The " Roosters " are crowing for the " Farmers"

[wlfryjr]

As you might have guessed,this thread is not about farms or farm animals,but it is about the farmers jack, aka rooster comb pattern. It is an obscure,but elegant single spring pattern(almost exclusively),used for budding and grafting. Nestled in a Wharcliffe frame (mostly) with a pruning (hawkbill) on the large end and a spey or budding on the small end.

They are also my quest.

I have not encountered one made much later than a few years after WWII. The latest being Schrade Walden NY USAs all in peachseed bone. Bone being phased out on most Schrades after 1956.
Edit:I Just today have found one with black plastic (?) peachseed ,making it possible for these to be made until '72,when they stopped the Schrade Walden NY USA mark.Ever learning,sorry.

A good internet friend posed this question a short while ago:

"I guess I don't understand why Lyle seems to be the only person that finds these rooster comb farmer's jacks.

What's up with that?"

I hope to bring some out.Let's see your farmers jacks or maybe a "free range rooster". Some of these have been posted elsewhere,some have not.

This one started it all.In return for allowing me his collection(as we seemed the only collectors to focus on this pattern),I gave Mr. Pepper Martin my first.His increased mine 2 fold. Thanks Tony.

And thanks to my many friends I've made along this road,who without(too many to name,you know who you are),these would not be possible.
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Schrade Cut
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[Cutty73]

I don't have one but the bone on that Schrade is the beez knees. WOW!

 

[jon_slider]

Beautiful!
more pics please
at first I thought you were talking about the new Gec Farmboy

and the new Rooster etch on the Days Work Charlow Farmer

but obviously you meant a variation of a serpentine Half Whit with spey and hawkbill blades.
theres some more pictured here
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?t=34565 and here:
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=26653
Thanks for adding RoosterComb and Farmers Jack to my vocabulary. Good luck in your search for that unique combination of features.

 

[67nick]

I've always wanted to own a farmers jack, especially one with peach seed covers like the beauty you've got pictured here, but they are just so darn hard to find. A pattern for me that has been a rare bird

 

[wlfryjr]

I've been blessed.Hopefully this next one is full sized.This is the 2nd acquisition by me in the advancement towards my " bailiwick ". Cnoyes you're quite the intellect.

Although not the same knife this is a replica.(I gave the original to another friend ,whom I owe a debt of gratitude,thanks Rob you white buffalo).

C+X Lockwood Bros.___ This company ceased production in 1933 and Joseph Elliot purchased the trademark according to British sources. Most all these are put together by cutlers from original parts,although cover materials mostly seem modern.

C+X Lockwood Bros
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[wlfryjr]

This was one of the three I found from a member of another forum.
This is the brand from which Charlie C's SPO DEs devolved.

It is a Schrade contract for Shapleigh Hardware,now am told True Value Hardwares.We'll see later Shapleigh used other sources,Lord willing.

I see "true value" in this Shapleigh Hdwe Diamond Edge
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[waynorth]

Keep them coming, Lyle! They are such beautiful knives - a truly amazing pattern to collect.
Your new scanner is doing a great job!








Hopefully we will see bigger pictures when BF's "experiment with advertising" is concluded later this month!

 

[wlfryjr]

I suppose I should explain a couple things now.

The common name for farmers jacks( as per Levine) around here are rooster combs (not per Levine ) . I prefer to call this next one a rooster comb and the standard a farmers jack for these reasons.

First it kinda differentiates and I like to think these are where the term originates (?) .

This ivory Saynor,Cook & Ridal budding and grafting knife has what is called a spud in ivory (natural materials were used as to eliminate contamination during the grafting procedure or so I'm told) opposite the blade. These spuds were used to spread the bark incision in the root branch's bark,while inserting the graft.One end to cut,one end to open.
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Being dull,as not to harm the inner bark,while inserting the graft.

A modification to the back or spine of a farmers jack's spey blade (remember large end hawkbill,small end spey) in about the '30s resulted in a semi-spud. Also included in the modification was a jimped (notches down a blade created to provide grip on a knife ) thumb rest on the tang and a flat sided blade ( to be discussed later).

The result was a blade whose back or spine resembled a roosters comb.

Example:
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A prominent roosters comb to be viewed later.That's my story, this is an example.

Cutsure Kruse and Bahlmann Hdwe Cincinnati c 1865-1962 4"(standard size for all farmers and roosters) . I think Camillus contract.
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The rooster comb

The jimped thumb rest below the kick or on the tang front.

Here.. chick,chick,chick......

 

[Gevonovich]

Subscribed!! Keep them coming.

 

[black mamba]

The only farmers I have are relatives. Good lookin' pictures, though!

 

[waynorth]

Thanks for the explanations, Lyle.
I always thought a comb was to keep my pompadour in place!

Kidding aside, you are showing us some beautiful knives!!

 

[Jack Black]

Always great to see your passion for this pattern Lyle, and your beautiful knives of course. If I ever come across one (one in decent shape hopefully next time), it's yours for sure

Jack

 

[Pipeman]

Lyle, All are amazing but the cutsure is off the charts beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Best regards

Robin

 

[wlfryjr]

I could use a pompadour,but not a comb.I could use the ads here to keep that head small!!
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Thanks again for the nice comments and interest.

Next a Jordan farmers jack.
What I could gather on this well used and cleaned knife's mark was it might be CD Jordan St Louis c 1915 ,whereas AJ Jordan c 1878-1926 was an importer of Sheffield and German made knives.??
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Marked Jordan St Louis both blds.
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[wlfryjr]

Next are a couple of the Titusville Queens made in 2009. There wasn't tooling or anything for that pattern, just a picture from a copy of "Collector Knives" from 2001.
These came in 6 different handle choices(all natural),and one of the stags in ATS-34 blades ,ATS-34 stamped on the shield.All others had T C C fancy inside the shield.
100 of each.
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Titusville® Farmers Jack with Winterbottom Jigged Bone Handle

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Titusville® Farmers Jack with Wormgroove Green Bone Handle

 

[wazu013]

Nice stuff:thumbup:

 

[smiling-knife]

You have the most awesome collection of Farmer Jacks Lyle. Thanks for sharing them with us and looking forward to seeing more.

 

[wlfryjr]

I hope somebody can join in the fun. Here are some more.

Another Titusville® Farmers Jack with Fire Oak Jigged Bone Handle. 4 1/8",like the Schrades they're patterned after.

Here's a couple several years older.First is a JA Henckels in jigged bone,although this one is unnumbered ,this is their # 769 pattern. This one is 3 15/16"

Schrade Walden NY c 1946- 1956 Schrades are 4 1/8" closed

'

Somebody help me....

 

[waynorth]

These are awesome, Lyle.
I, like others here, am speechless!
Viewing this collection is like an epiphany. Seldom seen, your collection is overwhelming!
But by all means, keep them coming!!!!:thumbup:
Most of these knives got used up, producing food for the world. You are doing a great thing here, preserving these pieces of history!

 

[blademan 13]

Great knives. The bone on the Schrade is amazing