Sowbellies with canted wharncliffe blades?

S

st_burt

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Feb 8, 2009
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I have a Parker sowbelly with a canted wharncliffe blade, instead of a canted spey blade. Here's a picture with a Schatt & Morgan sowbelly for comparison.

P1020295.jpg


I find the canted wharncliffe blade more useful than any blade on any other slip joint I own. I think my perfect slip joint would be a one backspring sowbelly with a canted wharncliffe secondary blade. Does such a knife exist? Or at least a three blade, two backspring sowbelly with a canted wharncliffe from someone other than Parker? Not that I don't like Parker knives, but I want to try something different, and this is definitely my favourite pattern.

Also, if anyone knows, why is the spey blade always the canted blade on sowbellies? I don't know anything about speying animals. Does the angle of the blade make it easier or something?
 
I really like Wharnies, and I don't think I've seen one like that one before. That's pretty cool!

Forgot to answer your question:

Maybe to keep your hands out of the way? Give better view of what you are doing?
 
That's the first I have seen of a sowbelly configured like that. I owned the same S & M sowbelly you have and recall it was an excellent production example. I also had a Winchester sowbelly and a Case sowbelly which was slightly larger and stouter. I looked at the Bulldog brand sowbelly knives and some have some interesting blade shapes and configurations but none with a sheepshoot in the location you asked about. I hope you find one and if you do, let's us know. Good luck!
 
Definition time: the difference between a sheepsfoot and a wharncliffe blade: both have a straight cutting edge; the sheepsfoot has a straight back (parallel to the edge) most of the length, then a sudden curve to another straight section to the tip (this straight section can meet the edge at a range of angles - from less than 45 degrees up to 90 degrees - still all sheepsfoot blades); the true wharncliffe has a *continuous curve* of the back from the tang to the tip - no flat part -- however some of the slimmer "wharncliffes" may start the continuous curve to the tip more toward the middle of the blade.

So why put the spey on the canted end of a sowbelly -- well, the vast majority of us have never speyed anything, but a lot of us have skinned game -- and for me, I usually use a spey, especially for the belly region (squirrels, rabbits, and such like), and the canted angle makes this task somewhat easier with the spey blade. YMMV

I've got to agree with you on the ultimate pattern -- a two bladed, one spring premium stock or sowbelly is as good as it gets. Sadly, there are pretty much no production sowbellys like this after 1940; and only a handful of premium stock knives made this way in more modern times. Case made some premium stocks with only two blades and one spring in the modern era - but none of them very recently IIRC. Case has a current "penknife" like this, but it has a pen blade rather than a spey or sheepsfoot secondary.
 
Rough rider makes a sowbelly (small belly))) with a sheepsfoot blade beside the master clip and a spey on the other end. Not canted though. Has a black micarta handle.

Regards

Robin
 
Zerogee, thanks a lot for the info. That was exactly what I was looking for. I guess it's time to start adding some older knives to my collection. And now I know the difference between and wharncliffe and a sheepsfoot blade :thumbup:

Take care,

Stephen
 
st_burt said:
Zerogee, thanks a lot for the info. That was exactly what I was looking for. I guess it's time to start adding some older knives to my collection. And now I know the difference between and wharncliffe and a sheepsfoot blade :thumbup:

Take care,

Stephen
Click to expand...

I much prefer the sheepsfoot to the wharncliffe for most practical use -- especially sheepsfoot blades with about a 45 degree angle at the tip - plenty pointy enough while being very strong at the tip; and you still have that great easily sharpened flat edge.
 
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