don't like !
here is a old boker to add to the mix.

 

[okbohn]

That bottom one is perhaps the finest stag bone I have seen.

I also prefer either the random, horsecut, jigging GEC is using, or good stag bone jigging.

Horsecut on top, stag bone on the bottom.

Horsecut

Stag bone

 

[mike Berkovitch]

These are all great jigging, but I tend to like the older Case bone

The one in the middle is older Wade and Butcher

Also Utica has some great examples

and maybe a Keen Kutter

Schrade

Cattaraugus

So many....

Mike

 

[neeman]

Queen Carved Stagbone

Queen Carved Amber Stagbone

Queen Winterbottom

S&M

RR Saw Cut

 

[knowtracks]

Another Goldenroot HJ
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh138/knowtracks/IMG_0738-1.jpg

And a Random jig on another HJ! Charlie's 1st Edition
IMG_0711.jpg (50.1 KB)

Dave

 

[knowtracks]

Another Queen this 1 Winterbottom



Dave

 

[meako]

The Shiner -Golden Root Worm Groove bone in person.
Anyone tell me where that name came from? is it moonshine?

 

[meako]

Rough Rider barlow with checker bone- sweet.

 

[festerfromnzed]

Some beautiful jigging in these pics...This is my nicest piece as far as im concerned ( Thanks J2S)....This is the best pic i have so please excuse tother foreign object....FES

 

[meako]

more green jigged bone - jigging not as 'sharp' as Fes's Lloydie though.

 

[Will Power]

Meako, I've got a Tractor Green 48 like that, I think it's excellent and a good approximation to Winterbottom Bone. The RR chequered is surprisingly nice stuff too.

Thanks, Will

 

[meako]

Hey Will- I've thought about the similarity to Winterbottom as well.
Where does that term originate? Is it the name of the firm who did the jigging?
The Rough Riders come with some fantastic bone I reckon.This one was 11 $.

 

[Campbellclanman]

My benchmark is Schrade Cut Co era knives and Case XX and older stamps. GEC is getting better but still doesnt quite have it down.


Case

Schrade

HOLLY MOLLY! -no w THAT is some serious eye candy Dave - man that is some nice jig work!

 

[Campbellclanman]

"Nothing beats Early Case, and Schrades Bone work" - just beautiful, but when I see such lovelies come up -it tends to rock my stance on that particular statement!
I wish I had time to sort through some photos to bang some in here - I will do so soon I hope, thank you for showing everyone!

 

[bakerg2g]

First one is NYKCo. Brown jigged bone, nice color, deep jigging and well rounded. The second one is old Robeson worm grooved jigged bone, Nice color, very nice worm grooves, can see little marks inside the grooves, very detailed. Old BOKER dark brown jigged bone, random pattern, deep jigging. Shapleigh HDWco, old picked bone, nice color and great jigging. Schrade Cut Co. peachseed jigged bone, excellent color, nice pattern and deep jigging. Old KA-BAR green bone, awesome jigging and very nice color! Some of the best jigged bone ever made, old Remington bone! Excellent jigging and great color! Old Winchester jigged bone, this was an old premium Jr. Cattle knife, nice jigging and color.

 

[Will Power]

Hello Meako,

From what I recall from Levine, Winterbottom is both a distinctive STYLE of bone jigging and was made by a firm of the name of Winterbottom, Queen and Schatt&Morgan were big customers. Samuel Winterbottom born around 1857 was a native of Sheffield and his father was a bone cutter there. Samuel emigrated to the US and about 1885 had set up the Winterbottom Cutlery Works specializing in various handles for table,pocket and later military cutlery. They were interested in producing a jigging machine that recreated the random nature of stag antler, a hard task! A Bonestag jig if you like. Winterbottom Bone also has this characteristic of deep rippling grooves like on barleysugar.

High time to see more WB on contemporary knives in my view.

As for Wormgroove Bone, my understanding is that the Indian Trail jig WAS a variant of Wormgroove but was a long random wormgroove used on hunting knife handles, fixed blade presumambly?

Thanks, Will