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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on June 23, 2011 at 20:47

Well I call a knife with a main blade (any style) can opener, bottle opener, and any other blade a "Camp/Utility" regardless of any additional blades.

 

I'm not sure what the hook at the end or what the small blade is.  Depending on their uses I'd could see this a farrier or an Electrician's tool. I lean more to an Electrician or Linesman tool as I think that hook is for cutting/stripping wire.  The small blade looks like something for wire splicing, but I don't know.  Just guessing.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Child on June 24, 2011 at 7:22

Hey Toby: Yeah, I guess if I were to apply a "general classic pattern" name Camp/Utility would do it. Even though I don't have either name in my collection of pattern names, either Horseman's or Equestrian would seem applicable. Farrier would fit, but that "mane thinning" blade spoils it because farriers only mess with horse's feet,

The small curved "pick" blade at the butt is not sharpened on any edge and would be for picking stuff out of and/or digging at/in horses' hooves.

The short punch-looking bladeis sharp on one edge and so can double as both a punch for harness repair and a short stout trimming blade.

It's difficult to see in this photo, but the long blade open at 10:30 is a crooked knife sharpened all along the "inside" edge set up for cutting on the "pull stroke." This is the classic hoof trimming blade. The "re-curve" at the blade's end is about 1/4" in diameter.

For a shepherd, this is a really useful knife for EDC, but especially on those days when you know you're going to be trimming the toes of a group of animals -- necessary several times a year. The one exception being the mane-thinning blade. Sheep fleece is a lot different than the coarse hair of a horse's mane.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on June 24, 2011 at 8:03

Go with Farrier or Vet knife then.  Here's a few details on Farrier's, the knife and the profession from my never published Pocket Guide to Knife:

 

Farrier’s Knife:  Similar to the Doctors knife the Farrier was a knife designed for the care of horses. The knife normally had a primary spear blade, a spay blade, and a hoof hook.  Additional blades may include a file, a fleam, and a saw.  (Today a Farrier is a person who specializes in the care of horse hoofs. In the 18^th and 19^th century a Farrier was considered a horse doctor and by circumstance was employed to treat all domesticated livestock, as well as the occasional person.  Back in the day, many  farriers were better at setting a broken bone than the town doctor was.)

 

That hook could probably work well as a fleam, not that you're going to be doing any blood letting.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Child on June 24, 2011 at 11:20

Toby:

I've decided, at least temporarily, on a "two pronged" solution.

Prong 1: I'm going to relegate multi-blade "horsey" knives like that pictured above to the pattern designation of "Veterinary" which is a pattern I already have in listing of patterns.

Prong 2: Looking around at the "hoof knives" currently available from at least half a dozen cutlers, I'm creating a pattern I will call "Hoof Pick" - being a two or three blade jack knife -- a pick usually accompanied by a spear or clip blade ...and maybe one other blade.

I'm going to keep thinking as I explore this family of knives. From time to time I see some really complex folders from the UK and places further east. We think that the Swiss sort oif invented the multi-mulit-blade knife ...and then you see some of the thngs Sheffield cutlers were making for "farmers" in the early 1800's !!! 

...BTW: I do LOTS of blood letting around here ...the sad truths are that it's mostly accidental and it's mostly MY blood! 

 :-(

Tobias Gibson said:

Go with Farrier or Vet knife then.  Here's a few details on Farrier's, the knife and the profession from my never published Pocket Guide to Knife:

...<snip>... 

That hook could probably work well as a fleam, not that you're going to be doing any blood letting.

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Permalink Reply by Jean-François on June 24, 2011 at 15:16

Yes, it's an equestrian knife,  an evolution of these nineteenth century horseman’s knives, many of which were manufactured in Sheffield, but some in France too (in Châtellerault, for instance). You can any time find these models on eBay France, imported from Pakistan or China: 

 

This one is sold as a "Laguiole (!!!) cavalier 5 lames...

 

 

I purchased this one a few years ago as gift for the young daughter of friends :

 

 

The knife looks really like yours. It was very well made – especially for the price.  

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Permalink Reply by Jim Child on June 27, 2011 at 7:58

Hey J-F: The only differences I notice between your knife and mine are the nail nick on the master clip blade -- mine has a "long pull" (bumpy down inside -- is that supposed to be a match-strike?) nick and the steel pivot pins on your knife are visible in the bolster. 

Pakistan or China? I find it strange that there is so much mystery about the origin of this knife.

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Permalink Reply by Shlomo ben Maved on August 12, 2011 at 4:45

It is an equestrian or groomers as opposed to a farriers knife because it has the curry comb.

It is still made by a number of reputable companies in Germany, England, Spain and France...You'll find them advertised more in the equestrian magazines as chevalier, caballero, horseman's knives...I can't find it now but one very small Welsh (IIRC) maker had royal warrants.

If it has no markings at all it would probably be Chinese as Pakistani knives--usually/mostly--do bear a maker's chop or country of origin.

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