Punch Blades: Cattle Knives and Harness Jacks

black mamba

black mamba

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Those of you who really like a punch blade, please tell us why.
If you EDC a knife with a punch blade, for what and how often do you use the punch?
If you collect knives with punches, what is the allure for you?
Explanations prefered, but pictures are encouraged!

My S&M Equal End Cattle Knife in Green Rogers Bone at 3-5/8" closed
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Nice bone, good swedges and a long pull main in a very pocketable size.

LET'S SEE YOURS !! :p
 
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I like a punch because when you need one, nothing else will quite do.

(You should probably get a plethora of great images from Waynorth. Since he's living in Canada he mostly uses it for cleaning out the clogs in his bong. :eek:;):p)

A vintage Robeson:

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Schatt & Morgan (rescaled by Ken Erickson):

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Here's my HJ.

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I've never used the punch, but I figure it should work well as a scraper should the need for one arise.
 
Currently I don't have any knives left with a punch like that except the awl that is on the swiss army knives (alox soldier and farmer). They are really handy such as to add that extra hole in a leather belt, breaking up ice, as a letter opener, as a scraper, and quite a few other things.

I once owned a Queen S & M scout knife and the punch on it was very sharp. I cut myself once with it.

BTW, that is fine looking S & M cattle knife!
 
That's a handsome equal end:thumbup:

I've got a Schatt&Morgan Harness Jack the tang stamps show Schatt&M Titusville and Queen Cutlery. It's carbon with long pull Spear and Punch side by side with a recessed nail nick for the punch. Green Bone/Union shield. Pinched ,threaded bolsters Grown very fond of this knife, it's mellowed nicely.

Why punches? Something unusual, out of the ordinary.

When used, well the obvious-making holes in belts when weight fluctuates:D:eek: When I was a kid, this would've been excellent for engraving names and dates on desks or stone walls:D It does come in handy around the garden too:excellent to lift small seedlings out, to bore drainage holes in plastic pots,as a starter for drill holes, been used as a general prodder on small machinery and battery terminal 'gouger' The SAK Farmer has one and that is always in my work or day bag.
 
elliot you sure roll out the beauties. thanks to black mamba for the thread. i might mention that w/o a punch leather is almost impossible to poke through.if someone wishes to know just how tuff leather is: try to push an icepick thru a decent belt or just a scrap of leather.
 
thawk said:
What Blues said. I carry a stockman with a punch every now and then. I poke about as many holes as I neuter animals, but when I need to poke a hole in a belt or collar, or ream a hole in something, it is nice to have. Good idea for the tar cleaning tool Elliot. :thumbup:
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It's good to know that all those years I spent working narcotics investigations weren't wasted. :p

DennisStrickland said:
elliot you sure roll out the beauties.
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Thanks, Dennis. The credit goes to Charlie who is responsible for them coming to roost in NC.
 
What Blues said. I carry a stockman with a punch every now and then. I poke about as many holes as I neuter animals, but when I need to poke a hole in a belt or collar, or ream a hole in something, it is nice to have. Good idea for the tar cleaning tool Elliot. :thumbup:

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This 3 9/16" stockman is a perfect size for me. I prefer the one with a sheepsfoot paired with a punch. Some have a spey as well. And yes, this could provoke a nice bunch of photos from up North.

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And they are just cool looking too.
 
Blues said:
I like a punch because when you need one, nothing else will quite do.

(You should probably get a plethora of great images from Waynorth. Since he's living in Canada he mostly uses it for cleaning out the clogs in his bong. :eek:;):p)
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Man did I misread that statement! I saw the smilies first and read it backwards and my brain replaced bong with thong! :eek:
 
Blues said:
. . . he mostly uses it for cleaning out the clogs in his bong. :eek:;):p)
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I hope he's careful, Elliott-- anything big enough to clog a bong is big enough to get another hit off of. :p
No use being wasteful!

Beautiful examples, fellas, KEEP 'EM COMING !!
 
texasflyfisher said:
Man did I misread that statement! I saw the smilies first and read it backwards and my brain replaced bong with thong! :eek:
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Hell, even I'd start hitting the bong if I had to see Charlie in a thong! And what would he be cleaning out of it? :eek: :p
(My biggest gripe when it comes to our neighbors to the north visiting our beaches. :p)

black mamba said:
I hope he's careful, Elliott-- anything big enough to clog a bong is big enough to get another hit off of. :p
No use being wasteful!
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I'm starting to wonder about the folks in this forum...maybe I should never have retired...;):p
 
I don't have any traditionals with a punch but I use the awl/reamer on a Victorinox SAK for things like cutting the packing tape on a package that just arrived. If that sticky stuff gets on the blade it's tough and dangerous to remove.
 
Up till now, I have had no use for a Harness Jack but since Elliott and texasflyfisher have extolled the virtues of the Harness Jack as a thong remover for flatulent related activities I may just have to reconsider and get one.

By the way Black Mamba, that's a fine looking Schatt & Morgan.:thumbup:
 
SAKsRCool said:
I don't have any traditionals with a punch but I use the awl/reamer on a Victorinox SAK for things like cutting the packing tape on a package that just arrived. If that sticky stuff gets on the blade it's tough and dangerous to remove.
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Yep, I do the exact same thing for the same reason. I also use the awl/reamer/punch for scoring. For example, I needed to replace so broken pickets on the fence and need to cut the new picket to the same length so I line one up to the other, use the punch to score the wood at the same length and then cut. Really, there are many uses for a punch/awl/reamer.
 
I use the punch blade (awl) on my SAK Farmer to scrap my fire starter rod. Works great.
 
Now that my reputation is in tatters, I may as well post some bong. . . . . .errrrr. . . . . . punch . . .punch pictures!!:D
(Just to set the record straight, I DO NOT use, nor advocate drug use of any kind! I have seen too many heart-breaking results!)

Punches are another story! Use them please!
At one time, anyone who had a horse, had a punch on their knife, unless they had a "groom" do all their scut-work. Edward VII of England (1901-1910) loved horse-racing, but I'll bet others set up all the harness on his horses!
I actually remember milk, coal and ice delivery by horse-drawn conveyance, and an old guy who collected rags was the last die-hard, in Buffalo New York!
From 1900 until about WWII, many punch-bearing knives were made, and most punch patents were registered early in that period.
Several companies had a special shield on their punch knives, like Remington's famous acorn shield, or Cattaraugus's "disc" shield.

Punches have a rich history, but the internal combustion engine sent us all on a new path.

I'll come up with some pics, by and by.
 
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