Traditional Kentucky Derby Knife?

T

Toddwalla

Joined
May 27, 2012
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This weekend I’m hosting a Kentucky Derby party. Today I’ve been doing research on betting pools and derby fashion in preparation for the fun this weekend. As I started looking at vintage derby photos for ideas, I began to think about what knife I should carry (like you do). It is hard to imagine that the men in these old photos don’t have a knife in their pocket. I imagine a small penknife in silver or MOP, maybe even some ivory…

So it has me thinking. I am not sure what knife I’m going to slip into my seersucker pants yet, but I am curious as to your thoughts about what would make a good traditional derby knife. I know Queen made a souvenir peanut and Bulldog has made a souvenir sowbelly stockman, but what knife do you picture in the pockets of these old timers?

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The derby has long been about wearing fancy duds and showing off your best stuff. If this had been made in that era, something like it::D
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and Kentucky is right in the heart of Case country.;)
 
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Nothing says Kentucky like a John Primble Senator :D

Happy derby day.

Regards

Robin


OR, an old pearly.
 
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Why a Case Stockman of course; and if your horse loses, then you know the horse should have raced as a gelding; and that's where the Stockman comes in....

 
I think tip bolsters would go well with some wingtip spectator shoes and a nice suit. Oh . . . and of course, a fedora. ;)

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Among current releases, this Case teardrop would work beautifully.

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Never been to the Kentucky Derby but I have been to the Carolina Cup and this is what I had in my pocket.

 
I'd probably carry a small Opinel. That way when I keel over from too many mint juleps and partying, and my pockets get rifled, I won't lose anything really nice. I do love a mint julep!:D
 
jackknife said:
I'd probably carry a small Opinel. That way when I keel over from too many mint juleps and partying, and my pockets get rifled, I won't lose anything really nice. I do love a mint julep!:D
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Well now son I say son, you gotta - I say you gotta keep on your toes. Toes that is.
 
In the era of your picture I'm going to suggest a Belknap Hardware stag-handled jack knife. OH

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davek14 said:
Well now son I say son, you gotta - I say you gotta keep on your toes. Toes that is.
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That boy's about as sharp as pound o' wet livah!

If its anything like the Melbourne Cup Something with a caplifter for the dual purpose of celebrating/drowning sorrows.
 
meako said:
That boy's about as sharp as pound o' wet livah!

If its anything like the Melbourne Cup Something with a caplifter for the dual purpose of celebrating/drowning sorrows.
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Great posts so far! And Meako, the derby is more of a bourbon event, but my flatmate is from Brisbane, so I imagine a caplifter will most definitely be in order!!!
 
Most definitely a slim gentleman's knife that would be almost unnoticed in the pocket of your seersucker suit pants. Preferably a Primble made right here in Louisville, MOP scales would be fitting to the occasion. It should be very sharp, sharp enough to shred those nasty losing tickets into the thinnest of slivers! (Unless you need to save the losing ones to offset the winners when you file your taxes).
Sadly, there's no way you could get that knife inside the track these days.
 
Perhaps a slim and elegant personal steak and fruit knife. I have carried and used this knife when dining on sushi; and it's an appropriate color for KY.....

 
clutchcarter said:
Sadly, there's no way you could get that knife inside the track these days.
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I have not been to the derby in over fifteen years, so I wondered about that when I first read the OP.

I thought, shhhhh . . . . . . . . don't ruin the party.:D:D:D
 
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