Welcome Home...THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

iKnife Collector

The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel

MUSKRATS MUSKRATS MUSKRATS

The muskrat knife was originally designed for skinning small animals. When one blade got dull, there was another one ready and waiting. The majority of muskrats have two identical clip blades and are built on a medium stockman frame. It's been said that the muskrat lends itself to faster sharpening because of the lack of upsweep on the blade. Case produced their first muskrat prior to 1940.

The muskrat pattern has long been one of my favorites. I mainly collect Schrade knives and would like to see what other manufacturers are building. Post your pictures.

2 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on August 19, 2015 at 11:21

I only have two muskrats.

Rough Rider RR183 Baby Muskrat

Rough Rider RR703 Rifleman Series Muskrat

Permalink Reply by John Bamford on August 19, 2015 at 13:01

What a fantastic collection Doug !!

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on August 19, 2015 at 13:19

The Yankee rat by Tuna Valley.

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Doug Webber on August 22, 2015 at 16:45

That's some great looking stag on the Tuna Valley. I'm not familiar with that maker, are they done by GEC?

The threaded bolsters really set off that Rifleman...are those bone handles?

I know a little about Schrades , but I'm pretty ignorant about other makers.

Now come on, I know there are a lot more muskrats out there...I can't be the only one that favors the pattern.

Here are four Schrades that Herman Williams re-handled in white bone and added a few touches to.

1st. Standard 787 Muskrat pattern

2nd Schrade Uncle Henry 877UH guthook muskrat

3rd Schrade 787 frame muskrat with a fully serrated spey blade

4th Schrade Walden single spring frame with a half serrated main blade

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on August 22, 2015 at 18:32

Four more really nice muskrats there Doug! Yes, the scales on both of my muskrats are bone.

BTW, that rifle in the second picture of my Rifleman series muskrat is a Model 1873 Winchester manufactured in 1891. It was passed down to me from my father. You can see more pictures and read its story here.

http://iknifecollector.com/group/ikc-arsenal/forum/topics/new-membe...

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on December 18, 2015 at 22:22

No fancy photos, but here is the sole Muskrat that I own, a Camillus-made Buck #313 that I bought for myself around 1973-74. It has been my daily companion ever since. Cleaned and gutted many a dove, quail, and/or pheasant in it's time. I carry this frequently in a belt sheath. On days that other knives are on my belt this one resides in my fanny pack, so no matter what other EDC I have on a particular day this knife is the only one I own that I ALWAYS have with me.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on December 21, 2015 at 12:56

Syd,

I love this! No matter what other knife may make the cut for the day this one is always with you. I do the same thing, I may grab another one to carry with me but my schatt & morgan gunstock is always with me. A gift from a cherished friend, I don't leave home without it

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Doug Webber on December 22, 2015 at 5:52

Because of the way that IKC is structured, I have become aware of many quality knife manufacturers I had been previously ignorant of. I would like to add a Queen ACSB muskrat as well as a GEC muskrat...I favor the 818213...to my muskrat collection. However, the muskrat that will always be at the top of my list is the Schrade Walden 787 single back spring muskrat.

I've started the process of wet dry hand sanding the blades of 7th one down... part of the handle on the pile side has been melted... in the hope of bringing them to a mirror polish so they can replace the blades on the 3rd one down with the rounded threaded bolsters ...the main blade is about 1/16" short of full...at which time it will also be re-handled with brown peachseed jigged bone. I'm confidant that there are other collectors who would agree that the cost of buying two fair knives and then spending more money on them so as to end up with one great knife makes perfect sense. I'm also sure that this type of thinking has something to do with the fact that I'm 60 and still single.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on December 22, 2015 at 10:00

LMAO Doug!

60 and still single is not always a bad thing. Funny that it gives you the freedom to display, buy what you want to, set up a repair shop when and where you choose and never have to answer the enough knives question with a straight face!!

This sentence makes me smile, Thank you!!

Because of the way that IKC is structured, I have become aware of many quality knife manufacturers I had been previously ignorant of.

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on December 22, 2015 at 14:44

Well Doug, I could never say "I'm 80, (or in my case 63), and I'm still single", I'd have to say, "Well, here I am single yet again!!". It took me awhile, but I finally realized that it really IS ok to be single, so I resolved to take a decade off, which then stretched into two decades, (and counting). Believe me brother, a life companion can cut you deeper than any knife blade ever could, and the scars linger longer. You are safer in a house full of knives than in a house full of angst.

I was raised by a machinist, and worked with my hands all my life, but I haven't worked up the courage to disassemble a Schrade knife that uses the Swindon System; you are braver than I sir. That being said, I consider taking two or three knives apart to join the various parts into one perfect knife as completely a reasonable thing to consider. I've got all the tools I would need to do it, I just haven't taken that plunge, (yet). I do have some really nice exotic hardwood pieces around from my luthier days. I have both Bubinga, (sometimes called African Rosewood) and Ovangkol, and I have been itching to rehandle one of my knives with some of it. If you were to ever be interested in cutting out some scales let me know, I'll send some to you if you want.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on December 22, 2015 at 15:09

LOL, you two are killing me! I understand as there was a decade between my first marriage and Donnie. BUT.....I am wife #5 (ever check out my pics and what number most of my knives are?) In about 2 weeks we celebrate 23 years married and 27 years collecting together! and YES, sometimes I too hear...you bought another knife?

Better than that, try telling a collector your going to buy a knife site and give away a knife every month, forever!

Syd,

Take the plunge, make 2016 the year you disassemble a Schrade knife that uses the Swindon System and give 2 old knives a new life!

Permalink Reply by Syd Carr on December 22, 2015 at 15:57

Well Jan, that means Donnie finally found THE right person; congratulations to both of you for that. Five?? Wow, obviously a more patient man than I am. I'm fine with it though, I am friends with all my ex's, best friends with the mother of my daughter actually. Her husband and I tell my daughter she should start a band called "My Two Dads". Her step dad is a great person who I respect more than most anyone else in the world, and he is a wonderful "Pops" to my grandson, (who calls me "Awdaw", guess he can't say grampa yet). I hate to quote Hillary, but my family is proof that "it takes a village". Funny how life turns out when you're comfortable in your own skin and just let life happen.

One of these days I'll give knife surgery a go Jan. I've disassembled most every kind of device & machine at one time or another anyway, may as well try it on a knife.

Jan Carter said:

LOL, you two are killing me! I understand as there was a decade between my first marriage and Donnie. BUT.....I am wife #5 (ever check out my pics and what number most of my knives are?) In about 2 weeks we celebrate 23 years married and 27 years collecting together! and YES, sometimes I too hear...you bought another knife?

Better than that, try telling a collector your going to buy a knife site and give away a knife every month, forever!

Syd,

Take the plunge, make 2016 the year you disassemble a Schrade knife that uses the Swindon System and give 2 old knives a new life!