Traditional shield directional placement

[John L]

If a slipjoint, for example, is opened with blade pointing to the left and handle to the right....with spine up.....what is the logical symetry for a shield such as a Kabar dog head? Seems like traditionally it is upside down to me. What says you? Most traditional shields are viewed from the point up and are also undirectional. Hmmmmm?

 

[JC in SC]

This is a great question. The Kabar dog head shields always looked upside down to me as well. Hopefully some of the knowledgeable regulars here will explain it to us. Maybe even the old Dog himself will chime in as I'm sure he knows the answer.

 

[John L]

The Bose dogshead shield is also"upside" down to me if memory serves correctly.

 

[Railsplitter]

Intersting question indeed. I would have to check and see but I think all of the slipjoints that I own have upside down shields by your definition.

I am so accustomed to it that right side up would seem upside down to me.

 

[jamesbeat]

The 'right way up' to me is with the knife resting on its spine. This is how a knife is displayed for sale, so it makes sense to have the shield facing up when the knife is in this position.

 

[zerogee]

My point of view is when you have the blade open, you're supposed to have it in your hand using it -- therefore you cannot see the shield, so upside down is a moot point then. Thus the traditional shield is placed to be viewed properly when the knife is closed and on it's back, like you'd lay it down on a table or hold it in the palm of your hand to look at it or how you'd hold it as you're about to open it -- for a closed slipjoint, back down is the "normal" orientation.

 

[rickmenefee]

They been doing that way for 100 years

 

[zerogee]

They been doing that way for 100 years

More like over 200 years.

 

[cnas122]

Yep...what Dwight and Rick said. Just the way they do the dog's heads

 

[Thomason]

Just the way they do the dog's heads

...and ducks. Quack! Quack!

 

[JC in SC]

In reading the responses here, it all makes sense now. I suspect the knife orientation we typically see in photographs is what has tainted some of our perspectives. Thanks for setting us straight

 

[black mamba]

Here is an example from GEC of what you are talking about, and I always thought it looked very weird upside down.