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Blade Shapes


Can Opener

Can Opener

The name speaks for itself.

 
Clip Blade

Clip Blade

Clip blades have for Centuries been the main blade in more knives than not. You have only to look at these knives to know the main feature of a clip blade.

Often found as the main blade in Premium Stockman, Trappers, Jack Knives and other knives.

 

Clip Blade, California Clip

The clip is even longer than the Turkish clip, it starts just in front of the tang.

 
Clip Blade, Long

Clip Blade, Long

Main blade in large folding hunters and other large knives.

 
Clip Blade, Sabre

Clip Blade, Sabre

The Sabre grind is one half to three quarters from the edge with a deep cut swedge.

 
Clip Blade, Texas Tickler

Clip Blade, Texas Tickler

The Texas Tickler, also called Fish Knife (with hook disgorger) or Jack Knife, in its full size has a 5-1/2" handle.

 
Clip Blade, Turkish

Clip Blade, Turkish

The Turkish Clip or Yatagan Clip has a very long clip and a deeply swayed edge.

 
Coping Blade

Coping Blade

A Carpenter's blade, used to work close to outlines. Always a second or third blade.

 
Corn Blade

Corn Blade

When shoes seldom fit well, a person often had corns on the feet that needed to be trimmed. This was the blade used. This blade has not been made in many years.

 
Cottons Sampler Blade

Cottons Sampler Blade

No longer made for the trade, now only for collectors. Usually a main or single blade in a larger jack knife handle.

 
Electrician Screw-Driver & Wire Scraper

Electrician Screw-Driver & Wire Scraper

Very, very rare except in Electrician's knives made in the 1930's and 1940's then later on Government contract.

 
Hawk Bill or Pruner Blade

Hawk Bill or Pruner Blade

The origin of the Hawk Bill or Pruner Blade is lost in times before there was a cutlery industry.  It began as a harvesting hook for grapes and other produce. A larger size was built for pruning fruit trees.  When Linoleum was invented and there was a need for a way to cut it easily, and then again when electricity began to be used and the insulation needed to be stripped off the ends, the design was there and adapted for those uses as well.

 
Manicure Blade, Common

Manicure Blade, Common

This is the most common of all manicure blades.
Often seen as one of the small blades in a whittler.

 
Manicure Blade, Curved

Manicure Blade, Curved

This is the rarest of manicure blades and found in the highest quality knives. The tip is sharpened like a scalpel for trimming cuticles.

 
Manicure Blade, Grooved

Manicure Blade, Grooved

This is more expensive and therefore harder to find than the common manicure blade above.

 
Manicure Blade, Lawton

Manicure Blade, Lawton

I have been unable to find who Lawton was, but this is the most elegant of all manicure blades and is always seen in the back of lobster pattern knives.

 
Pen Blade

Pen Blade

Pen knives were designed in the days of quill pens. Their purpose was to sharpen the points of the quills. The Pen Blade was the perfect blade for sharpening and splitting the point.

 
Pen Blade, Curved

Pen Blade, Curved

A rare variation, can be curved up or down.

 
Pen Blade, Cut-off

Pen Blade, Cut-off

A fairly common variation, often found in whittlers.

 
Pen Blade, Surgical

Pen Blade, Surgical

I have never seen one of these and have no idea of the original purpose.

 
Pruning Blade

Pruning Blade

For removing small branches or limbs.

 
Punch

Punch

A standard blade in Scout knives, cattleman knives, and Harness Jacks, used for putting holes in leather or plastic.

 
Razor Blade

Razor Blade

Unusual blade, I have only seen them in Barlows.

 
Screw-Driver

Screw-Driver

Rarely seen in recent years, once a staple in utility knives

 
Screw-Driver Cap-Lifter

Screw-Driver Cap-Lifter

Rarely seen in recent years, once a staple in utility knives. Includes cap-lifter.

 
Sheepfoot Blade

Sheepfoot Blade

A strong and useful blade, usually the second blade in stock knives.

 
Sheepfoot Blade, Long

Sheepfoot Blade, Long

Most often found in Congress pattern knives and rarely as main blade in Jack knives.

 
Spatula

Spatula

Often the second blade in Doctors knives, also for artists knives.

 
Spear Blade

Spear Blade

This is second in popularity only to the clip blade.

 
Spear Blade, Long

Spear Blade, Long

This is the Doctor's spear point blade.

 
Spear Blade, Sabre

Spear Blade, Sabre

Blades ground half to two thirds from the edge to the back and the top front third of the blade with a strong cut swedge.

 
Spey Blade

Spey Blade

A very useful blade for working with livestock and for carvers.

 
Spey Blade, Budding Blade

Spey Blade, Budding Blade

Smaller version of the Spey blade, intended for grafting buds onto other plants.

 

Spey Blade, Long

The second blade in Trapper pattern knives.

 
Spey Blade, Long Curved

Spey Blade, Long Curved

Very unusual blade, found in some unusual slim trappers and rarely other knives.

 
Wharncliffe Blade

Wharncliffe Blade

A very useful blade from the 19th century. Very thick at the back for strength, tapering to a fine point and edge.

 
Zulu-Spear

Zulu Spear Blade

The Zulu Spear Blade first appeared in a 1920s Schrade Catalog, no other history is available.  The shape is a little different from the common spear blade, the point drops a bit more with a remarkable change in shape and attractiveness.