Roughneck,elephant toe,whaler?

Oldy

Oldy

Gold Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2022
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1,702
This is one pattern that I have never carried never mind seen.who carries it as regular carry.
 
Full honesty: I've never carried this one. But about 30 years ago or so, I bought it simply because I thought it was one of the coolest traditional patterns I've seen. I still feel the same way. The quirky shape and sheer bulk of the pattern may be too impractical for me as an everyday carry. But I just like to admire it from time to time. It's the Case 6250 Elephant Toenail pattern (1976). The elephant etch on the main blade is one of the few etches I've ever really liked on any knife.
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I know it always gets me looking,case hasn't put one out recently,was thinking rough ryder elephant toe.but the one rr I held had a tin sound when closing.besides gotta just stick to case,gec,boker for new offerings or I would go mad searching and trying to buy.but it's like I have to have one.
 
Nice knives! I feel that way about the tidioute whaler, so gorgeous but I would never carry it so I have restrained myself from buying
 
I don't know how often I would carry one,but I'm on the hunt.i like the snap sound on the utube videos that's enough for me lol.but it is an interesting pattern that draws you in
 
Oldy said:
I don't know how often I would carry one,but I'm on the hunt.i like the snap sound on the utube videos that's enough for me lol.but it is an interesting pattern that draws you in
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You can find them in varying sizes. The GEC models are pretty large but they are also wide and flat. They take up a lot of pocket space but you don't really notice its there. The AG Russell large sunfish is huge......Its belt carry only....
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Arathol said:
You can find them in varying sizes. The GEC models are pretty large but they are also wide and flat. They take up a lot of pocket space but you don't really notice its there. The AG Russell large sunfish is huge......Its belt carry only....
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The whaler looks really big,I saw a video of the sunfish it took up the hand by the looks of it.i see the case come up now and then. I don't want the really big.so going to have to pay attention to size while I look.
 
My meager "collection". All are Rough Rider.
Smooth White Bone and Zombie Nick sleeveboards are right at 4 inch closed.
Outdoorsman Series "smooth tobacco bone with acorn shield (looks more like Appolusa bone to me) is 4.125 inch closed.
The Outoorsman series was my first of the pattern. I carried it daily for three or 4 consecutive months, wheni was driving the expedited box truck.
The other two have been carried for a few consecutive weeks, tho not concurrently.
Advantages:
1) Despite their size, they DON'T "print" in your pocket, even carried loose, and they are sideways in the bottom of the pocket.
Jeans or suit slacks/trousers, they don't show. I think it is because they are so tall, backsprings to spine.
2) Heavy Duty. I used the Outdoorsman to carve some seasoned oak for one of the cabinets in the truck to mount a flush drawer lock.
After finishing, it did not need sharpened, or even stropped. (I stropped it anyways). No blade slop in any direction, before or after.
it has also been used as a scraper, to cut 3 inch nylon cargo straps, nylon, and Kevlar double braided rope and fishing line, braided dacron fishing lines, and mono fishing lines. Also 3 strand manilla, cotton, sissel, and polypropylene rope. (no batoning involved, I keep them sharp.), rubber, heater and radiator hoses, fan belts, open 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 hang-packs, trimmed a few bushes and dead pine branches to 3 inch +/- diameter (no batoning, whittled the brances off like a beaver fells a tree), even showed my former co-drivers boy how to make a feather stick for when he went camping, or needed a fire to cook his catch, git warm, etc. (it do git cold in N.H. during the winter...) or if the charcoal in the grill was being a brat.
View attachment 2362755
They not as pretty as the GEC/Case and other brands shown above (and no doubt will be below), but they cost a heek of a lot less ($10 shipped) and will do everything (excuding "impress" most folks with their beauty) the more expensive sunfish/pocket axe/British Rope Knife/emergency spatula, Whaler/Elephant Toe (elephant toeNAIL is the 3 inch (+/-) size) or any of the other 75 plus names the pattern is known as.

(FWIW the sailors who carried the pattern had better tools available to cut lines in an emergency than their pocketknves. Sailing and early steam ships had a suppy of axes and hatchets aboard for that and other uses. They didn't baton their pocket knife through the lines/"ropes" to cut them. If they broke their knife, it may have been months, or for the whaling fleets, years, before they got to port and ashore again. The Ships Store back then (presuming the ship even had a store) didn't sell pocket knives or sheath knives. Hence they would not have a knife long term. From working on my former boss' charter boat, I can honestliy state: "A knife is used daily onboard a vessel, and not just for food/eating or sharpening a pencil."

From what I learned, the patern dates from the mid/late 1890's. It was fairly popular among loggers, miners, carpenters, hunters/ sportsmen, and others who needed a heavy duty knife, for a while.

IMHO it meets or exceeds Mr. Sir Nessmuk's requirements for a "heavy duty pocketknife". He may have preferred the moose pattern, but I think the Sunfish is just as strong and durable.
 
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afishhunter said:
My meager "collection". All are Rough Rider.
Smooth White Bone and Zombie Nick sleeveboards are right at 4 inch closed.
Outdoorsman Series "smooth tobacco bone with acorn shield (looks more like Appolusa bone to me) is 4.125 inch closed.
The Outoorsman series was my first of the pattern. I carried it daily for three or 4 consecutive months, wheni was driving the expedited box truck.
The other two have been carried for a few consecutive weeks, tho not concurrently.
Advantages:
1) Despite their size, they DON'T "print" in your pocket, even carried loose, and they are sideways in the bottom of the pocket.
Jeans or suit slacks/trousers, they don't show. I think it is because they are so tall, backsprings to spine.
2) Heavy Duty. I used the Outdoorsman to carve some seasoned oak for one of the cabinets in the truck to mount a flush drawer lock.
After finishing, it did not need sharpened, or even stropped. (I stropped it anyways). No blade slop in any direction, before or after.
it has also been used as a scraper, to cut 3 inch nylon cargo straps, nylon, and Kevlar double braided rope and fishing line, braided dacron fishing lines, and mono fishing lines. Also 3 strand manilla, cotton, sissel, and polypropylene rope. (no batoning involved, I keep them sharp.), rubber, heater and radiator hoses, fan belts, open 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 hang-packs, trimmed a few bushes and dead pine branches to 3 inch +/- diameter (no batoning, whittled the brances off like a beaver fells a tree), even showed my former co-drivers boy how to make a feather stick for when he went camping, or needed a fire to cook his catch, git warm, etc. (it do git cold in N.H. during the winter...) or if the charcoal in the grill was being a brat.
View attachment 2362755
They not as pretty as the GEC/Case and other brands shown above (and no doubt will be below), but they cost a heek of a lot less ($10 shipped) and will do everything (excuding "impress" most folks with their beauty) the more expensive sunfish/pocket axe/British Rope Knife/emergency spatula, Whaler/Elephant Toe (elephant toeNAIL is the 3 inch (+/-) size) or any of the other 75 plus names the pattern is known as.

(FWIW the sailors who carried the pattern had better tools available to cut lines in an emergency than their pocketknves. Sailing and early steam ships had a suppy of axes and hatchets aboard for that and other uses. They didn't baton their pocket knife through the lines/"ropes" to cut them. If they broke their knife, it may have been months, or for the whaling fleets, years, before they got to port and ashore again. The Ships Store back then (presuming the ship even had a store) didn't sell pocket knives or sheath knives. Hence they would not have a knife long term. From working on my former boss' charter boat, I can honetly state: "A knife is used daily onboard a vessel, and not just for food/eating or sharpening a pencil."

From what I learned, the patern dates from the mid/late 1890's. It was fairly popular among loggers, miners, carpenters, hunters/ sportsmen, and others who needed a heavy duty knife, for a while.

IMHO it meets or exceeds Mr. Sir Nessmuk's requirements for a "heavy duty pocketknife". He may have preferred the moose pattern, but I think the Sunfish is just as strong and durable.
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I have that same Zombie Nick Elephant toe, along with a Rough Ryder Blue Mule Sunfish. The Zombie Nick was a Christmas present from my daughter, and it is my EDC. A strange thing happens when you start carrying these bad boys. Not only do they feel really comfortable in your pocket despite being big and heavy, you start to become increasingly comfortable with the pattern. I was a Peanut guy for years. Small was in, as was a pointy blade. So I thought it would take some getting used to carrying a much bigger knife, but it really hasn’t. You can tell this was a working pattern. It’s wide, but thin, so it rides extremely well without printing or poking your leg. It’s thick enough to fill your hand, and the weight makes it feel robust. The spear point blades allow just enough “tip” for most delicate or detailed tasks, but not so much that you worry about breaking it.
I got a Buck 110 with my Christmas bonus from work, and was EDCing it on my belt for a few days, and while I have always loved the 110 and regretted selling one off years ago, while using it I was babying it, careful with the tip, trying not to beat it up too much. A tank of a knife and I was babying it. My Zombie Nick? I don’t worry about damaging it. I know it can handle anything I throw at it.
I get it now, the allure, the practicality of these patterns. Beware tho. They are addicting. But then again, we’re knife knuts. Blade addiction is nothing new to us. Hahaha
 
Here's one from the Daniels Family's Titusville Cutlery Co., released 2022 and designated "Old Mother Hubbard" - along with a link to a (somewhat long and sometimes rambling) explanation of the significance of the name.

As I understand it, these were an SFO for celebrated knife dealer and widely acknowledged Case guru, Tony Foster.

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birdsbeaks said:
Here's one from the Daniels Family's Titusville Cutlery Co., released 2022 and designated "Old Mother Hubbard" - along with a link to a (somewhat long and sometimes rambling) explanation of the significance of the name.

As I understand it, these were an SFO for celebrated knife dealer and widely acknowledged Case guru, Tony Foster.

5cKq9pT.jpeg
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I didn't realize Tony (R.I.P.) did SFOs!!! I only bought Case, and special estate knives from him!!! Interesting!!!
 
waynorth said:
I didn't realize Tony (R.I.P.) did SFOs!!! I only bought Case, and special estate knives from him!!! Interesting!!!
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From what I understand, that was his first (and sadly, only) SFO before he passed. He dealt with Case knives his whole life, but he only "collected" the sunfish pattern for his own private collection. He had 25 matching sets made with 4 different handle types.
 
waynorth waynorth & Rookie82 Rookie82 - I wish I'd had the opportunity to meet the man, sounds like quite the character - and obviously passionate about fine pocket cutlery. I'll have to be satisfied with owning this piece of history, but I thank you gentlemen for sharing your knowledge. That's one of the main reasons I keep coming back.

The knife itself is a beautiful beast. It's taken its sweet time breaking in but is now about a stiff 8+ on both blades. Manageable, but not easy. Slim, as both blades run off a single (very beefy) spring and it's got significant heft.

The secondary blade has a really neat profile and is probably one of my favorite secondary blades bar none. I don't think I've taken a pic of it with the secondary blade out - I'll have to fix that.
 
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