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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!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 16, 2015 at 18:15

Earlier I mentioned the Camillus Ti.Marlinspike.
Below are the promised images.

Camillus Ti Marlinspike
Place of Manufacture: China
Model: CM CM 18589
Closed Length: 4.5 inches
Blade: locking Sheepfoot, 3 inch
Secondary: locking Marlinspike, 3 inch
Steel: AUS8 (with Carbonitride Titanium coating)
Liner: AUS8 (with Carbonitride Titanium coating)
Pins: Star bits
Scales: Stabilized Bamboo

Blade locks via a thick liner (essentially it is a frame lock that has had bamboo scales fitted over the frame, if that makes any sense) The blade can be pinched and flicked open one-handed with practice. It can also close one handed with no problem. The liner lock supplies the friction to keep the blade closed. The back spring is only for the spike. The spike must be opened and closed with two hands. It is as stiff as those on old Camillus marlinspikes.

The blade came razor sharp and does seem to hold a good edge.

The handle is stabilized bamboo. I asked Camillus what this meant and it is basically the same as laminated woods. It has been infused with epoxy resins and pressure treated. It seems pretty tough. The cool thing about bamboo is it is tough even when not treated and it a renewable resource.

Here are the pictures.

Last photo show the reverse side without the etch.

The new Camillus logo burned in the bamboo.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 16, 2015 at 18:20

Some detail shots of the Camillus Ti.

The bail has been opened up so as to more room for a lanyard.

Note the thickness of the "liner-lock" This is why I said it was more like a frame-lock

Blade etch: According to Camillus:"These blades are 10x harder than untreated steel and will stay sharper for a longer period of time, while resisting rust, stains and corrosion."

When I saw this on the reverse side of the blade I emailed Camillus. I know it looks like AUS-B which is nonsensical but it is indeed AUS-8!

A side by side comparison of the 697 and the Ti. Not the more slender profile of the Ti Balde.

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on April 16, 2015 at 18:42

Cool, I've been eyeing those since recently becoming addicted to nautical knives. Glad to see the thread active again, it was like it rained on our campfire for a minute, but glad to see the fire going again.

I figured the lack of activity here yesterday was due to CCN's mid-week show being on cable. Have you noticed it gets quiet around here when Jim Frost's "Knife Porn" show is on?

Thanks for the mini review Tobias. Guess I gotta get me one of those too!

Tobias Gibson said:

Some detail shots of the Camillus Ti.

The bail has been opened up so as to more room for a lanyard.

Note the thickness of the "liner-lock" This is why I said it was more like a frame-lock

Blade etch: According to Camillus:"These blades are 10x harder than untreated steel and will stay sharper for a longer period of time, while resisting rust, stains and corrosion."

When I saw this on the reverse side of the blade I emailed Camillus. I know it looks like AUS-B which is nonsensical but it is indeed AUS-8!

A side by side comparison of the 697 and the Ti. Not the more slender profile of the Ti Balde.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 16, 2015 at 20:28

I will admit to watching CCN but alas it is not Knives Live TV or Tactical Knives TV with Steve, Josh, Jay, and Tony!

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on April 16, 2015 at 20:38

I know, it's like watching a car salesman sell a knife, and all that zombie stuff, way too much of that on there IMHO. I guess folks buy it though, but I watch for the traditional pocket knives. They had a Marlin Spike the other day, wasn't buying so don't remember what brand, but it was nice to see that, (with a brief lesson of what it was built for by Tom O'Dell).

BTW: did you see my latest blog posts Tobias? Looks like I really scored at the local thrift store yesterday. I posted photos on my blog, you'll be tickled to see what I found.

Thanks for the videos!

Tobias Gibson said:

I will admit to watching CCN but alas it is not Knives Live TV or Tactical Knives TV with Steve, Josh, Jay, and Tony!

Permalink Reply by Bryan OShaughnessy on April 16, 2015 at 22:10

I received my new Myerchin today, BP300 2nd Generation with G-10 handles and partiall serrated blade. It's a thing of beauty and a joy to behold. Wife's not mad anymore: I cut myself while checking if the serration points were sharp enough. They are. She says she's satisfied. Link to picture: http://shop.myerchin.com/BF300P-Gen-2-Black-G10-Handle-Captain-Pro-...

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on April 16, 2015 at 22:22

Cool, I like that it's a drop point. Beauty!

Bryan OShaughnessy said:

I received my new Myerchin today, BP300 2nd Generation with G-10 handles and partiall serrated blade. It's a thing of beauty and a joy to behold. Wife's not mad anymore: I cut myself while checking if the serration points were sharp enough. They are. She says she's satisfied. Link to picture: http://shop.myerchin.com/BF300P-Gen-2-Black-G10-Handle-Captain-Pro-...

Permalink Reply by Bryan OShaughnessy on April 16, 2015 at 22:28

I got to use the marlin-spike this evening---I had double-knots in my shoes because the laces are too long. The spike was able to un-sort them.

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on April 17, 2015 at 10:15

Syd, the blades on the Myerchin are more correctly called a sheepfoot or a bullhead.

Compare:

Drop Point: A blade on a knife where the top edge of the blade drops in a gentle arch toward the sharpened edge. Drop point blades It differs from a spear point in that the cutting edge is not making the same curve. They are considered useful blade for skinning. Bob Loveless is credited with developing the design. Compare to coping and sheepfoot.

Sheepfoot: A type of blade where the spine and cutting edge are parrallel until near the tip. The tip is rounded all the way down to meet the bottom straight cutting edge, leaving the cutting edge slightly longer than the spine. It is used for cutting rope, and carving wood. It is very common on nautical knives. The blade is named for its resemblance to a sheep’s foot. The blade is often called a sheep foot, sheep’s foot or sheepsfoot. Sheepfoot is the proper term according to W.R. Case & Sons.

Coping: A knife blade in which the blade’s top and bottom edge runs parallel until near the very tip. The tip of the blade is clipped in a straight fashion at a sharp angle (45-60°) leaving the cutting edge slightly longer than the top edge. The front clip portion is not sharpened. (Compare to sheepfoot and tanto) Coping blades are often secondary blades on Whittlers on other knife patterns.

Bullhead:

A sheepfoot blade or more often the coping-sheepfoot blade.

I've often seen the term Bullhead used to describe the blade Camillus called a Coping-Sheepfoot. This blade was used on the old "Coast Guard Approved" Rope Knives. It is similar to the blade found on this Klein Tools E-Z open knife, Essentially a coping blade that has had the spine tip rounded to prevent pocket snags. The knife is patterned after the old Camillus No 40 Navy Jack. Note the front is nearly a right angle to the cutting edge

While I'm at it,

Wharncliffe: A blade in which the point of the knife is dropped, in a gentle curve from tang to tip, to a straight cutting edge. Compare to drop point, spear and sheepfoot. Often misspelled warncliff, and wharncliffe

The real key, the cutting edge of a drop point will invariably rise up to meet the spine. And while there is a slight curve to the cutting edge of Myerchin knives it really isn't enough to constitute a real drop point, primarily because the tip is not designed for actual stabbing. The design is truly to get the maximum amount of straight cutting edge on a the blade. The slight curve is to allow a more efficient cut when using the serrations.

Syd Carr said:

Cool, I like that it's a drop point. Beauty!

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on April 17, 2015 at 11:26

"The real key, the cutting edge of a drop point will invariably rise up to meet the spine. And while there is a slight curve to the cutting edge of Myerchin knives it really isn't enough to constitute a real drop point, primarily because the tip is not designed for actual stabbing."

Thanks for that clarification and description Tobias. I was just noticing the slight drop in the point of the blade, so I appreciate your correction of terms. Whatever the blade, I'm hooked now! Pennies are actively being squeezed so I can get one of these for myself.

KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by Fred OBrien on April 17, 2015 at 13:06

No apology necessary, Tobias. It doesn't matter. I am out of here anyhow. A close friend told me about this posted reply you made and that is the only reason I came back. I don't belong here and my time would be better spent building knives. I am backlogged anyhow. Good Luck on your search.

Tobias Gibson said:

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 17, 2015 at 13:56

Hi Fred, It was necessary for me. And that you for accepting it. You're always welcome and quite frankly we could use some "Old Salts" with your knowledge hanging around to straighten us out when we get loopy and too big for a britches.

Fred OBrien said:

No apology necessary, Tobias. It doesn't matter. I am out of here anyhow. A close friend told me about this posted reply you made and that is the only reason I came back. I don't belong here and my time would be better spent building knives. I am backlogged anyhow. Good Luck on your search.