Why is it Called a "Spey" Blade

C

calvinw

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Feb 28, 2012
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I just adopted a dog from the pound. It occurred to me that "neutered" is used for male dogs and "spayed" is used for females.

So where does a "spey" blade fit in? Is it the same as "spaying" a female dog? (Which doesn't make sense - since you don't castrate/cut females.)

Or is it a different etymology altogether?


Edit: spelling - "spade" to "spayed"
 
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It's blunt/round tip is traditionally meant for neutering male critters on farms/ranches. Why they chose the name "spey" I can't answer that part.
 
calvinw said:
I just adopted a dog from the pound. It occurred to me that "neutered" is used for male dogs and "spade" is used for females.
Click to expand...

I've not seen 'spade' used; in the U.K. it's 'spayed' from the verb 'spay' - the practice of removing ovaries from female animals. It originates from the old French word 'espeer' which translates as 'cut with a sword' which in turn is from the Latin 'spatha' for sword.

I expect the American spey is just an evolution of the word spay in both its practical meaning, application and spelling.


My best guess...
 
The blade style we now call a spey was called a castrator in Sheffield, and I'm told is still referred to by that name there today. In Australia too, early to mid twentieth century knife and tool catalogues refer to that blade shape as a castrator. This name accurately reflects the tools purpose.


Joseph Rodgers 'Western Castrator' from a friend's collection.


A similar knife configuration listed in a 1924 Australian knife and tool catalogue.

I suspect the genteel misnomer of referring to the 'spey' blade instead of the 'castrator', might have started in polite conversation, hardware stores and salesrooms in America, sometime around the turn of the twentieth century. An actual surgical blade for speying operations by veterinarians on female animals would be a completely different profile, I would think.
 
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Funny. Me and a guy at work jokingly call them neuter blades
 
Cambertree said:
The blade style we now call a spey was called a castrator in Sheffield, and I'm told is still referred to by that name there today. In Australia too, early to mid twentieth century knife and tool catalogues refer to that blade shape as a castrator. This name accurately reflects the tools purpose.


Joseph Rodgers 'Western Castrator' from a friend's collection.


A similar knife configuration listed in a 1924 Australian knife and tool catalogue.

I suspect the genteel misnomer of referring to the 'spey' blade imstead of the 'castrator', might have started in polite conversation, hardware stores and salesrooms in America, sometime around the turn of the twentieth century. An actual surgical blade for speying operations by veterinarians would be a completely different profile, I would think.
Click to expand...

Awesome info!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
pmew said:
I've not seen 'spade' used; in the U.K. it's 'spayed' from the verb 'spay' - the practice of removing ovaries from female animals. It originates from the old French word 'espeer' which translates as 'cut with a sword' which in turn is from the Latin 'spatha' for sword.

I expect the American spey is just an evolution of the word spay in both its practical meaning, application and spelling.


My best guess...
Click to expand...

Sorry, you're right. I misspelled that. (I edited the original post to correct it.) It's "spayed" here in the US too. The question I meant to ask was why is it called a spey blade when it's supposed to be used on males, not females.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Spey/ actually the proper term for neutering a animal. Since the blade is/was used for that purpose, hence the name.
 
scattershot said:
Spey/ actually the proper term for neutering a animal. Since the blade is/was used for that purpose, hence the name.
Click to expand...

Spey and spay, both correct. Male and female both correct. Meanwhile, some "office knives" had a spey and sheepfoot blade, and some "florists" knives had a spey and sheepfoot blade.
 
I say we start calling that blade a Rocky Mountain Oyster Maker.

-- Mark
 
It's my personal favorite blade shape for a working pocket knife. Just so great. I'm glad to know why it's called that. I thought it was So Perfect Everyone Yearns

Red
 
The spey is a great blade for many things. I find that there is a huge variation in shape. Gec and Moore maker have almost a pen blade with a hump on it, where fightin rooster has a very round end. Not only is the spey and love it or hate it blade, it also depends on the maker.
 
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