A knife you could "shear sheep with"

[bedbugbilly]

I'm not a knife maker but I ran across this little "gem" at a farmer's market in southern Arizona this past December.  The fellow I bought it from used to be a farrier and run a sharpening shop up in Santa Fe - now he does blacksmith work making artistic things.  He'd made a number of these knives and I just couldn't resist.  I'm not a competitive shooter but I do shoot SA and am usually over on the leatherwork forum as I make holsters and leather goods.  I need to get a sheath made for this at some point so it will go on my gunbelt.  At any rate, the blade is made out of a "sheep shear" blade - the handle is antler with a buffalo horn cap.  The guy who made it said that he has used the sheep shear blades to make steak knives as well.  True, it's not as "fancy" as some of the fine custom work you guys do, but I wanted to post some photos of it.  Actually, the use of the blade from the sheep shear would seem to be very "authentic" for the time period of the old west and such.  I can visualize a blacksmith pulling a set of sheep shears out of his "scrap pile" and recycling the blade in this manner to make a utility type of knife.  I've cut roast with it and it works great - holds a great edge.  The slight curvature of the blade doesn't seem to affect its function.  Just thought I'd post some photos of it in case any of you knife makers and such had a pair of sheep shears laying around and no sheep to use 'em on.  Thanks!   

[bedbugbilly]

A couple more photos of the "sheep shear" knife

[The Elderly Kid]

I love this sort of thing.

[Forty Rod]

Nice design, even considering its ancestry.  (Why would any self respecting cattle ranch have sheep shears on the premises?   )

[bedbugbilly]

Forty Rod -  ahhhhh . . . . point well taken!  Maybe a pair hanging around for "haircuts"?     LOL

[Will Ketchum]

Nice design, even considering its ancestry.  (Why would any self respecting cattle ranch have sheep shears on the premises?   )

Because he dropped them when the cattleman ran him off.  Since a the rancher had no use for them he had his blacksmith bake a pare of knives for him.

Will Ketchum

[Pitchy]

Howdy, kinda new around here 
I`ve made a few of those knives, here`s a couple.