What's a clasp knife?

freedoom

freedoom

Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
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I've seen the term thrown around. is it just another name for a slip joint or is it something specific?
 
A "clasp knife" refers to a knife with a basic curved frame (like a horn). Think of fish knives, toothpicks, Spanish navajas etc

This knife (not mine) would also be considered to be based on the "clasp knife" concept:

cVoyles_Auction_36_116.jpg
 
The first I ever encountered the term was in Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. The ex-convict. Able Magwich carried one. So the term was in use by Dickens time.
 
freedoom said:
Thanks Blues! Any idea where the term came from?
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Bernard Levine (and his forum) would be the best resource for that answer imho.

I've heard a couple of answers and prefer not to inadvertently mislead.
 
jackknife said:
The first I ever encountered the term was in Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens. The ex-convict. Able Magwich carried one. So the term was in use by Dickens time.
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One of my favorite stories, Carl! :thumbup:
 
Growing up in England..
In general usage, a clasp knife meant a large folding knife

What is now called the "British Army Knife" was called a Clasp Knife

The words for folding knives were:
Pen knife
Jack knife
Clasp knife

Then there was a Sheath Knife
 
The traditional folding hunters we know of such as the buck 317, the uncle henry 225 & old timers like 125 are also regarded as clasp knives even though loosely referred to simply as folding hunters.
 
Having a curved shape means that there's often a reasonable amount of blade to get hold of as in pinch opening. These knives tend to be larger I'd say. Oddly enough, clasp means in jewellrey, a device to fasten things together. I wonder if Clasp knives originally had some kind of catch to keep the blade open? A primitive lock sort of thing?
 
willgoy said:
Having a curved shape means that there's often a reasonable amount of blade to get hold of as in pinch opening. These knives tend to be larger I'd say. Oddly enough, clasp means in jewellrey, a device to fasten things together. I wonder if Clasp knives originally had some kind of catch to keep the blade open? A primitive lock sort of thing?
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According to the Oxford Dictionary, a clasp knife has a clasp to keep it closed
 
I always though the origins of a clasp knife was a one bladed folding knife where the blade, when opened, was held open by mechanical means not friction. This encompasses a lot, it could be help open by a spring (Sodbuster), locking ring (Opinel) or other device (Okapi).
 
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