Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

:) My most recent Lambsfoot came with a decent edge, and I've only sharpened it today (we had a run-in with a load of cardboard the other day!). It's like a straight razor now :) :thumbup:



WOW Jack just WOW!!!:applause:
 
That Horned 'Foot is a killer, Jack!!
Prettiest Sheffield in recent times!:thumbup:
 
That Horned 'Foot is a killer, Jack!!
Prettiest Sheffield in recent times!:thumbup:

Thanks Charlie, it took me entirely by surprise too. I hadn't even gone to the works to buy a knife for myself. John Maleham, the gaffer, showed me a few of them they had made from some 'special buffalo' they had in, and I snapped up a couple, which I thought were the pick of the bunch. The other is in the post my friend ;) :) :thumbsup:
 
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This old John Wigfall Lambsfoot has seen a lot of honest use I think :)

A lot indeed! If knives could talk...

Is the fading of the FOOT part of the blade stamp from long-term wear and maintenance? Or do you think it was light to begin with, perhaps? I hadn't noticed blades with stamps, as opposed to etches, before this thread and now I'm quite curious about them.
 
Thanks Charlie, it took me entirely by surprise too. I hadn't even gone to the works to buy a knife for myself. John Maleham, the gaffer, showed me a few of them they had made from some 'special buffalo' they had in, and I snapped up a couple, which I thought were the pick of the bunch. The other is in the post my friend ;) :) :thumbup:

Dare I hope!!:eek:

So please tell me Oh Guardians;
Have I missed the discussion on Lamb Foot vs. Lambsfoot?
Are both correct?:confused:
 
Nice review from a fellow on Youtube. I like his explanation of the choil.

[youtube]lOuHqAlwrbc[/youtube]
 
Is the fading of the FOOT part of the blade stamp from long-term wear and maintenance? Or do you think it was light to begin with, perhaps? I hadn't noticed blades with stamps, as opposed to etches, before this thread and now I'm quite curious about them.

I think it's probably primarily from wear Greg :thumbsup:

Dare I hope!!:eek:

So please tell me Oh Guardians;
Have I missed the discussion on Lamb Foot vs. Lambsfoot?
Are both correct?:confused:

I hope it meets your approval my friend :D :) :thumbsup:

Here is the discussion so far Charlie (below), hope you'll join in :thumbsup:

I see you have good taste in lambsfoots! :cool:

Is the correct plural form of lambsfoot (or sheepsfoot for that matter) lambsfoots/sheepsfoots or lambsfeet/sheepsfeet? :confused:

I believe it is Lambsfoot/Sheepsfoot Barrett :) It sounds a little less strange if you pluralise knife into knives, or blade into blades, as in for example, Lambsfoot knives :thumbup:

There's something that I've been curious about and I wonder whether a fellow Guardian or other learned member of The Porch might be able to help educate me. What is the etymology of the name lambsfoot? I've seen it written as "lamb foot", "lambfoot", and "lambsfoot". Is the variation indicative of historic evolution, regional dialectical differences, personal taste of the author/speaker, or something else entirely?

Also—and perhaps related—what is the story of the "real lamb foot"? Was there ever an imitation lamb foot? Was the term born of a trademark dispute or other spat between cutlers, perhaps?

Very interesting questions my friend :thumbup: In Sheffield, I've only ever heard the knife called a 'Lambsfoot', despite the fact that I've only ever seen it written 'Lambfoot' or 'Lamb Foot' on knife blades. As for the 'Real Lamb Foot', this sounds very strange, but no more than 'Real Knife' or 'Real Barlow Knife'. I've heard it said that the name is taken from the blade's similarity to that of a lamb's foot, or that it has that name because Shepherd's used it to trim the hoofs of lambs. I take both tales with a large pinch of salt though. The Sheepsfoot is a much, much older blade form, and I suspect that calling a slimmer straight-edged blade a 'Lambsfoot' (or Lambfoot) made sense, or was a clever bit of early marketing. I wish I knew more about how the Lambsfoot developed historically, for such a popular English pattern, very little seems to have been written about it, but perhaps if someone has some answers (or some early trade catalogues), this thread will attract them. Certainly in Smith's Key of 1816 (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1345975-Sheffield-Spring-Knife-Patterns-of-1816), the blades which come closest are ones similar to Charlie's Ancient Barlows, but there is nothing quite like the Lambsfoot we know of today, so I think it must have either developed from that earlier style, or been a separate and later (later in the19th century) development :thumbup:



An Abram Brooksbank Lambsfoot with the 'Real Knife' etch (Brooksbank were only one of the firms which used this):

u04036.jpg

Nice review from a fellow on Youtube. I like his explanation of the choil.

[youtube]lOuHqAlwrbc[/youtube]

Thanks for posting that Jake, he seems pleased with his Lambsfoot :) :thumbsup:
 
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Yes, he does Jack. So much so, I think he should be considered as a candidate for the position of Guardianship videographer. :)

Good idea :) Of course he'd have to become a BF member first :thumbsup:
 
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That oozes character S-K :thumbsup:
 
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After some searches I found these brands currently selling lambsfoot knives. Are there any others?

A Wright & Son LTD
Taylor's Eye Witness
Joseph Rodgers & Sons LTD
Whitby
Nettex
CK
Newsam
 
Playing around with some new software... Guardians of the Galaxy style ;)

LOL! Fantastic work Jake! :D :thumbsup:

After some searches I found these brands currently selling lambsfoot knives. Are there any others?

A Wright & Son LTD
Taylor's Eye Witness
Joseph Rodgers & Sons LTD
Whitby
Nettex
CK
Newsam

Also George Wostenholm, I believe.

A number of the old Sheffield marks, including IXL-George Wostenholm and Joseph Rodgers, are owned by the Eggington Group, so they are essentially the same :thumbup:

Slaters do a Lambsfoot, and Jack Adams (they also own several marks, so don't know what they use for the folders, Nowill possibly, or they may buy them in). Outdoor Edge do one with G10 covers, imported from China.
 
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