Folding knives

[Whiskey James SASS#85199]

Howdy All,

Just wondering when it was that folding knives became common enough to see one in a cowboys pocket.  And maybe some sources to some.

thanks a lot,

Whiskey James

[St. George]

Always a good idea to review the 'back pages' of any of the forums - you'll find all sorts of answers.

The two St. George's Notes 'VII' and 'VIIa' will give you a good idea of 'what' and 'when' - but as to your locating originals - you're on your own.

There are modern manufacturers of knives that have a good 'look' but with stainless blades and synthetic scales - I can't recommend any of them, since they're of no interest to me - but I'm sure you'll get replies.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[River City John]

Pocket knives have been around a long time. Excavated out of Revolutionary War sites, Civil War sites . . . and from well before those timeframes.

www.ssfirearms.com
www.fcsutler.com
www.dixiegunworks.com

All three Sutlers above carry perfectly acceptable pocket knives. Also, keep looking in antique shops, farm auctions, etc. The most common forms of pocket knives were all developed well before the turn to the 20th century, with the exception of the modern 'tactical'-type folders you see so much of today.
Stay away from the "40-tools-in-one" knives, too. Keep them simple as the general purpose they were used for originally.

RCJ

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[GunClick Rick]

See Johnny Cohea,he makes some real nice ones. See gallery,folders.

http://jmcknives.blademakers.com/

[Josh Dabney]

I have made 1 slip joint already.

And I have been eye-in up barlow pattern slip joints, which from my understanding date reliably to the late 1700's.   Of course I'm thinkin about period correct materials.... carbon steel blade, spring, and american hardwood handle scales.

As far as friction folders go I have personal experience with both Dave Cole and John Cohea versions and know that neither will disappoint.

I have yet to read St. George's posts but look forward to doing so.

From what I understand pocket knives were quite common throughout the 1800's  so it shouldn't be to difficult to come up with an authentic plan ranging from friction folder to a high class pearl handled doctor's pattern slippie

-Josh 

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

         Grand Daddy Barlow's were popular


              tEN wOLVES 

[St. George]

You're in luck, since the originals were factory-made knives - and they were prolific in their manufacture and retailing efforts - there were hundreds of thousands of them, if not more.

Many were of European manufacture - many of the original styles still exist, today - with some made by the original makers.

So very few were handmade as to be of negligible interest to a serious Impression, and there were none of the modern varieties seen today.

In fact, there were 'very' few locking-bladed pocket knives - most showing up close to the century's end.

The difficulty arises in finding a 'nice' pocket knife that'd look as though it had no wear - as though it were a recent purchase.

Today, that's hard to do, since collecting pocket knives reached popularity about 30 years ago and has risen.

Still, they 'do' turn up at estate sales...

Get a copy of the reprint 1895 or 1900  'Sears, Roebuck' catalog that Barnes and Noble's sells - the big, phonebook-sized one - and you'll see all sorts of 'real' pocket knives and sheath knives available for sale during the era.

Back then - if you could read a catalog (or knew someone who could) - you could get any of the big suppliers to mail your purchases to the nearest town, if that town didn't already have a Hardware or Dry Goods store, and if it was later in the era - the mail might even bring 'em to the ranch.

As to my 'Notes' - I pulled them all quite some time ago - there are around 50 of them, and they go back a few years...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Its time to bring this thread to the top.

I submit that knives are first, last. and always, TOOLS.  Tools are only useful when they are with you!

I'm sure that there were more pocket knives around the west than is generally acknowledged.  Around a branding fire the belt knife and pistol were probably hung on a corral post or saddle pocket.  The stock knife was likely the main instrument used in fireside "surgery".  Townies would seldom carry a belt knife in town but would always have a pocket knife.

The survival rate of pocket knives is probably low because they were USED until they disappeared in a cloud of sharpening dust.

(My Father was a carpenter and carried a stock knife tucked beside his wallet in his back pocket.  I did the same until pocket clips came out.  My first was a SPYDERCO "Hunter", which I still have.)

Pocket knives don't "show" as well as belt knives, but I think were more important and should be stressed more in our sport.

[Delmonico]

Well said Sir Charles.  The fact that at least 99% of folks in the old pictures don't have a belt knife strapped on, let alone a bowie knife big enough to count as a short sword ought to tell folks something.  Except in the rare case I have to go to one of the damnedable government office buildings that won't let you, I carry a pocket knife, a Buck 311 to be precise.  No knife , nail and hammer visible in the inset and the black scales worn smooth. 

Yes most folks in that day before it became non PC carried one.  Both my Grandma's carried one in their purse.

[Shotgun Steve]

Whiskey I still use the same friction folder that I use when doing 18th century reenacting.
It was made by Randy Wolfe. It is the wooden handled one on the left at the bottom of the photo.
just above the two bottom knives. Some knives span the two time periods very well.

 Shotgun Steve

[The Elderly Kid]

Friction folders are found in Roman excavation sites 2000 years old. The backspring-slipjoint folder dates from the 17th century. I've even seen a switchblade that apparently dates back to the 17th century. Locking blades were sometimes seen on 19th century folders, usually in the "folding dirk" design. John Wilkes Booth was carrying one when he was killed. But you really can't go wrong with a Barlow. By the way, "Barlow" is a design, not a manufacturer. The true Barlow has a handle that swells toward the rounded butt and the bolster (the metal reinforcement at the front) extends about a third of the length of the closed handle. They go back at least to the early 19th century. They were turned out in huge numbers and were so cheap any boy could own one and most did. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn both carried Barlows (okay, they were fictional but the Barlow wasn't.) Barlows were made by numberless companies but the John Russel company made more than most. The Russels have a capital R with an arrow through it stamped on the bolster. Cheap, handy and incredibly useful: that's hard to beat.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

   My Granddad always carried a pocket knife, either a Stockmans knife or a Granddaddy Barlow, these old knives like Sir Charles mentioned were sharpened until there wasn't anything left to sharpen, he always had a little sharpening stone with him, and his blades were like razors, even when he went healed he never carried a fixed blade knife, all those were kept at the ranch or in his saddle bags.


                          tEN wOLVES 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

BTW a stock knife, with three blades, is a wonderful whittling knife

[Delmonico]

BTW a stock knife, with three blades, is a wonderful whittling knife

They are about the handiest knife ever made.

[Professor Marvel]

They are about the handiest knife ever made.

Because I am a klutz, after accidentally folding a large stockknife onto my knuckles,  I have settled on small lockblades as a daily pocketknife. That does not prevent me from both admiring the well-made Stockknife!

However there is one thing that continues to perplex me - the names of the blades. The  Stock Knife patterns have  a variety of  blades: pen blades,  clip point blade,  spey blade, and a sheepfoot blade. The first two are obvious and self explanatory (not that I ever used the spey blade for it's named purpose!) But what in the dickens is a sheepfoot blade named for? To my eye it does not "look" like a little hoof; Do Sheeps Feets need regular trimming, rather like Horsie Hoofies? ? Not being a sheepherder I am woefully unfamiliar with anything but their aroma and the flavor of lamb ....

Oh, and the one favored sheep at the Histerical Re-Enactment Farm that insisted on rubbing her neck on my 300 pound anvi, knocking it off the stump :-(  ... And the Goose that kept laying her eggs in my forge and trying to bite everyone in the Glutious Maximus ...

yhs
prof marvel
(is he making this cr*p up?)