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Stockmen: Proud Sheepsfoot
- Thread starter dogstar
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Don't know why, but I generally try to hold the knife by the sides to keep the blade from slipping back onto my fingers.... using this way, the blade shouldn't dig in your hand.
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Many people will chime in with opinions. In all honestly every makers stockman will feel a little different in your hand and some will work and some wont. Best thing to do is buy a few used ones off the bay or at a flea market and get a feel for them yourself. The main reason I purchased a GEC # 53 stockman was for the low riding sheepsfoot. Highly recommend this particular model for its comfort and design features. Anything from GEC or CASE, Queen and so on can be sold or traded on the exchange here if you dont like it.
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The sheepsfoot is proud on most stockman knives. That can be both a good and not-so-good thing, depending on how you use the knife, including how you grip it. I haven't had any major issues with the grip, because I tend to hold the knife with fingertips alongside (on the scale covers), instead of a full-fisted grip, which would put the sheepsfoot's spine into the crease of my fingers. As mentioned, a proud blade is easier to open with a gloved hand, so I can respect that. I personally haven't felt the need for keeping it that high, in my own use.
It's usually pretty easy to lower the sheepsfoot, at least a bit, if one feels it's too high. Filing down the kick under the tang can make a positive difference, if done carefully to keep the blade from going too low (blade edge colliding with backspring, or nail-nick getting obscured behind an adjacent blade). I ground the kick down on my Queen #49 Cattle King to lower the sheepsfoot, which was easily 1/8" higher than the spine of the clip blade, when new. The ground-down kick can be seen in the first pic below, on the left (compare to the taller kick on the spey at right). It's now virtually dead-flush at the spine, and even 'invisible' when viewed from the mark side of the knife:
David
It's usually pretty easy to lower the sheepsfoot, at least a bit, if one feels it's too high. Filing down the kick under the tang can make a positive difference, if done carefully to keep the blade from going too low (blade edge colliding with backspring, or nail-nick getting obscured behind an adjacent blade). I ground the kick down on my Queen #49 Cattle King to lower the sheepsfoot, which was easily 1/8" higher than the spine of the clip blade, when new. The ground-down kick can be seen in the first pic below, on the left (compare to the taller kick on the spey at right). It's now virtually dead-flush at the spine, and even 'invisible' when viewed from the mark side of the knife:
David
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- Jul 30, 2006
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Can anyone explain why the sheepsfoot blade in a Stockman is so proud? Is it so you can open it with a gloved hand?
How about comfort? Does the proud blade make for an awkward grip?
Thanks in advance.
Not my image:
Different makers allow the sheepsfoot to be more proud than others. I see in your picture that you have one of the old Camillus-made Buck stockmans and a new Buck-made stockman. Notice how the sheepsfoot on the Camillus is more proud?
I have a couple of stockman knives whose sheepsfoot blades are proud enough to be objectionable to me. But most of them just tuck into the fold of the underside of my knuckle so I do not notice them.
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- Dec 31, 2012
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I believe it to be a feature that allows the blade to be opened easier/ quicker and in some cases maybe even capable of being pinched open. I have heard it said that in its original design the sheepsfoot was ment to be used as the main utility blade which also helps to explain why it sits so proud. In my case 63032 it sits proud and allows me to open it quickly and without much fuss. I also don't find it to be uncomfortable at all while using the other blades. Just my opinion hope it is useful!
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Somewhere I did a post on how to lower your sheepsfoot. David has described it above. Some of the old Camillus made Buck stockmen had high (and wide) sheepsfoot blades. More prone on the model 303 that the 301. I advise being slow and careful if you file on the kick of the sheepsfoot tang. (If you have carried it awhile check to be sure there is not a lint 'gob' holding it up) What does not show in the OP's photo but does in Davids photo are the nic positions. The old Buck/Cami. with long pulls on the clip blade had small finger nics on the secondary blades. During assembly blades were adjusted to give each nic ample space above the spine of the nested blades. Newer Buck models do not suffer as much with the effect as the B/C models. Again I caution any adjustment of this type be done carefully, or everytime you fold up your blade it will slap the spring dulling your carefully sharpened edge and you can go so far that the nic is too low behind the spey for the ease of opening.
300Bucks
Here is one I was replacing the scales on, so I slightly and carefully lowered the sheepsfoot height. But look how the nic is touching or slightly behind the spine of the spey blade. Would be tough to open with gloves or when wet or cold.
300Bucks
Here is one I was replacing the scales on, so I slightly and carefully lowered the sheepsfoot height. But look how the nic is touching or slightly behind the spine of the spey blade. Would be tough to open with gloves or when wet or cold.
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