All About Pocket Knives

So I take it that a Farmer's Jack, while similar to a Stockman, will have a hawkbill blade.

QS, that is my understanding but hopefully someone who actually knows will come along and either validate or correct.

I wouldn't call that a farmers jack.

peanut740 wrote:I wouldn't call that a farmers jack.

Hey Roger, help me out with a definition. Is it because it has 4 blades? Is it just a stockman with an added pruner?

I would call it a stockman.Look at the prior pages and you will figure out what a true farmers jack looks like.2 Blades,1 on each end.Serpentine frame and rat tailed bolsters.

peanut740 wrote:I would call it a stockman.Look at the prior pages and you will figure out what a true farmers jack looks like.2 Blades,1 on each end.Serpentine frame frame and rat tailed bolsters.

Thank you Sir.

A farmers jack is a double ended single spring knife ,too large to be called a pen knife , typically about 4”. It has a pruning blade on the large end of almost always a wharncliff frame, and a spey or budding blade on the opposite end. Not everything is typical, but this is the norm. I have two of the "Old Cutlers".

Such as this old maker, American Shear and Knife Co.

wlf wrote:A farmers jack is a double ended single spring knife ,too large to be called a pen knife , typically about 4”. It has a pruning blade on the large end of almost always a wharncliff frame, and a spey or budding blade on the opposite end. Not everything is typical, but this is the norm. I have two of the "Old Cutlers".

Such as this old maker, American Shear and Knife Co.

Thanks Lyle, I appreciate the information. Hope Jan is doing well. Thanks again.

Thanks. She has tolerated the treatments pretty good and will finish them in about a month. So far so good.

wlf wrote:Thanks. She has tolerated the treatments pretty good and will finish them in about a month. So far so good.

Donna and I are very glad to hear this Lyle, give Jan our best.

wlf wrote:Thanks. She has tolerated the treatments pretty good and will finish them in about a month. So far so good.

Glad to hear this, Lyle.

Have you ever considered changing your name to Farmer Jack?

Appreciate everyone’s support and concern.

John R ,how’s the knee ?
John K, I hope your love life is almost as good as mine.

wlf wrote:Appreciate everyone’s support and concern.

John R ,how’s the knee ?
John K, I hope your love life is almost as good as mine.

Thanks, Lyle!

I was reading the 4” Schrade thread and stuck these together for a quick picture to participate there , but 4”ers is all I saw.

These are 4 1/8” , making them with Empires, the largest farmers jacks. There always seem to be exceptions of which is a 4 1/4” hoss cat Joseph Rodgers owned by Tony Bose.

What a sweet group, Lyle! You definitely have the market cornered on the pattern and IF I ever find one you'll get a call.

Just think about all of the knife history right there. If only they could talk . . .

Great grouping of Farmers Jacks Lyle! Hope you and Jan are doing well.

Lyle, super group of Farmer’s Jack knives.

Lovely group of FJs Lyle ... Schrade made some nice FJs as shown in your group - among the many makers did they seem to make more than the others with a greater selection of handles etc??

Thanks John, Jerry, and Lee.
Jan’s over cancer treatments, dealing with knee replacement which is painful. She’s toughing it out.

Lee, great question.
Schrade came later than many and lasted longer, but yes they seem to be the most prolific in circulation.

What you see is all I know they produced except for a stag shadow pattern of EA’s which he promised me a picture of. It came out of a collection from a manufacturing executive. We think it’s probably special.

Schrade’s selection may be greater than any other manufacturer I know of, with Wostenholm right there too.

Schrades:
2 Shadow patterns , one in French ivory and the other in fibestos.

Regular rat tailed bolstered versions in bone, French ivory, and black composition.

Also making the bone version with the beefier pruner and bark loosener.

Wostenholm I expect had a longer tenure than Schrade.
Wostenholm had bolstered stag, bone, French ivory, and black composition.
Bolstered less rat tailed stag and black composition.
Also a gardener’s version ( which I don’t have or have seen other than in a catalog) with a bark opener. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more.

wlf wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:52 am Thanks John, Jerry, and Lee.
Jan’s over cancer treatments, dealing with knee replacement which is painful. She’s toughing it out.

Lee, great question.
Schrade came later than many and lasted longer, but yes they seem to be the most prolific in circulation.

What you see is all I know they produced except for a stag shadow pattern of EA’s which he promised me a picture of. It came out of a collection from a manufacturing executive. We think it’s probably special.

Schrade’s selection may be greater than any other manufacturer I know of, with Wostenholm right there too.

Schrades:
2 Shadow patterns , one in French ivory and the other in fibestos.

Regular rat tailed bolstered versions in bone, French ivory, and black composition.

Also making the bone version with the beefier pruner and bark loosener.

Wostenholm I expect had a longer tenure than Schrade.
Wostenholm had bolstered stag, bone, French ivory, and black composition.
Non- bolstered stag and black composition.
Also a gardener’s version ( which I don’t have or have seen other than in a catalog) with a bark opener. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more.

Glad to hear Jan is over cancer treatments and wishing her a speedy recovery from the knee replacement !!!

Great info Lyle ... very informative and a nice perspective of FJs to store in my noggin' ...

I messed up Lee. Wostenholm’s versions all had bolsters that I know of, but they made stag and black composition without rat tails.
My information is from my experience, not absolute fact. It’s true until it’s not.

Thought I would repost this knife in a few places to get other opinions. I find the master blade a Sheffield peculiarity.I thought at first ,someone might have altered a pruning blade, but upon inspection the kick doesn't appear to be altered. This would have to be done to allow the blade seated inside the framework.

Normal farmers jacks with this blade edge would peek out above the frame. Opinions, insights.

That's some gorgeous stag, Lyle!

Those blades look fine to me but I'm not the Farmer Jack guy, sometimes I am farmer John though.

Long funny sheepsfoot.

wlf wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:02 pm Thought I would repost this knife in a few places to get other opinions. I find the master blade a Sheffield peculiarity.I thought at first ,someone might have altered a pruning blade, but upon inspection the kick doesn't appear to be altered. This would have to be done to allow the blade seated inside the framework.

Normal farmers jacks with this blade edge would peek out above the frame. Opinions, insights.

The master is abit peculiar Lyle ... Just doesn't look right to me - it looks like it had a good cleaning by a professional at some point and maybe a reshaping?? Nonetheless not a hawkbill and not really a sheep foot so not sure what to call the blade - a hawk foot - maybe an original one of a kind FJ master blade ... Perhaps the kick isn't altered though I think it may have been possible if it was ground on a slight angle to flow into the tang - but I find it strange that there are no choils on the blades - the kick is slightly down on the spey blade.. It is certainly puzzling based on the master blade ..