Traditional Folders in the Garden: what do you keep to hand?

[Blake the Blade]

That is a beautiful, beefy looking Case stockman for sure btb01. Thought we might have seen a few more old lamb and sheep's foot knives being used out in the garden, for some reason they strike me as a traditional old school gardeners sort of knife. And what about those with the old bone or ivory grafting tool on them, any of those about?

 

[r8shell]

Agreed. I spend a lot of time in the garden and, naturally, always have a traditional knife of some sort on me. However, the knife tasks are pretty normal ........ you might even call them light duty. It doesn't take a lot of blade to cut twine or slice open bags of mulch, compost or fertilizer. Heavy pruning duties are handled by shears or a saw, and of course a shovel or hand trowel takes care of digging.

-- Mark

Yes, heavy work is done with loppers or saws, but if I can use a machete for some tasks, it's more fun.

Sometimes I use a hawkbill:

Last weekend, I had this old Camillus with me. (battling bamboo)

 

[Hickory n steel]

this is what I'll be using from now on, unless I'm just outside and happen to see something I need to cut.

 

[Blake the Blade]

this is what I'll be using from now on, unless I'm just outside and happen to see something I need to cut.

I'

I'm really liking the look of these hawk bills. Might keep a look out for a folding version. Good job on the handle there Hickory. :thumbup:

 

[Hickory n steel]

I'

I'm really liking the look of these hawk bills. Might keep a look out for a folding version. Good job on the handle there Hickory. :thumbup:

Thanks! it was my grandpa's grape hook that needed a new handle .
He always loved gardening, especially his grapes.
Now this will prune my yellow roses.

 

[Blake the Blade]

Thanks! it was my grandpa's grape hook that needed a new handle .
He always loved gardening, especially his grapes.
Now this will prune my yellow roses.

That's great you must be really pleased to have it. Is that horn or wood? :thumbup:

 

[Blake the Blade]

Looking at these hawk bills reminded of something that's been kicking around in the bottom of one of my tool boxes for ages now. Could just make out the name of Saynor, Cooke & Ridal: 3 Edward St, Sheffield on the blade which shows the signs of some considerable age. Was pleased to find an award pertaining to the company, listing the variety of gardening implements and knives they produced. Still don't quite know how to describe this one or exactly what it would be used for, but it has a lot of the appearance of a hawk bill but with a straight middle section. I'd be interested to know if anyone can tell me any more about it. The whole thing is 11 inches long and has a 6 inch blade.

Untitled by Blake Blade, on FlickrUntitled by Blake Blade, on Flickr

 

[Hickory n steel]

That's great you must be really pleased to have it. Is that horn or wood? :thumbup:

It's an old piece of deer stag.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Looking at these hawk bills reminded of something that's been kicking around in the bottom of one of my tool boxes for ages now. Could just make out the name of Saynor, Cooke & Ridal: 3 Edward St, Sheffield on the blade which shows the signs of some considerable age. Was pleased to find an award pertaining to the company, listing the variety of gardening implements and knives they produced. Still don't quite know how to describe this one or exactly what it would be used for, but it has a lot of the appearance of a hawk bill but with a straight middle section. I'd be interested to know if anyone can tell me any more about it. The whole thing is 11 inches long and has a 6 inch blade.

Untitled by Blake Blade, on FlickrUntitled by Blake Blade, on Flickr

It looks like a small brush hook to me, but I'm sure it's probably for harvesting something specific.

 

[jc57]

My house is on a small 3/10 acre lot in the city. We have trees, shrubs, ornamentals and a small lawn but no "garden" per se. So more yard work than gardening. My working in the yard pocket knives are a Victorinox Farmer and/or a Case Large Stockman. I'll also (or instead) carry a large modern folder.

But in general it's saws, loppers, hand pruners, shovels, and rakes that get used. Pocket knives rarely come into play.

 

[Will Power]

Blake, I thought it was a Bill Hook, sometimes used as vine pruners in vineyards (the smaller ones) otherwise the old school hedging&ditching tool in other climes. All done by tractor now, often with a lot of damage to plants and wildlife....

 

[deltaboy]

Rough Rider makes a folding hook Bill.

 

[ISKski]

I don't actually use this - but here is a 140yr old gardner being used in the garden.

 

[Blake the Blade]

My house is on a small 3/10 acre lot in the city. We have trees, shrubs, ornamentals and a small lawn but no "garden" per se. So more yard work than gardening. My working in the yard pocket knives are a Victorinox Farmer and/or a Case Large Stockman. I'll also (or instead) carry a large modern folder.

But in general it's saws, loppers, hand pruners, shovels, and rakes that get used. Pocket knives rarely come into play.

Thank you Jc57 I too am a huge fan of the a Vic Farmer, everything you need in a slip joint. :thumbup:

 

[Blake the Blade]

I don't actually use this - but here is a 140yr old gardner being used in the garden.

That's great ISK, nice to see an old knife in action. Still looks very functional. Show me another picture of the whole thing if you get a chance it looks like an interesting one, just love old knives. :thumbup:

 

[Blake the Blade]

Blake, I thought it was a Bill Hook, sometimes used as vine pruners in vineyards (the smaller ones) otherwise the old school hedging&ditching tool in other climes. All done by tractor now, often with a lot of damage to plants and wildlife....

Yeah I thought that Will but the ones I've seen, used in the past for hedging, hurdle making etc around these parts anyway, are usually a bit wider. Found one once in between the brickwork atop an old flint wall, must have been put in when they originally built the wall at least a hundred years before. I slipped it back in where I hope it still remains. Mine seems like something between a hawk bill and a bill hook. Thanks for your interest Will. :thumbup:

 

[Blake the Blade]

Rough Rider makes a folding hook Bill.

Thanks deltaboy, I'll look into that. :thumbup:

 

[Blake the Blade]

It looks like a small brush hook to me, but I'm sure it's probably for harvesting something specific.

Thanks Hickory. Obviously this could have a multitude of uses, it's big enough for brush clearance but not to big for pruning or harvesting or any number of smaller tasks. I think you're right though, that originally it would have had a specific job to do. Thanks again. :thumbup:

 

[Hickory n steel]

Thanks Hickory. Obviously this could have a multitude of uses, it's big enough for brush clearance but not to big for pruning or any number of smaller tasks. I think you're right though, that originally it had a specific job to do. Thanks again. :thumbup:

Ontario makes so many different types of agricultural blades that I'm sure you'd find an example of one of those on their website, then you'll know exactly what they're for.

 

[Henry Beige]

Conchita usually prefers that I stay out of her flower garden, but I keep a Hultafors handy, with the big fat ugly green handle, in case she needs a blade.

For my own projects I like to use my Condor Golok if a chain saw is not called for. Sometimes circumstances dictate a pruner or Swede saw. A couple of times the other day, I had occasion to use the saw on my Vic Farmer. Conchita was derisive until she saw me finish off a couple of four-inch box elders that were hard by a fence so that nothing else would fit behind them.