Traditional slippie with a pruning or hawkbill blade?

[Planterz]

Is there a company (Case, Shrade, Boker, etc.) who makes or has made a 3 or 4 blade folder with one of the blades being a a pruning or hawkbill blade - something with an inward curve?

I've checked the companies' sites and didn't find anything like what I'm thinking about but that doesn't mean that in those companies' long histories that something like that was never made.

I have a Victorinox Pioneer Rancher Alox - basically a Soldier with a pruning blade in place of the can opener, for those who don't know - which I like well and fine enough. But the metal handles are cold and modern. I'd like to find something more traditional / old fashioned with natural handles like bone, horn, or wood.

Was such a knife ever made, and if so would it be reasonably attainable (ie: not too rare or expensive)? Or would I be better of getting whittler or a congress and modifying the sheepsfoot / wharncliffe into the shape I desire?

Any help or advice is appreciated. Forgive any odd typos I didn't catch, I'm stuck posting from my phone.

 

[hwpaintballer]

I have an old pocket knife with 3 blades, a large hawk bill, a regular blade, and what looked to be a straight razor. It was my grandfathers, what ever my uncles didn't want in pocket knives got passed down to me so it's probably not the best, I'm currently at college a few hours away from home and my knife is at the house I think..... but I'll dig around and see what I can find.

ETA: Found the knife in a small collection that I brought, I'll take some pics and upload for you.

 

[hwpaintballer]

It's been well used, I really need to clean it up and sharpen it, :foot: not the prettiest knife by any means, but here's an example of a 3 bladed knife with a hawkbill.

The straight razor looking blade actually has a built in liner lock, I just now noticed.

 

[Pipeman]

Your knife is a linesmans knife, the razor thingy is a screw driver and a wire striper. The three blades show up on Ebay fairly often and go for not much money and are usually build like tanks.

Regards

Robin

 

[hwpaintballer]

Your knife is a linesmans knife, the razor thingy is a screw driver and a wire striper. The three blades show up on Ebay fairly often and go for not much money and are usually build like tanks.

Regards

Robin

I knew there was a reason I loved this sub-forum, thanks Robin I really appreciate it :thumbup:

 

[Planterz]

That's certainly different. Not really what I was originally thinking, but something worth considering. Do you have any info on the maker?

 

[hwpaintballer]

That's certainly different. Not really what I was originally thinking, but something worth considering. Do you have any info on the maker?

GG
Klein Tools
Chicago, USA

Is stamped on the blade, I know Klein makes electrical tools, and the whole wire stripper hawkbill, and screw driver makes a lot more sense now.

 

[yablanowitz]

Colonial under the Old Cutler brand made this stockman with a hawkbill blade in the middle at some point. I've had it long enough that I don't remember when or where I got it.

 

[Planterz]

Ooo, I like that one. Could do with something other than the spey blade - I don't do much livestock neutering these days - but we're getting close.

Carbon steel I'm assuming? 1095?

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

I bought this knife for $5 and modified the main blade into a wharncliffe, and the scales I stripped and made Micarta ones but the hawksbill blade is original:

Before:

Can't give you any info on how expensive or rare it is, but it shows they are out there.

I have the Klein folder above, except mine has a bail on it. While moving oil drilling rigs once my glasses broke and I used the rope on the bail to hold my nosepieces together for 3 days until I got back to civilization, so that knife has special meaning to me.

Honestly my ideal slipjoint is a long thin wharncliffe main, punch/awl next to it, and a hook and full belly smaller blades on the other side so I can have every shape I need- concave/convex/straight. I'm still looking and custom builders I've talked to don't want to try it, or neglect to contact me about it, so I'm looking too....

 

[RetiredGuns]

I've had these forever and a day and they come in handy.
Klein & Camillus.

 

[orca8589]

That three-blade knife is called a "Janitor". (See post #6 here.)
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=772189&highlight=janitor

The regular two-blade knife, with a spear and a screwdriver, is the Linesman's knife, IIRC.

Case also makes a pattern called a "Loom Fixer", with one large sheepfoot and a small pen blade. I've found that it works almost as well as a hawkbill for yardwork.

Edited to add: A.G. Russell also makes a large one (4-5/8" closed) one called an "Eagle Beak".

~Chris

 

[TLARbb]

Case has a single blade hawkbill in their new catalog. Just the 1 blade though.

Ed