Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 30, 2015 at 8:40

No need to apologize, Rob.  The real question is do we want to show both fixed and folding here or should we put the fixed blade fishing knives in there own category. Most of my fixed blade fishers are very utilitarian or they are novelty fishing gadgets!   Do they deserve to be shown?  You bet!  Just as everyone else's fixed blade fishing knives deserve to be shown.

But at the same time, when is that fixed blade a Fish Knife, a Bird & Trout, Small Game, or a Caper?!?!?

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 30, 2015 at 8:42

Rob, those Hammers, especially with the board are just awesome.  And at 30 cents each, I'll take them all off your hands!

Permalink Reply by Rob Gregg on March 30, 2015 at 9:44

Thanks Tobias, but I don't think I'm quite ready to let 'em go yet. At least not for 30 cents each. :-)

As far as the other, I've cleaned a few fish over the years using about every type of knife, but wouldn't consider many of them as true fisherman's knives. Personally, I wouldn't be able to contribute much to a fixed blade fishing knife thread, anyway. The vast majority of mine are folders. Other then the obvious, a scaler, I don't really have a fixed definition for a fish knife. But, like I said, Imperial regularly marketed their basic toothpick pattern as a fisherman's/sportsman's knife. If you think about it, modern day fillet knives wouldn't be considered fish knives, since the earliest fish knives weren't meant to fillet fish and most that I'm familiar with, don't have scalers. How's that as food for thought? LOL!

And if that all weren't enough, many tableware manufacturer's produced what is commonly refered to as a fish knife. A knife not intended for dressing a fish, but rather serving it.

Bottom line? I'm pretty much a traditionalist, but not overly inclined to rule out what any manufacturer (or custom maker) sees as being their version of a knife designed to clean, process and consume fish. I like 'em all.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 30, 2015 at 10:02

I tend to be in the same ball park as you, Rob.  A fillet knife is a fillet knife (or as they say in France and has become commonly accepted in the US filet!)  When I think Fish-knife, I normally think a folding knife that has a clip blade and fish scaler.  And when I think Classic Fish-Knife, I think of those two blades or a single combination blade on a toothpick frame, normally a five inch toothpick frame!   For me the fixed blades that use on fish are either a fillet knife for filleting, or B&T or small game knife for most pan fish or smaller game fish.

The joy of having discussion about particular patterns of knives is not only sharing photos but sharing thoughts on the patterns.  It is with the discussion that the photos and that patterns come to life!

Permalink Reply by Rob Gregg on March 30, 2015 at 11:41

Ok, I'm gonna step off the deep end here and throw something out there, just for conversation sake. Had anybody ever considered the idea that a fish knife technically isn't a "pattern", at least not in the true sense of the word? It's simply a "variation" of an already established pattern. Other then maybe a few modern day tach style versions, I can't name one fish knife (classic or otherwise) that wasn't an already established pattern and was converted by a basic change in blade combinations. The toothpick, was a toothpick before being offered as a fish knife. Same with the Coke bottle version, the Richards trapper pattern and even a more recent offering by Frost, in the Dr.'s knife pattern. (really?!) :-)

Technically, I'm a toothpick collector and as such, the toothpick/fish knives were inevitable. In fact, they make up roughly half of my overall collection. I started at a fairly early age, took a break while buying a home and raising a family, then got back into it again about 20 years ago. Over those combined years, I've learned to focus my collecting, but at the same time I've expanded my idea of what a "fisherman's knife" is. It's hard to think of them as a sub genre, or crossover collectable when they make up such a large percentage, but for me, that's what they are. I think I would have become bored with collecting, had I restricted myself to only a certain length and blade combination.

Just my long winded way of looking at it and as the saying goes, your mileage my vary. :-)

Here's another batch,

Attachments:

• SANY0039.JPG, 2.2 MB

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 30, 2015 at 12:11

Um Rob, I would argue with you except I pretty much agree with you.  The Fish-knife is indeed a hybrid, most often or traditionally based on the large Toothpick or tickler frame of knives.  Have you seen my discussions on Toothpicks.  I too collect them but I find the fish-knife unique enough of standardized enough to at least consider it a sub-family of the Toothpick knife.  If they were critters I'd classify them as such:

The Toothpick:

Genus: Dentiscalpium

Species: Dentiscalpium

The Fish-Knife (on a toothpick frame):

Genus: Dentiscalpium

Species: piscis

A Fish-knife on a trapper frame

 Dentiscalpium piscis-laqueum

I did a video on The Toothpick knife on you tube but I'm not happy with it.  It will probably be one of the first I re-do now that I have a better camera.  Still, it gives you an idea of where I'm at on fish knives and toothpicks:

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 30, 2015 at 21:25

Below is  Wenger Genuine Swiss Army Knife (Pre-Victorinox Take-over)  Trout.

The Trout is made on the 85mm Wenger Frame  and features Scissors, a combo fish sclaer, ruler, degorger and line guide!  It's cousin is the Bass.  The difference between the two is the fish pictured on the handle and the Bass comes with a locking main blade.

Permalink Reply by tim payne on March 30, 2015 at 21:30

nice wenger trout tobias

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 30, 2015 at 21:31

and then there is the Bass!

Below is  Wenger Genuine Swiss Army Knife (Pre-Victorinox Take-over)  Trout.

As stated is made on the  85mm Wenger Frame  and features Scissors, a combo fish sclaer, ruler, degorger and line guide!  Unlike the Trout, the  Bass comes with a locking main blade. The lock mechanism is a little cumbersome.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 31, 2015 at 12:10

I also have the Victorinox Fish Knives. Unlike the Wenger, the Victoriox Fish Knives have a stylized fish that looks somewhat  Medieval European:

My Fisherman is one of the earlier ones. (1985-1991)  You can tell this by the lack of spine mounted hook as well as the awl blade that lacks a sewing hole.  Unlike the Wenger models, the Victorinox Fisherman comes with  a pair of scissors.  Victorinox also makes the knife on a larger 91 mm  body.   THe Victorinox scaler also has the degorger and ruler but does not have the line guide.

My other Victrorinox Fish knife is an  early Angler.  (also 1985-1991)  It is essentially the same knife as above except it has a corkscrew in place of the Phillips Screwdriver.  Later models of the Angler swapped out the scissors for a pair of pliers.  I prefer the scissors. Another sign that this is an earlier knife is the groove in the Corkscrew.  This groove was dropped from the knife at some point before 1991.  The hook, which is also absent on this knife started appearing after 1991.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on March 31, 2015 at 19:42

I prefer the the top one.  It has been many years since i needed a corkscrew out fishing 

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on March 31, 2015 at 21:34

And I simply have a weakness for knives with corkscrews! I've actually not bought SAKs because they had the Phillips and not the Corkscrew!  I need help!

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