The second blade on a Jack knife

rockgolfer

rockgolfer

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Mar 1, 2008
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For now my 3 1/2" jack knife is king of my pocket. I love the clip main blade, I use it for pretty much everything as its not too long and not too small. It seems my pen blade gets very little use. I might pull it out to have control for cutting blister packs, bags or small/thin boxes. I also like having the small second blade for when I am in public and need to cut a tag or something off a recent purchase. I can pull that little blade out and since it stays super sharp, handle business and put it away. In all my daily tasks and uses I can not seem to find any specific or extra use that would make me favor a pen blade shape for the second(considering the sharp tip of the clip main). I can however come up with some very specific uses for sheepsfoot/coping blade and its stronger tip. I make templates for things on a regular basis, I can use wood, plastic, cardboard. Having a nice strong tip to plunge and rip with helps alot. It is also nice to go back along and scrape with it to clean up splinters and odd little bulges from the first cut.

With the background laid I have to ask, why is the secondary pen blade so popular on two blade jack knives? Can anyone point me in the direction of some two bladed jacks with secondary sheepsfoot/coping blades? Frame is not really an issue most of the time. I am already at the small end of the scale with 3 1/2 and would actually prefer to go bigger. I have thought about the conductor by GEC but my 66 is just right, the 33 would be a little too small in my hands I feel. Especially considering that I can use the knife for longer periods of time, bigger seems to be better from a comfort standpoint atleast.
 
This does not really answer your "point me in the direction of" question Jeff, but you could always modify the pen blade. I had that done to my old Colonial barlow while it was being rehandled.

Colonialmarigoldbarlowj.jpg
 
Hey Doug, your knife has already kindled the idea of modifying my 66. I guess this thread is an effort on my end to avoid it for now. It would make the blade shorter then if it came from factory already done(and on the GEC 66, leave no real room for a drawn swedge). I have debated on buying a 48 jack since the pen second is so long, it wouldnt hurt it much. Ultimately I think I am heading down that custom road. I love seeing pictures of that Colonial Doug :thumbup:
 
I've been looking for something in this line also. AG Russell has a sowbelly wharncliffe trapper that's pretty big, and a Bear (& Sons?) wharncliffe trapper with 3 1/8 blades in a handle of 3 5/8", I think. The Kershaw double cross would be too little for you. Ditto the Case tiny trapper.
And you said coping, not wharnie- sorry
 
I have found the wharncliffe too pointy and fragile for my uses. But one of the better looking blade shapes for sure.
 
I have to confess, that although I like the small pen blade for general use, like the examples you mentioned of control over cuts in plastic blister packages, and such, I do harbor a wish that more makers/manufacturers would do a second sheepsfoot as a backup second blade.

Carl.
 
My two options in your case would be:
- If you really like the 66 frame and is comfortable for you working with it, just modify the secondary blade, It'll only take you a couple of minutes on a stone grinder (don't let the blade heat)

- What about the Case 6318PU, It is a stockman pattern but the punch ride so low that you don't even notice it, It actually works as a two bladed jack. I've whittled for two hours or so with one of those without any hotspot. Besides you could make holes in your templates or use it as a scraper without damaging the secondary blade edge.
hope it helps
Mateo
 
Why not the 66 Calf Roper? Clip main, excellent sheepsfoot, and a surprisingly useful spey blade design. I like mine a lot.
 
Consider also a CASE Small Texas Jack. Just a bit bigger than 3.5" with a wonderful Modified Pen blade, a much wider and sturdier than the usual offering. A Whittler could help, you get Clip, Pen and Cope blades some have small Clip in place of the Pen. Generally more compact that most Stockman.

See the recent thread on Böker's new Stockman, only it's a Jack with Clip and small Sheepfoot

Aha! Fausto pointed out his find already. Good.

Just rooted around in the knife chest and found a Schatt&Morgan XVII Series 2007 Red Bone Jack Clip longpull Master, Sheepfoot secondary Horticulturalist's Knife. 600 were made so they should be a few left.

Thanks, Will
 
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RR makes a sheepfoot/Wharncliffe trapper with a locking main leaf-shaped blade. To unlock, depress the closed sheepfoot.
I keep this one in my travel kit bag, so I have one in spite of the airlines when I arrive someplace. They're 4¼" closed.

LockingTrapper-1.jpg


They also make them with different handles than the yella comp. Jigged amber bone, brown gunstock, and tortoise shell synthetic.

IMG_9964.jpg


The narrow frame makes it difficult to open the main blade one-handed (a la Spyderco), but it can be done with some practice.
 
Interesting RRs there Jeff, could be quite a useful inexpensive bit of kit.

Reminds me of a stag handled (Barehead) Weidmannsheil I have, same lenth but with Spear Master, sheepfoot secondary which is the locking mechanism, neat idea.

Regards, Will
 
Another choice, and a real workhorse, is the GEC Furtaker Trapper on the 4-1/8" equal end frame. This one in burnt stag.

StagFTmark.jpg


GEC's "Wharncliffe" is really a hybrid Wharncliffe/sheepfoot blade, not quite one or the other.
 
I think (IMO !) the pen blade is more used for light-punching-tasks. On the penblade the tip is more centered and stronger than on the clipblade, where is not so much steel on each side of the tip. I just think about whittling, for example.

For sure, a Wharncliffe blade or a sheepfoot blade would also make a nice addition to the Jack Knife. Especially because of the straight edge, for multipler cutting tasks.

Kind regards
Andi
 
Really the only things the pen blade on my Jack has done would be whittle assorted wood, and peel apples (In one strand :D), but, I still love it.

~Zim
 
I use the secondary blade for dirty or utility tasks like opening boxes/packages, scraping, straight line cuts, cleaning things out, etc.

That leaves my main blade sharp and clean for food or anything else I'd really want a sharp blade for.
 
I have reshaped a few old wrecks into coping and sheepsfoot blades for cutting leather and whittling. Takes a few minutes. Cool the steel between passes on the grinder or sander.

Regards

Robin
 
Fausto, thanks for the web of links, great reading :thumbup:

I appreciate all the suggestions, they are all close to what I want but I guess I am getting picky. I can find a "fault" with them all lol. I have tried a few different stockmans and just cant get into that high sheepsfoot(not to mention I dont NEED the third blade). I have a GEC workhorse 79 which has one of those sheepfoot/wharnie blades. It is the worst of all worlds for me, tip too thin and fragile for my uses and too long even on that 3 3/4 frame for my precission cutting. I am coming around on the turk/cali clips but am still not a big fan, seems like they are too thin and more fragile(again my opinion). Those horticultare knives are very close but the straight frame adds no charactor. Hopefully GEC can here my whinning. Maybe they can make my varient which by the reactions to the threads around here, would have no problem selling. Option one would be to just take the 66 jack and simply swap out the pen for a coping, I would even buy it with a spear point main as well. The other varient would be the wrangler, swap the spey out with a low riding coping blade. The awl would be handy. I would buy both examples if they made them.

I have tried the case example of a wrangler, the sheepsfoot was to high and I did not like the california clip. I am very close to grinding mine into what I want. My only worry is the distal taper that thins the pen to the tip. I am pretty sure coping blades(atleast the one I have for reference) do not thin out toward the tip. I am worried this would be a strength issue.
 
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