Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

black mamba said:
Good morning Guardians! I am a disciple, but not yet a convert. I would love it if those of you who have used a variety of straight-edged blades (lambfoot, sheepfoot, coping, Wharncliffe) would lay out for me the differences, strengths and weaknesses of using the various blades, with emphasis on the lambfoot.

For my typical usage of a straight-edge, I would put the sheepfoot first (strength & precision), the coping second (less strong, but just as precise), and third the Wharncliffe (fragile tip and less precision because of its usual length). I impatiently await your thoughts!
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Jack Black said:
Most of us like and use many blade shapes, for versatility though, I prefer the Lambsfoot above all others. In comparison to the mighty Sheepsfoot, I think it offers greater precision, allowing the user to see precisely where the tip is being placed, which isn't always possible with a Sheepsfoot, while sacrificing little in strength. I also find the Lambsfoot more precise than the Coping blade, more versatile and easier to use, and also stronger. As for the Wharncliffe, I think it is even more precise, again because it is easier to see exactly where the point is, I think it offers greater control, and considerably more strength. I'm biased, but I think the Lambsfoot is also the most aesthetically pleasing ;) :thumbsup:
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I find the lambsfoot a perfect compromise between the strength of a sheepfoot, and the delicate tip of a wharncliffe. The knives are usually very pocket friendly too. The spine doesn't rise too high above the frame.
black mamba said:
Now with that two-blade in mind, do you ever see the lambfoot as a shorter secondary, like the sheepfoot usually is found?
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Jack Black said:
The Lambsfoot is never secondary Jeff! :D :thumbsup:
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Ha! Good one, Jack!
I was just thinking about how many whittler pattern knives have a secondary coping blade, and I sure would like to see one with a small lambsfoot instead. The tapered blade and angled tip would allow me to get into tighter spaces.

Echo has taken to the lambsfoot, too!
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Jack Black said:
Awww! Great pic Joshua! :D :thumbsup: I recently gave my mate's lad this one, his first knife :thumbsup:

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He was admiring my wee staggy yesterday, so I told him that if he behaves himself he might get one for his birthday next year ;) :thumbsup:
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Good on you, Jack! The lambsfoot seems like a GREAT first knife. It inspires one to use a knife the way it's meant to be used. What a perfect companion on his adventures. :thumbsup:
 
r8shell said:
I find the lambsfoot a perfect compromise between the strength of a sheepfoot, and the delicate tip of a wharncliffe. The knives are usually very pocket friendly too. The spine doesn't rise too high above the frame.
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This has been my experience as well. I find the blade shape to be well suited to most of my every day tasks. Need to break down a bunch of cardboard? No problem, it happily takes a beating. Need to open a clamshell package? No problem, the tip and angle of the nose is perfect. Cut through rubber hose? Yup. Slice up a rack of ribs? Yup. Cut out a pattern from a piece of paper? Yup, that sharp tip helps there, too. It is by far my my most used blade for non-carving tasks. But, if I could ever find a whittling knife with a small lambsfoot instead of a coping blade, I think it'd be superior for certain types of carving detail work as well.

If I'm being honest, it's not my favorite for food prep. I like some belly for that, but I've sliced plenty of salami and cheese on hikes when the lambsfoot was what was in my pocket and it worked just fine.

To sum it up: it's comfortable in the pocket, it's comfortable in hand, and it's just so dang versatile in use. No wonder it's usually in my pocket. :)
 
WhittlinAway said:
This has been my experience as well. I find the blade shape to be well suited to most of my every day tasks. Need to break down a bunch of cardboard? No problem, it happily takes a beating. Need to open a clamshell package? No problem, the tip and angle of the nose is perfect. Cut through rubber hose? Yup. Slice up a rack of ribs? Yup. Cut out a pattern from a piece of paper? Yup, that sharp tip helps there, too. It is by far my my most used blade for non-carving tasks. But, if I could ever find a whittling knife with a small lambsfoot instead of a coping blade, I think it'd be superior for certain types of carving detail work as well.

If I'm being honest, it's not my favorite for food prep. I like some belly for that, but I've sliced plenty of salami and cheese on hikes when the lambsfoot was what was in my pocket and it worked just fine.

To sum it up: it's comfortable in the pocket, it's comfortable in hand, and it's just so dang versatile in use. No wonder it's usually in my pocket. :)
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Glad you have the where with all, to describe why you like the LF. :thumbsup:I discovered this style of knife, 3 or 4 months ago, it is one of the best everyday users I have come across. As I've said before, I could have saved a lot of money, had I found the LF earlier.
 
r8shell said:
Ha! Good one, Jack!
I was just thinking about how many whittler pattern knives have a secondary coping blade, and I sure would like to see one with a small lambsfoot instead. The tapered blade and angled tip would allow me to get into tighter spaces.

Echo has taken to the lambsfoot, too!
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Thanks Rachel :D That is an absolutely fantastic pic :) :thumbsup:

TucsonMik said:
Good on you, Jack! The lambsfoot seems like a GREAT first knife. It inspires one to use a knife the way it's meant to be used. What a perfect companion on his adventures. :thumbsup:
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Thanks my friend, the blade on the one I gave him can be pinched open, and the pull isn't too strong for him. I figure that a point that's in line with the edge is also slightly safer for a first-time user since it's a little less likely to fold up if he catches the point. It also has a half-stop. I warned his parents that he'd almost certainly cut himself at some point, but surprisingly, despite doing a fair bit of simple whittling, and using his knife around camp, he's remained unscarred. Not doing dangerous things like taking photos of the knife probably helps! :D :thumbsup:
 
Morning Guardians. Hope you all have a nice Sunday in the works.
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donn said:
Morning Guardians. Hope you all have a nice Sunday in the works.
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Hey David, good to see you here :) I was actually seeing if I could find a video clip of the old Sheffield band Don Valley & The Rotherhides singing their song Where's Don(n)! :D All I could find though, was a rather scary sequence from the film Sexy Beast! :eek: :D I was in York on Friday, showing a visitor around, we must have walked 15 miles! :eek: But we did get to a few pubs, including The Phoenix and The Blue Bell :) Hope you're having a great weekend my friend :thumbsup:
 
dc50 said:
Good job! I'm finding I have more success with my Spyderco ceramic flat stones med/fine than my dmt diamond flats.
I then finish with white then green compound on a leather strop.
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Thanks, the straight-edged blades, properly ground, are not usually much of a challenge :) I've found the same Dave. My '18 really didn't take much time at all, and I actually just dry-stropped it afterwards :thumbsup:
 
Jack Black said:
Thanks, the straight-edged blades, properly ground, are not usually much of a challenge :) I've found the same Dave. My '18 really didn't take much time at all, and I actually just dry-stropped it afterwards :thumbsup:
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I was well pleased with the new Guardian, all I had to do was strop, and it was good to go. :thumbsup:
 
dc50 said:
I was well pleased with the new Guardian, all I had to do was strop, and it was good to go. :thumbsup:
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Fantastic :) Yes, I could have probably just stropped mine really. Wright's did a good job :thumbsup:
 
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