The Federal Shield...

[mrknife]

round bar? just the dog no buns or if you must the weiner

 

[Peregrin]

All the Case/Bose collaboration knives used Tony's pattern for the Federal Shield. Many custom makers also used his pattern. I'm not sure whether Tony used a specific older pattern or not. Maybe someone can add that bit of info.
Here's 4 CB collabs and on the right a LCJ by Brent Cramer.

Here are 2 other Federal Shields, on the left a Joel Chamblin trapper and on the right a Sway back Gent from Ken Erickson. The oval shield in the middle is from Joel Chamblin also.

Just to show off a little, here are 4 bar shields from Hiroaki Ohta.

 

[Old Hunter]

A couple of well known Oval shields in the larger size for bigger pocketknives (307 & 6375). OH

 

[chevyrulez1]

Don't forget the double bomb . . .

. . . and the acorn!

My last name is Oakes, so needless to say I love the oak leaf or acorn shields.

 

[Rufus1949]

Often, someone will post a comment in a thread that says something like, "We need more pictures in this thread."
But I think THIS thread has lots of good photos, but I would certainly appreciate some precise definitions for types of shields!
How is a "federal shield" defined?
Must a "federal shield" ALWAYS have a "central point" on both top and bottom?
Is it a specific example of a more general shield type (maybe a "crest shield")?
How does a "federal shield" differ from a "badge shield" or a "crest shield" or a "corset shield"?

At least one inquiring mind wants to know!

- GT

Perhaps this will help confuse the situation Gary?

The Shield Tells a Story - More on Estimating the Age of Boker Knives – iKnife Collector

 

[sunknife]

A few more federal and badge shields to show. Ebony and waterfall celluloid.

 

[knowtracks]

Often, someone will post a comment in a thread that says something like, "We need more pictures in this thread."
But I think THIS thread has lots of good photos, but I would certainly appreciate some precise definitions for types of shields!
How is a "federal shield" defined?
Must a "federal shield" ALWAYS have a "central point" on both top and bottom?
Is it a specific example of a more general shield type (maybe a "crest shield")?
How does a "federal shield" differ from a "badge shield" or a "crest shield" or a "corset shield"?

At least one inquiring mind wants to know!

- GT

I’ve been looking for a few months now for a list of shields, both drawings/photos and names. I know I’ve seen such a list somewhere online but can’t relocate it. So if anyone has seen it please let me know or post it here.
As far as I know 5K you are correct, the federal shield has a “central point “ both top and bottom. The shield without a top point is called a “badge” shield.
I’ve looked everywhere online, talked to many knowledgeable people, even got an old book from Knife Magazine that shows the different shields but no names to go with them.
GEC’s site only lists the shields they use and have renamed some like the gimp shield. They call it a “banner”
I’m still hoping to find such a list!

Dave

 

[5K Qs]

GEC SHIELDS | Great Eastern Cutlery

GEC Blog - Great Eastern Cutlery

greateasterncutlery.net

Thanks for the helpful link, Will.
It helps to see what a current cutlery firm calls various types of shields.

A few federalesView attachment 2818589

My daughter used to watch a lot of Sesame Street.

One of these SHIELDS is not like the others,
One of these SHIELDS just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which SHIELD is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

How much variation is allowed before a shield is no longer "federal"?
Using Will Power 's link to GEC's shield chart, GEC would label one of these a "crest shield", right?

- GT

 

[Will Power]

knowtracks I hear you Dave! So I'm not losing my mind completely? I KNOW I've seen an illustration and list of shields somewhere too!!!!! But WHERE??? Believe there was a thread on such a thing but the search on here is not always on point-being polite..... Yes Gimp shields were listed too, see my picture, post No.7

All I can find for now......



Thanks, Will

 

[5K Qs]

I’ve been looking for a few months now for a list of shields, both drawings/photos and names. I know I’ve seen such a list somewhere online but can’t relocate it. So if anyone has seen it please let me know or post it here.
As far as I know 5K you are correct, the federal shield has a “central point “ both top and bottom. The shield without a top point is called a “badge” shield.
I’ve looked everywhere online, talked to many knowledgeable people, even got an old book from Knife Magazine that shows the different shields but no names to go with them.
GEC’s site only lists the shields they use and have renamed some like the gimp shield. They call it a “banner”
I’m still hoping to find such a list!

Dave

Interesting post, Dave.
Once I started reading this thread, I also tried to find a list of shields like you describe, because I was quite sure I had run across one in the past. I tried a Google image search for "pocket knife shield identification". I think the following links to my result:
https://www.google.com/search?clien...kDHZONDT8QtKgLegQIERAB&biw=1227&bih=668&dpr=2

The very first image there is included on someone's Pinterest page, but it's something I've seen before in some other source I can't remember. It sorts a bunch of shields into several broad categories (Crests, Bars, Gimps, Figurals, etc.) but does NOT name the individual shields within each category. Rats!
(FWIW, here's a link to the Pinterest page with the shield chart: ETA Oops! While I was writing this post, Will already posted this chart!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/542191242610768186/

- GT

 

[5K Qs]

Perhaps this will help confuse the situation Gary?

The Shield Tells a Story - More on Estimating the Age of Boker Knives – iKnife Collector

Thanks for the link, Bob.
I wonder if shield designers had any clue that future knife owners would have such deep interest in shields?
(I think I saw another post at the iknifecollector site trying to date Case knives based on shields.
When I got my first Rough Rider knives and found them to be all the knife I could hope for, I spent quite a bit of time at the iknifecollector site, because there was a section there that had LOTS of reviews of RR models.)

- GT

 

[Rufus1949]

Thanks for the helpful link, Will.
It helps to see what a current cutlery firm calls various types of shields.


My daughter used to watch a lot of Sesame Street.

One of these SHIELDS is not like the others,
One of these SHIELDS just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which SHIELD is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

How much variation is allowed before a shield is no longer "federal"?
Using Will Power 's link to GEC's shield chart, GEC would label one of these a "crest shield", right?

- GT

My faux pax Gary.

 

[5K Qs]

My faux pax Gary.

Bob, you just happened to have a perfect photo to illustrate my confusion about shield labels.
There are at least a half-dozen other posts that have shields the poster calls federal, but I have my reservations.
But my reservations applied to several examples that Tony Bose apparently called federal shields, so I (and maybe GEC?) obviously have a defective concept of shield-naming.

My brain hurts.

- GT

 

[r8shell]

This is a federal shield.

 

[dsutton24]

You know the commercials making fun of people turning into their parents? "You don't have to print the internet." Turns out you do, I know the shield reference that several of you are looking for, and I don't know where to find it.

I went through a similar exercise looking for a reference that pertains to my day job, and it's just gone. I did some light-duty research, and it turns out that the web isn't forever, despite the warnings of some of the experts out there. Something like ten to twenty percent of the web vanishes each year, and particularly information on obscure topics, like shields... This stuff is stored on sites with varying technical capabilities, or don't have huge financial resources.

I save a lot of stuff that I find to be useful or interesting just in case.

 

[Will Power]

I asked for this shield to replace the standard Hotdog one (I don't dislike them either but this is more impressive)

 

[Will Power]

I like the simple stamped Tidioute shield, works well with most patterns, notably Barehead.

 

[Rufus1949]

Bob, you just happened to have a perfect photo to illustrate my confusion about shield labels.
There are at least a half-dozen other posts that have shields the poster calls federal, but I have my reservations.
But my reservations applied to several examples that Tony Bose apparently called federal shields, so I (and maybe GEC?) obviously have a defective concept of shield-naming.

My brain hurts.

- GT

Well, at least you kept to the theme of the thread ( I'm guilty of wandering )..federal shields,Gary. I am still intrigued by your musing on the history of the shape.
Like many terms here, there is a looseness of application. Barlow, lambsfoot, stockman all have suffered.
My enjoyable search will go on though, thanks to you.

 

[mrknife]

an interesting delete i was offered, they even added a shield to boot

 

[Will Power]

Worth noting that the BB Stockman came in two versions: top with larger Federal, glaze finish. Bottom, smaller Federal and crocus finish.