The bolsterless pocket knife.

jackknife said:
Wow, that Wraggs looks very well used. The bottom one is well worn on the main blade too. is that a small chip out of the tip on the Needham's sheepsfoot?
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Thanks very much jackknife. yes... Wragg does have that pocket worn look doesn't it . I think blade on the Needham is a little coping blade similar to that found on the whittler and yes the tip is broken unfortunately. I think that one is about 1860-1880 so overall holding-up well for the age.
 
Thanks s-k.

That Wragg is what I'm talking about, it looks light for an edc pocket knife, but somebody carried and used the heck out of it. Once upon a time, long ago, it was somebodys daily companion. Maybe for a lifetime.
 
Now that's what were talking about. Great examples of old world craftsmanship. I personally love the stag on that Needham on the bottom. It's always amazing the warmth of the patina that these have gotten over the years. Thanks SK.
 
Darn you JK I've always passed by and haven't even held a Sodbuster and now I need to get me one. :) They make a small in carbin steel don't they? SK your not helping at all with those pics. Great looking knives if I was Santa it would be hard to leave your house. :)
 
Jackknife I agree...that was/is a well loved knife. The master blade is a little short but both blades still have decent snap to them.

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Thanks very much Dave. This is the other side of the Needham. That knife has alot going for it. The liners are milled brass and the tangs are flush with the handle so no pocket snags.

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Getting back on track, I am now curious as to the original intent of bolsters on a knife. Solid bolsters would give the knife some strength. The flimsy thin bolsters might be just an adornment and may, as stated, protect the handle materials or even lessen the amount of costly handle material. Just thinking out loud. Might be a good question for BRL.
 
The "Birdseye" style opf stockman pocketknife, yellow handles, no bolsters, and oversize pivot pins (like the sodbusters) used to be very popular. Even into the 70's, Case, Kabar, Schrade, and Camillus each made them, some companies made both a 3-3/8" and a 4" size.
 
To this day, Tina brand prunning and garderning knives have a bolsterless design. Yet they are regarded as heavy duty work knives. They were the favorite prunning knife of my old friend Bill moran, who could make any knife he wanted, but he liked the Tina's alot.
 
Thank-you very much for the compliments. As always, they are very much appreciated. Here are a few other e.g. My gardening knife with cocobolo scales that I still use regularly, a left handed opening large sheepsfoot with horn handle, a slightly unusual mop easy opener and jumbo stag pen knife.

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I just got a Northwoods Scagel #3, my first bolsterless knife. Been hankerin' for a scagel, pretty excited about it. Oh I love stag.

Durbin
 
Durbin said:
I just got a Northwoods Scagel #3, my first bolsterless knife. Been hankerin' for a scagel, pretty excited about it. Oh I love stag.

Durbin
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Now there is a relly perfect example of a couple of things. One, Bill Scagel was a great knife smith. He could make any kind of knife he wanted to. He lived in isolation like a hermit up in the woods of Michigan, and yet for his own use, he made himself a folder. Two blades, in a sort of trapper configuration of moderate size.

Two, he made his personel folder bolserless.
 
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