Sowbelly, one of lifes pleasures

[sunnyd]

OK.. waynorth,
The sun is up and so am I..

Let me know if you need anything else.

Best Always ~ <>< ~

 

[Blues]

Decided it was high time that I get one of these since I've only owned premium stock knives in the past.

Was sitting and staring at a beautiful Bose Sowbelly and knowing that that wasn't gonna happen in the next five minutes, I contacted a reputable dealer and ordered one of these:

3 3/4" closed, carbon steel blades. Should be a good one for carry. (Until I can get that Bose, that is.) :thumbup:

 

[Bastid]

One from Richard Rogers.

 

[Blues]

That's a stunner, Gus!

 

[KnifeHead]

OK.. waynorth,
The sun is up and so am I..

Let me know if you need anything else.

Best Always ~ <>< ~

That yellow bone makes me weepy...but I especially love the face reflections in both bolsters, you clever guy.

 

[shaldag]

One from Richard Rogers.

WOW, Gus!

Is your house protected by burglar alarm systems, slavering wolves, machine gun nests, ancient mummy curses, homicidal aliens, demons from the ninth circle of hell...anything like that? And while you're at it, please PM the combo to the safe......

 

[Will Power]

Sowbelly comes from the way a pig, and the knife pattern, looks like from the side. Who termed it so, I can't say.
Greg

Isn't it also to do with the fact that like a sow's belly the knife can accomodate a farrow of piglets i.e. BLADES?

Those lemon bone scales are giving me a thirst here

A heretic asks "Are STAINLESS versions easy to come by too?"

 

[KnifeHead]

One from Richard Rogers.

That's a beautiful knife. I honestly haven't been studying traditional knives that long but I am noticing something. It appears to me the difference between an "ok custom" and an "excellent custom" is the execution of the grinds, especially the swedges. To me, they make a huge difference in eye appeal and cutting ability of a blade.

 

[sunnyd]

What a pair of beauties added to this thread.. Thanks for that..

 

[Bastid]

That's a beautiful knife. I honestly haven't been studying traditional knives that long but I am noticing something. It appears to me the difference between an "ok custom" and an "excellent custom" is the execution of the grinds, especially the swedges. To me, they make a huge difference in eye appeal and cutting ability of a blade.

I could not agree more. The grinds are key after the fit, finish and action which should be expected in a custom. They contribute greatly to the cutting ability as well as the overall eye appeal when the knife is opened or closed.

 

[waynorth]

OK.. waynorth,
The sun is up and so am I..

Let me know if you need anything else.

Best Always ~ <>< ~

I never thanked you for the pictures sunnyd ! So thanks!! I was trying to figure out why the sowbelly pattern was invented. Now this is purely speculation, but if you notice, a lot of stockmen and cattle knives have quite a "pile" of blades sticking up when the knife is closed. By "bending" the handle into a "belly" it allows a cutler to tuck the blades further into the knife, making it a smoother package in the pocket. On your MM, if you imagine a line across the top from bolster to bolster, the tops of the blades are nearly below that line.
I hope this makes sense to someone! Otherwise they may lock me up for good! With no sharp objects !
To distract you from that horror, here's a nice sharp object, my Richard Rogers sowbelly;

 

[Blues]

Looks angelic!

 

[KnifeHead]

I never thanked you for the pictures sunnyd ! So thanks!! I was trying to figure out why the sowbelly pattern was invented. Now this is purely speculation, but if you notice, a lot of stockmen and cattle knives have quite a "pile" of blades sticking up when the knife is closed. By "bending" the handle into a "belly" it allows a cutler to tuck the blades further into the knife, making it a smoother package in the pocket. On your MM, if you imagine a line across the top from bolster to bolster, the tops of the blades are nearly below that line.
I hope this makes sense to someone! Otherwise they may lock me up for good! With no sharp objects !
To distract you from that horror, here's a nice sharp object, my Richard Rogers sowbelly;

THAT has to be it. There is usually a very simple explaination for things like this and that is a very wise observation. Yur goooood! It would be nice to see an image of that beauty closed for comparison.

 

[KnifeHead]

Here's both sides of Tony's sowbelly I posted the links for a couple of weeks ago. Why don't I get tired of looking at these knives?

 

[zeppos]

Is this one also a sowbelly?

If it is, it's my first and only one (for the time being )

It looks ok, but it's nowhere as nice as any knife with a natural handle material.
And its quality is also not what it should be:
Considerable blade play on the main blade and the sheep's foot blade, but not on the spey blade.
The main blade snaps when opened, but not when closed. The sheep's foot blade snaps both ways. The spey blade doesn't have any snap at all.
The blades also really stick out far when folded. This might be be a nuisance when carried in the pocket.

But it does take a razor sharp edge. I think i'll edc it to work next week. Opening letters, cutting salami and peeling fruit wont be a problem i guess...

 

[Blues]

Zeppos,

That would not be a "sowbelly" but a "premium stockman" which is a serpentine pattern. The sowbelly is wider and more pronounced in its curvature as you can see from the other images. Hope that helps.

 

[zeppos]

A premium stockman? Well, it still remains my first and only one

Sorry for the wrong post then. I still have a lot to learn...

Is there a reliable online resource on the different traditional knife patterns? Or should i check loads of online knife catalogues and learn it that way?

 

[JpN]

Wow..that Richard Rogers sowbelly Blows me away...Great knife

 

[sunnyd]

I never thanked you for the pictures sunnyd ! So thanks!! I was trying to figure out why the sowbelly pattern was invented. Now this is purely speculation, but if you notice, a lot of stockmen and cattle knives have quite a "pile" of blades sticking up when the knife is closed. By "bending" the handle into a "belly" it allows a cutler to tuck the blades further into the knife, making it a smoother package in the pocket. On your MM, if you imagine a line across the top from bolster to bolster, the tops of the blades are nearly below that line.
I hope this makes sense to someone! Otherwise they may lock me up for good! With no sharp objects !
To distract you from that horror, here's a nice sharp object, my Richard Rogers sowbelly;

Charlie,
You are very welcome of coarse. I am always pleased to assist wherever I can..

I definitely see where you were going with this.. In fact, some time back last year I seem to remember a discussion in Bernie Levine's ID forum with BRL and some others on the what's and wherefore's of the origins of the Sowbelly were. And it seems to me as I may recall that the Sowbelly pattern was speculated to be a more refined version born out of the Stockman and Cattleman pattern, which definitely follows your logic to a 'T' to be sure!:thumbup:

BTW, That darn Rogers Sowbelly makes me soooo weak in the knees!!.

OK here is one I really like to carry lately, it's no custom Rogers but I like it just the same with its fine cutt'n carbon steel..

I have several similar models of these, some nicer than others, but they are great users and the cost won't break the bank.

 

[waynorth]

Nice rooster, sunnyd. Very creative blade shapes! Definitely not your father's oldsmobile!!