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Marlin Spike knives -- Folding Riggers and related Sailing Knives!

Above is my Rough Rider Marlin Spike knife in White Smooth Bone The Scrimshaw work was done by TX Force O'Brien. The scene is the Mermaid of Warsaw. (more on that knife later!)

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I think it is the idea of traveling around the globe is what brings a certain mystique to the sailing knife. When I come across an old sailing knife I try to imagine who might have used it, where they may have gone, what they may have been through. When getting a new one I wonder where it may go, what it might be called upon to do and how other like-minded souls will put it through its paces and test the steel of its blade and spike. The sailing knife just seems to naturally exude adventure and daring unlike that of any other knife.

What is a sailing knife? It is a knife designed for use onboard a boat or ship, especially a sailing vessel; with a primary purpose to cut line, untie knots or any other day to day job while at sea. Most people are familiar with the Marlin Spike knife or the folding riggers but there are several other knives that were made for use on board boats and ships or by people who spend their lives on or around a body of water. The sailing knife goes by several names, some you may have heard, while others may seem obscure.

Most of the modern folding sailing knives, often called a marlin spike knife, can trace their roots back to the British Pattern 6353/1905 clasp knife that was adopted for service use in 1905. This was a large frame (almost 5 inches/ 120 millimeter) knife with a large spear blade, small punch and very intimidating marlin spike. Surprisingly the knife was used by all branches of the British military on land, sea, and later air!

The 6353/1905 pattern knife is itself similar to early rigging knives used in the 19th century. A smaller frame pattern which has become a standard pattern used by many American companies is a variation of this 6353/1905 that was adopted for American Maritime service in 1942. It has changed very little since the adoption. Still other versions were adapted and modified for the civilian market. Over time new steels were introduced and ergonomics and the sailor’s needs further tweaked designs.

Despite the adaptions one thing remains universal with most of the folding marlin spike knives; the familiar Z pattern the knife make when the main blade and marlin spike are moved to the half open position. And while some companies continue to churn out the tried and true traditional patterns, other companies do nothing but try to perfect the perfect sailing knife!

Let’s see some sailing knives! It doesn’t matter if they are folding or fixed, with or without the Marlin Spike. If you have a knife that was made for use at sea, show it off!

5 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 15, 2015 at 9:51

Eventually anecdotal information is hard to refute. I'm sure it happened. J.J. It may have even been widespread. But I have yet to find a regulation mandating it.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 15, 2015 at 9:53

FULL DISCLOSURE!

I am not and have never been a sailor. The extent of sailing knowledge is limited to two summers of gliding along a still lake in pleasant weather on a two person sailing craft of a friend of mine. I can raise the sail on such a craft and pull on lines to bring that craft into the wind! I can also right it after I capsize it! I can no more captain or crew a tall ship than an ultra-light pilot can fly a jumbo jet!

Furthermore, I have never worked as a merchant marine, worked the docks, sailed on a tall ship, worked an off-shore oil rig, or worked in any fashion as a mariner or sailor! If anyone thinks I have because of this discussion I’m sorry. This was never my intention.

What I know about ropes I know from rappelling. I learned that information from an Army Ranger who was my instructor. I went on to teach others how to rappel. The knots and lines used in rappelling are different and not nearly as numerous as those used in sailing! The preferred ropes used in rappelling are even different than those used in climbing.

As I stated in the introduction of this discussion: “I think it is the idea of traveling around the globe is what brings a certain mystique to the sailing knife.” and “The sailing knife just seems to naturally exude adventure and daring unlike that of any other knife.”

This is why I’m drawn to them and this is why when the Tall Ships come to my neck of the woods, I am drawn to them and find myself talking to the crews, most of which are college kids doing something I’ve only dreamed of doing! And as I said, invariably I ask them about the knives they use which are just as likely to be a Leatherman or multi-tool as it a rigging knife. But the Leatherman doesn’t exude the same sense of adventure!

Currently I only have one friend who sails on a regular basis and she and her husband live in Redondo Beach, California - a far distance from Chicago! She and her husband love looking at my sailing knives but they admit that they buy cheap West Marine knives simply because they aren’t about to spend a bunch of money for something that invariably would wind up over-board!

This is the extent of my actual sailing knowledge. If I have misled anyone, again I’m truly sorry. This was never my intention.

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on April 15, 2015 at 10:13

Slightly off topic, but related. On lanyards from 1905 Uniform regulations if the Navy;

KNIFE LANYARD For all enlisted men of the seaman branch except el def petty officers: Of bleached white cotton; to be flat sennit, \ to T \ of an inch wide, tightly laid up: to have a turk's-head slide; and to be long enough, when around the neck, to allow the knife to be used with arm extended.

KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by Fred OBrien on April 15, 2015 at 11:05

Which hand would you want bound to a Rig Knife?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alm_qlo3foE

Tobias Gibson said:

Well I'll think about a couple videos on things to do with your spike but in the meantime you can also look at my video on how to use a lanyard:

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 15, 2015 at 11:12

Here's an idea, Fred. How about sharing your expertise instead of making snarky comments. Would that work for you or do you just like to hang around places trying to pick fights?

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on April 15, 2015 at 11:39

Fund this in the 1864 Navy regs.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 15, 2015 at 11:49

A the risk of being insulted again, here are a couple pictures of my my Camillus 695 Yachtsman. Unlike the 697 Camillus Syd showed earlier, the 695 lacks bolsters and instead has full Delrin handles and bird's eye rivets. The blade and spike are 440 Stainless (according to the Camillus catalogs) but it features a carbon steel (1095) back-spring. Really strong snap and no wobble or play in the blades. Obviously it requires both hands to open and close. Spike locks, blade doesn't. Made in Camillus NY, USA.

As you can see from the image below, the 695 has much thicker brass liners than its cousin the 697. The Camillus 696 is similar to the 695 but features either a half serrated or fully serrated blade. The 696 was marketed by Camillus as the Piranha.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 15, 2015 at 12:12

That's pretty cool, JJ. I was reading (I know that's a bad thing!) in Silveys, Book "Pocketknives of the United States Military" that the nay was the first branch of the military to issue knives. And one reason why jack-knives are called jack knives is because of Navy Slang (same for Cracker Jacks and the sailor on the box)

The first knives officially adopted for the U.S. Navy were actually made in Sheffield, England. I'll need to check Silvey's book but I'm pretty sure this happened after the Civil War. I know during the Civil War, some commanders would actually buy knives for the men in theirs units or require the soldier/sailor to purchase one as they were not officially issued by the government. This meant there was a wide variety of knives used during this time.

Strangely enough during the Civil War, Sheffield Cutlers supplied a major chunk of the knives to both sides! One day they would turn out Confederate Bowies with blade etch disparaging Lincoln and Union, and the next day Bowies calling Jefferson Davis a Coward and traitor! Same exact knife for a different client, sort of like the factories in China do today!

J.J. Smith III said:

Fund this in the 1864 Navy regs.

Permalink Reply by Bryan OShaughnessy on April 15, 2015 at 12:14

Tob: no good deed goes unpunished...

p.s. I also live in the Chicago area; I'm in McHenry County. ---Bryan O

Tobias Gibson said:

Sorry you feel that way Fred. I do talk to real people and there are actually real knife makers on in IKC. And as for having all the answers. I definitively don't have them! You at least got that part right! This isn't a site for sailors and old salts. It is a knife site that happens and htis thread happens to be discussing the knives designed for them and used by them. I'm sure everyone, and i know i would, love to hear from actual people who used these knives at sea. And if David Boye happened to drop I'd pick his brain about his knives!

Permalink Reply by Bryan OShaughnessy on April 15, 2015 at 12:41

Speaking to your comment about England supplying to both sides in the American Civil War, England was a huge sponsor of the Confederacy, all for merchandising interests. England's industrial revolution was in dire need of raw materials, among them cotton, to support their textile industry. Britain resented the upstart former colony (USA) recruiting much of their skilled tradesmen/craftsmen and their innate knowledge of machine-building and patent-infringements. In their foolish ambition to preserve home manufacturing and slow the American buildup of heavy industry, they supported the Confederacy with credit, manufactured goods, weapons, warships, and, pertinent here, knives and swords. Not ones to abandon an active market, though, the English continued to sell goods to the USA. During this time, the Collins Company, which manufactured machetes and was based in the south, moved its operation to Central America (?) in protest of the outcome of the Civil War. ---Bryan O

Tobias Gibson said:

That's pretty cool, JJ. I was reading (I know that's a bad thing!) in Silveys, Book "Pocketknives of the United States Military" that the nay was the first branch of the military to issue knives. And one reason why jack-knives are called jack knives is because of Navy Slang (same for Cracker Jacks and the sailor on the box)

The first knives officially adopted for the U.S. Navy were actually made in Sheffield, England. I'll need to check Silvey's book but I'm pretty sure this happened after the Civil War. I know during the Civil War, some commanders would actually buy knives for the men in theirs units or require the soldier/sailor to purchase one as they were not officially issued by the government. This meant there was a wide variety of knives used during this time.

Strangely enough during the Civil War, Sheffield Cutlers supplied a major chunk of the knives to both sides! One day they would turn out Confederate Bowies with blade etch disparaging Lincoln and Union, and the next day Bowies calling Jefferson Davis a Coward and traitor! Same exact knife for a different client, sort of like the factories in China do today!

J.J. Smith III said:

Fund this in the 1864 Navy regs.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 16, 2015 at 17:51

To Fred - an open apology.

Fred I believe I owe you an apology. After re-eading your comment below a day or two later, I realize that I took the tone of the message and your intent incorrectly. In so many ways, you are correct. One reason I do pick the brains of real sailors is to find out as much as I can about sailing knives and when a person who knows little or nothing about a topic such a sailing approaches a person who lives and breathes sailing, they will spot you a mile away and deservedly not talk to you. And you can't really learn anything about sailing unless you actually sail so even talking to those who do is still living it vicariously.

Unfortunately for many of us, the best we can do is live vicariously through the stories of others, and we as knife collectors (and some time knife makers) often live that vicarious life through the relics of the sailors. Sometimes, we also make the mistake of assuming that something that works great on land should apply to life on a boat or ship.

And sometimes, what would be interpreted one way in person or in speech is taken another way in print, especially if one doesn't take time to digest what was written.

I hope you can forgive me for my comments, Fred because I believe you to be a truly good person whose knowledge an experience could enlighten many of dumb lubbers who long for the sea but will probably never be able to do anything more than collect nautical knives and dream.

Fred OBrien said:

I think I have to stop following this thread and maybe leave this site entirely before I lose my sense of humor. You folks really should shut the computers down and head to the coast. It doesn't matter where. Any port from DownEast Maine to Key West. Talk to the real sailors there and learn something about being at sea sometimes for weeks at a time. You won't get that on your computer. Talk to the real knifemakers all along the way. They build the knives that the schooner bums want. You won't find them on Youtube. Some don't even have electricity. Then you can come back here and talk about what you have seen, not what you read. Just don't go with the attitude you already have all the answers because they won't even talk to you. Good Bye

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 16, 2015 at 17:58

Fred has asked a good question. I would normally do this with my left hand (I am left handed). Now as I said, I'm not a sailor and have never been up in the rigging so I'm not sure how well it work there. However, I amd able to pick stuff up even with the knife (or normally a machete) attached in this manner. I used to do this a lot with machetes, simply because I could loosen the grip of machete or wiggle my many when it got tired without putting it down. As with any use of a lanyard it really depends on what you're doing. I think fred also mentioned something about "fine if you're only cutting one way". He is correct, if you need to reposition the knife for possible cutting toward you, you'll need to slip your hand out and reposition.

Fred OBrien said:

Which hand would you want bound to a Rig Knife?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alm_qlo3foE

Tobias Gibson said:

Well I'll think about a couple videos on things to do with your spike but in the meantime you can also look at my video on how to use a lanyard: