“Sheepsfoot” terminology pedantry time! (+ bonus term suggestion)

Remember what language is for. If whatever they call the blade shape gives you a good idea of what to expect when you see it, then it's fine.

Side Note: Sheepsfoot blades were named for their purpose, not because they resembled a sheep's foot. So if we really want to be pedantic I doubt any of you are talking about a real sheepsfoot blade.
 
No sheepsfoot or wharncliff expert by any stretch of the imagination but Ive called this humble carbon Opi a sheepsfoot, after I modded it.

Regardless of the label, its one heck of a cardboard cutter.

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Insipid Moniker said:
Remember what language is for. If whatever they call the blade shape gives you a good idea of what to expect when you see it, then it's fine.
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I was going to say something similar. English is also a living language which means words change meaning pretty frequently as well. When in doubt, just look at the thing and forget what the maker calls it.

At a certain point I suspect knives will have every descriptor regardless if true so it catches more web search hits. There’s another wrinkle for ya.
 
Comeuppance said:
I think the proper terminology here is "Reverse-Ground Traditional Kwaiken With Sharpened Spine"
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Now, that will sell some knives. :D It has always bugged me to no end people calling many ZT's and Benchmades "sheepsfoot" blades. They ain't.
 
The blade shape resembles a sheeps' rear shape more than it's foot.

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My vote is for "Sheepsbutt".


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This thread is giving me a headache. This that, this that, this the other thing. Yeeeek.
 
What I typically see labeled as "reverse tanto" blades are really modified spey blades. I think the prefix "modified" is a useful one for all blade shapes that most closely resemble the stated blade type, but have either one major deviation from the pattern norm, or several minor deviations, the sum of which is enough to make the unmodified term an awkward fit. In the case of the Benchmade Griptilian blade shape, "modified sheepsfoot" is the most appropriate term. The cutting line is mostly the thing that keeps it from being a true sheepsfoot, being curved rather than straight. But if the tip continued to drop, the edge would become straight and it'd be a true sheepsfoot. It's essentially the shape of a sheepsfoot that's worn more at the tip and been sharpened back over time.
 
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