Horseman's/Sportsman's Knives!!

[waynorth]

These interesting, often huge and complex, sometimes simple knives deserve a thread of their own!!
In some ways they are predecessors to Leatherman, or SAK knives, or other tool knives!! Some are quite beautifully appointed, and I suspect, were costly in their day! If you have one, or some, please post them, so we can have a collection that your fellow Porch members may peruse and share insights!!
My first is an I*XL! Wostenholm was a known maker, and fitted great Stag to a lot of them!!

This one is stamped "Hammond", and had to be rehandled, as moths had eaten most of the old Horn Handles!!

Marked "Ross & Alexander", this one still has its checkered Horn handles

 

[waynorth]

Here we have a Joseph Rodgers, huge at over 5" in length, with nice Stag!
And here a fine, smaller at 3 1/2", Ivory handled Exhibition grade knife, quite beautiful to hold!! Again by Joseph Rodgers!!

 

[waynorth]

This one was made in America, by the great Ulster Knife Co!! Well made, if fairly simple, it has composite handles; I think of it as the "poor man's model!!

So, if you have any knives that fit, please post them here for us to look at!!

 

[Jsega51]

waynorth , the drill bit on the ivory Rodgers knife is really cool!

 

[Gonzalo]

This one was made in America, by the great Ulster Knife Co!! Well made, if fairly simple, it has composite handles; I think of it as the "poor man's model!!View attachment 1574899

So, if you have any knives that fit, please post them here for us to look at!!

This looks like an outstanding thread in the making. Unfortunately, I can´t participate with pics, not being lucky enough to have them in my collection. I will, though, follow it, step by step.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Amazing lineup of knives!!

 

[waynorth]

the drill bit on the ivory Rodgers knife is really cool!

It's called a "gimlet" Jake!! For starting holes for wood screws!
One ups the SAKs - never seen one on a Swiss Army Knife!!
(but I'm old!!)

 

[ISKRA]

Sadly I don't have any but iirc Thomas Jefferson had one. Definitely a variety we see to little of, considering how popular they seem to have been in the past. Great idea for a thread!


Edit: is the hook we see on some of them a "button hook"?

 

[afishhunter]

waynorth A beautiful collection, Charlie.
Question on two of them:
The secondary blade on the I*XL: is my six eyes (with bifocals) deceiving me, or is that a SAK type wood saw?
The secondary on the Ross & Alexander: Is that a wood saw or a serrated sheepsfoot?

 

[Will Power]

It's called a "gimlet" Jake!! For starting holes for wood screws!
One ups the SAKs - never seen one on a Swiss Army Knife!!
(but I'm old!!)

Gimlet? That's interesting, the only Gimlet I know is a very nice cocktail made with Gin and Lime juice and Rose's Lime Cordial (unavailable here now )

Superb examples of a hefty and complex pattern, once again, I recall that Ken Erickson put out some masterpiece of the knife? Or was it the Gimlets overpowering the imagination....?

 

[Cooter Brown]

...I recall that Ken Erickson put out some masterpiece of the knife? Or was it the Gimlets overpowering the imagination....?

He sure did--the first time I saw his work in person was at a Blade show--I think this knife won its category there. He handed it to me and encouraged me to open every blade and tool. Nicest man you'd ever want to meet. I'm pretty sure this is that knife:

The Horseman's knife pattern is an interesting pattern to say the least. Many different variations in blade/implement inclusion and frame sizes and shapes. I think the defining
implement is the hoof-pick. The implements I find most interesting are the hoof-pick, fleam, spur saw to name a few.

Here is a picture of a Horseman's knife I built around a Geo. W. pattern. Unlike Joel Chamblin's fine example pictured above, this one is two thick. Two thick refers to the number of backsprings, in this case, two. Joel's knife is basically the same pattern with the addition of a saw,awl, tweezers and pick.

Here's a thread he did about a Sportsman's Knife he made (edit--I fixed this link):

Ken Erickson Sportsman's Knife

 

[Pàdruig]

I'm not sure if this one counts, Charlie. It isn't super old but is vintage nonetheless. It was made by TEW and seems hardly used with its full blades and tools. Everything still has a lot of snap - though the corkscrew is very difficult to open.

 

[Modoc ED]

Not as heavily laden with tools as Charlie's waynorth and Dylan's @ Pàdruig knives, I think this Case Equestrian with Rosewood Covers fits in nicely here.

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Well, it's got a Hoof Pick. That comes in handy if your horse ever picks up a stone stuck in it's paw - errrrrrrr Hoof.

 

[waynorth]

Sadly I don't have any but iirc Thomas Jefferson had one. Definitely a variety we see to little of, considering how popular they seem to have been in the past. Great idea for a thread!


Edit: is the hook we see on some of them a "button hook"?

Yes, a button hook! For Gloves, or Button shoes, or???

I'm not sure if this one counts, Charlie. It isn't super old but is vintage nonetheless. It was made by TEW and seems hardly used with its full blades and tools. Everything still has a lot of snap - though the corkscrew is very difficult to open.

Wonderful "Eye Witness", Dylan!!

Not as heavily laden with tools as Charlie's waynorth and Dylan's @ Pàdruig knives, I think this Case Equestrian with Rosewood Covers fits in nicely here.

​

View attachment 1575456
View attachment 1575457
View attachment 1575459

Well, it's got a Hoof Pick. That comes in handy if your horse ever picks up a stone stuck in it's paw - errrrrrrr Hoof.

Simple, for modern times!! Qualifies in my Book!!

 

[Modoc ED]

Thanks Charlie!!

 

[waynorth]

waynorth A beautiful collection, Charlie.
Question on two of them:
The secondary blade on the I*XL: is my six eyes (with bifocals) deceiving me, or is that a SAK type wood saw?
The secondary on the Ross & Alexander: Is that a wood saw or a serrated sheepsfoot?

They are both saws; they have "sets" (slightly). I don't know how effective, but I am not about to fully test them!!

 

[Railsplitter]

I hope this one isn't too current. It's only a few years old and it's the only one I've got.

A.G. Russell Horseman's Knife.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Charlie Sir - Those Horseman Knives you have shared with us has blown my socks off!
If I would have just the one I would be extremely happy.
ALL of them are fantastic- even the Ulster I would have snatched up as there seems to be few of those around!
Dylan!! That Taylor’s Eye Witness is stunning - alongside Joseph Rodgers - TEW has to be the most collectible.
Fantastic viewing friends!
Edit:
Modoc Ed and Railsplitter - nice modern versions!

 

[waynorth]

iirc Thomas Jefferson had one!!

You remembered correctly!!
He paid someone (an aide??) named Clasby $1.00 to source a pocket knife!!
Quite a relic!! I hope it was in better shape when he paid $1.00 just to find one!!

 

[afishhunter]

He paid someone (an aide??) named Clasby $1.00 to source a pocket knife!!

A dollar in his day was a lot of money. A week's wages for some.