What seperates a Sheepsfoot from Wharncliffe?

[Planterz]

I thought that I had a pretty complete understanding of these 2 blade shapes, but often the two names are used interchangably to describe seperate blade styles. Presumably, because both are straight edged.

Let me see if I've got this right...

A sheepsfoot has a straight edge, with no pointed tip. The "tip" is rounded from the spine down to the edge, and the grind at the tip matches the grind of the rest of the blade. Somewhat like a reverse clip point.

A wharncliffe also has a straight edge, but usually has a tip, or at least more of a tip than a sheepsfoot. Curve from the base of the blade to the tip is much more gradual, taking much, or even all of the blade length to drop to the tip. Also, the spine of the knife follows the drop the entire (or most of) length of the blade, having almost the same thickness at the tip as it does at the base.

Is this correct?

I see sheepsfoots (sheepsfeet?) as rescue style knives a lot because the blunted blade can't stab. A wharncliffe, assuming my presumtions are correct, is still a pretty capable stabber.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

That sounds good. I would define a sheepsfoot as a wharncliffe where the back of the blade is parallel to the edge until just before the tip.

 

[storyville]

Also -- probably goes without saying -- sheepsfoot usually has a serrated edge, while the Wharncliffe usually sports a plain, straight edge. Not absolutely, of course: Spyderco makes a sheepsfoot with a 50/50 edge, and some of the Klotzli Wharncliffes have a 75/25 plain/ serrated edge.

Further, typically, because the curve/drop in the Sheepsfoot's tip is short, the blade can retain the full thickness of the spine out to the very tip. Because the Wharncliffe's spine drops/curves more gradually toward the straight edge, the blade sports a distal taper which thins out the blade gradually to a very fine point. Great for removing splinters or anything else that requires a needle-like tip or precision.

Tangent RE blunt tip of the sheepsfoot: While it's intended to minimize stabbing, there's that scene in "Proof of Life" in which Russell Crowe's character uses the sheepsfoot on a Leatherman Wave, to rip out a sentry's throat from behind...

Glen

 

[JAlexander]

Also -- probably goes without saying -- sheepsfoot usually has a serrated edge, while the Wharncliffe usually sports a plain, straight edge. Not absolutely, of course: Spyderco makes a sheepsfoot with a 50/50 edge, and some of the Klotzli Wharncliffes have a 75/25 plain/ serrated edge.

Glen

Not that I'm disagreeing, but I never saw a serrated sheepsfoot until a couple years ago. But I have seen many many sheepsfoot blades on stockman pattern slipjoints, and that configuration has been around for many years.
How long have knifemakers been putting serious serrations on knives, anyhow?

James

 

[mete]

Serrations? what are those ? In "Whittling and Woodcarving" 1936 they descibe the wharncliffe and the long sheepsfoot as modifications of the sheepsfoot. The sheepsfoot has edge and spine parallel to near the end of the blade while the wharncliffe spine continually curves the entire length to give a sharp point. I wonder if serrations existed in 1936.

 

[JDBLADE]

To throw and shape into the equation is the "lambsfoot" very popular on Sheffield knives. It varys in that the blade is not always exactly straight sometimes tapering towards the tip and the front end is more squared than a sheepsfoot. Of the 3 I believe the Lambsfoot is the best working knife unless you need a bit of "point" than you go for the Wharncliffe.

 

[storyville]

I forgot about the Sheepsfoot on the Stockmans and other traditional folders. I guess the serrated Sheepsfoot has become popular only since its "adoption" as an emergency use blade. (I still think a proper belt cutter is better for most safety uses, but what the heck.)

 

[Daniel Koster]

knifeoutlet.com has it right:

Wharncliffe Blade
The Wharncliffe blade has a straight edge and a spine that tapers to the tip. If the taper is abrupt at the tip, the blade is called a sheepsfoot. This blade profile is excellent for scoring and other applications where the point is used in slicing cuts.

Sheepsfoot is more for scoring and cutting straight lines. I aslo use mine for precision woodcarving, like chip carving.

Wharncliffe is the more "stabby" of the two. Has a straight blade, but you wouldn't want the tip buried deep in a piece of wood....and twist it.... something you can do easily with a sheepsfoot.

That's why you see a lot of multi-blade folders (Case knives, for example) that have sheepsfoot blades (rather than wharncliffe).

 

[Steve-O]

Planterz,

You are correct in your thoughts, except for perhaps this...

...the spine of the knife (Wharncliffe) follows the drop the entire (or most of) length of the blade, having almost the same thickness at the tip as it does at the base....

This statement sounds more like a sheepsfoot - the narrowing of the spine usually occurs at the downward curve, making it a strong, stiff blade, ideal for some aspects of carving. Smaller versions on some multi-blade knives may have more of taper to the spine.

For me, the spine of a Wharncliffe should start to taper as it turns down, the spine of the blade thinning as it curves downward..ending in a point.

Neither blade is made for skinning/gutting, but the Wharncliffe excels at any other camp/real life tasks.

Hope this helps...


Steve-O

 

[Planterz]

The spine on the sheepsfoot serrated on my Leatherman Wave and the Spyderco rescue don't have a spine at the tip. The thickness of the tip at any given point on the taper is the same as the rest of the blade if you draw a line from that point across the knife.

The spine on my Leek (wharncliffe-ish) follows the entire length all the way to the tip, although it does narrow a bit.

That's what I meant in my statement you quoted.

I suppose there's variations within each style though.