Jack knife?

[Sam Salvati]

I hear this term used to describe a specific type of knife, but i cannot seem to find the style of knife this refers to. what specifically is a jack knife?

 

[freedoom]

i usually see the term refer to a multi-blade pocket knife with a clip point blade and smaller pen blade both opening on the same side of the knife. kind of like my new case peanut here:

 

[jackman2]

My name is Jack. So it refers to whatever knife is in my pocket. Haha.

 

[NDJeep]

Here's my brand new "Jack" knife. A GEC Jack.

Jack knife basically means a folder but in the case of mine its actually that knifes name. Some other traditional slipies also have a "Jack" version too.

 

[sambo.]

i believe the term originated in the British navy of the Napoleonic era and refers to a folding knife.

regular sailors on the square rigged fighting ships of the day were commonly referred to as "Jacks". their simple folding knives were safer to carry while swinging from a yardarm than a fixed blade.

i could be wrong.

 

[DennisStrickland]

good choice ndjeep

 

[scattershot]

a jackknife has two blades hinged at the same end, usually a clip and a pen blade. That's the way I understand it, anyway. A pen knife has the same blades, but they are hinged at opposite ends.

 

[GWashington1732]

I always thought it was just another terms for a folding knife. For example, I usually call them pocket knives, others prefer folders, some people use jack knife. Same with Fixed Blades, some call them Sheath Knives, etc.

 

[orca8589]

Levine's Guide To Knives And Their Values (Fourth Ed.), pg. 173, defines a Jack Knife as:

"JACK KNIFE" is a general term for the simplest form of folding knife. The standard jack knife is single-ended. It's blade or blades are hinged at one end of the handle. There are also a few large heavy-duty double-end jack knife patterns.

***

The origin of the term "jack knife" has been lost in time. It may come from "jack the sailor, "jack" the common worker, "jack" meaning roughly made, "jack" meaning smaller, or even from "jack" meaning "jacket".

Hope that helps a little.

thx - cpr