Muskrat Pattern: Love It or Leave It

ferider said:
Serious question from a relative traditional knife newbie: So what’s the Moose vs Muskrat difference ? I find conflicting statements when I search.
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According to Levine's Guide, both a Moose and a Muskrat would be characterized as "Double-End Trappers."

More particularly: "A variant of the double-end trapper is the Muskrat. It has two identical 'muskrat clip' blades on each end."
 
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JW225 said:
According to Levine's Guide, both a Moose and a Muskrat would be characterized as "Double-End Trappers."

More particularly: "A variant of the double-end trapper is the Muskrat. It has two identical 'muskrat clip' blades on each end."
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Thanks. And if one blade is changed to Wharncliffe, it’s an “improved Muskrat” ? Like in the Northwoods below:

KLC08905_1.jpg


How about Spey blades on one side ? Always a Moose ?
 
ferider said:
Thanks. And if one blade is changed to Wharncliffe, it’s an “improved Muskrat” ? Like in the Northwoods below:

KLC08905_1.jpg


How about Spey blades on one side ? Always a Moose ?
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The change-out of one of the Muskrat Clips to a Wharncliffe blade seems to earn the moniker "Improved." Also true with the GEC 48 "Improved Trapper."

As far as the Moose goes, Levine has this to say:

"The premium jack has several double-ended counterparts. The most impressive of these is the Texas Jack or Moose. Texas Jacks are big, usually at least 3 7/8 inches long. I believe that their size accounts for their 'Texas' name, while the large blade out each end must have reminded someone of a bull moose's giant antlers. The master blade of a Texas Jack is always a wide clip. The second blade is a spear or a long wide spey."

For reference, a "premium jack" is "built on serpentine premium stock handles, both round-end and square-end. They range from 3 5/8 to 4 3/8 inches long,"

He also points out: "Slender double-end premium jacks with either a slender clip and a long spey, or else two clip blades, are considered double-end trappers."
 
The first muskrat I ever saw was a Rough Rider in strawberry red bone in the local knife shop. My immediate reaction was that it was a weird pattern and "Who would want that?". But every time I went in the store I had to go look at it. I was strangely drawn to the serpentine handle and the slim, long clip blades. After looking at it many times I decided, "It's only $12, why not?" I found that I liked handling and sharpening and carrying it. Sometime later I was looking for a Case tribal lock with CV steel and pocket worn whiskey bone covers. As luck would have it, I found one at a dealer that was hosting a visit by the Ol' Dog himself, Tony Bose. I bought the knife and asked Tony to autograph the box. Still later, at a gun and knife show I found a matching muskrat in the same steel and covers, which I bought. I was on my way! As time went on I bought Case muskrats in yellow Delrin (CV), deep canyon jigged calypso bone, and a 130th anniversary limited edition in antique gold bone. At some point I also picked up a Shatt and Morgan Hawbaker muskrat in red fireoak bone (1 of 100).

I've gone from "That's weird" to owning six of them, so I guess you could say that I kind of like the muskrat!

49255082047_982e56cda0_b.jpg
 
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ferider said:
Serious question from a relative traditional knife newbie: So what’s the Moose vs Muskrat difference ? I find conflicting statements when I search. Seems to depend on manufacturer ?

I have an S&M Moose; love the large Wharnie added to the main blade:

i-CbTp5Hq-X2.jpg


And what’s the pattern name of the 2018 BF knife ?

i-fQTzgKW-X2.jpg


Thanks in advance,

Roland.
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It’s my understanding that the muskrat is always two Turkish clip blades and the moose is a clip and something else, usually a spear or wharncliffe (both full size blades).
 
As already pointed out by JW225 JW225 Levine (1985:160) says the Muskrat is a variant of the Double-End Trapper, it has two identical ''muskrat clip'' blades, one in each end. A skinning knife which the illustration of the Remington Bullet R-4593 has the words ' Designed from suggestions of Muskrat Trappers. The long , keen, slender blades allow the removal of pelts without perforation. '

The Improved or Hawbaker Muskrat is not mentioned by Levine in this edition but it is an accepted version having a Wharncliffe instead of another slim Clip. GEC offered an 82 variant the Possum Skinner but avoided any reference to Muskrats or improvements as it is a Skinner knife like the 81 Coon Skinner. Knives with other blades even if they are of equal size are Double-Enders not Muskrats. The Forum Knife 2018 is certainly not a Muskrat as it's based on the Buck 301 minus a Spey and is called a Stockman, also, its secondary blade is much smaller than the master.

Possum Skinner is nice and slim, single-spring , equal size thin blades.

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I never used to like the “standard” double clip muskrat- always seemed redundant.

These days I’m coming around. I like that I could sharpen one for some abuse and make the other blade a really fine edge.
 
17038750922235795211680396893181.jpgwell it ended its convoluted journey, home at last.the coon skinner is alot of knife.it measures 4"but carries like 31/2".I wouldn't be hard pressed to have to carry this regularly. But it is my only yellow rose.but my buddy sent picks of his son skinning a wolverine yesterday with the bone handled mini trapper I gifted him with the engraving "bears are assholes"in reference to all the times black and polar bears destroyed cabins or camp.so I'm going to find another 81 in bone for his son,who has decided to continue trapping.
 
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