All About Pocket Knives

Maher & Grosh in their old catalogs( pre 1930) advertised an obvious cotton sampler as a skinning knife.

Looking back at my comment on the cotton sampler blade, I suppose I'm looking at it with tunnel vision. In a meat processing plant, a kill floor, skinning knives have an upswept blade very similar to the cotton sampler plus several other knives come into play in the old style butcher pens. peanut740 pointed out the bade being advertised as a skinner caused me to think about that application. My narrow view is based on my experiences dressing deer over the last 50+ years. I'd have to have another blade with a sharp point on a knife that contained a cotton sampler blade. That is where the 2 blade folding hunters come to the rescue, a sharp pointed clip and a companion blade with some sweep on its' front as a skinning blade.
Treefarmer

Ever professional butcher I ever saw wore a multi-knife holster that had several fixed blades of various shapes and sizes, never a folder.

I hear you TFL! Professional butchers used to wear, and probably still do, an aluminum/plastic holster/scabbard to hold the knives they choose to use that particular day. I can still see in my mind's eye, my Father-in-law and his crew of meat cutters in their white coats and aluminum scabbards working on beef, swine and sheep. Skinning knives, breaking knives, butcher knifes, boning knives, all used to get the critter to the electric meat saw and turned into steaks, roasts, soup bones and ground meat.
My observation is based on my choice of knives to dress Bambi and for years it has been a #39 Queen. I have some fixed blades, I don't carry one in the woods but I do carry a folder capable of doing the job. Several of us have participated in 2 pass-arounds of fixed blades, one a Case and the other an ugly heifer made by an axe company. It is always interesting to see what a knife is capable of doing. Last year, I completely dressed a deer with a RR Trapper some one anonymously had sent me just for fun.
If I run across a cotton sampler maybe I'll try it on Bambi' britches rather than a cotton boll.
Done ramblin'.
Treefarmer

Mine works great in the Kitchen!

Solid knife

It just cute great! Veggies are no match for the Cotton Sampler!

Here we go again! Miss Joy said, "Looks like your knife is here." My response, "I don't remember buying one." Somehow the anonymous Rough Rider donor has sent another one, this time a Cotton Sampler. My thanks again to whoever is mighty generous!
This is my 1st time to actually fondle a Cotton Sampler. The knife is sharp, will shave your arm. The knife is solid, has half stops and the fit and finish seems to be very good. I noticed this one doesn't have the "match strike" nail nick. The joint was a little bit gritty and with a drop or two of oil it gave up some nasty black stuff, like most new knives anymore. I love the smooth bone handles but the edges are very sharp, a little bevel on the exposed bone edges would make it a bit more pleasant to handle. That would be an easy fix. I stand by my original statement concerning this type of blade, it would not suit me as my only skinning knife. I believe it would work very well once the job was started with a pointed blade. Maybe the Lord will bless me this coming season to be able to give it a good work out. Again I was much impressed with the RR Trapper last season but that old "Patriotic Bug Bite" is still felt in this old hide.
Be sure to read the warning on the end of the box, this may be something I need to isolate along with some of the ol' celluloid gals.
Semper Fi
Treefarmer

As someone that lives in California, I can tell you that those warnings are put on EVERYTHING here. They are in nearly every store and business. I'm expecting them to soon appear on bottles of water...

Here ya go - take yur pick...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Californi ... _chemicals

I enjoyed mine so far

When we went to central Florida to see Miss Joy's dad on Fathers Day, we left our little mini Dachshund with some special friends. Miss Joy cooked beef stew for supper and invited that couple for supper yesterday evening. When they came in the house, our friend handed me a new SMKW catalogue that was soon our topic of discussion. He mentioned the Cotton Samplers and he wanted to try one out. After supper I retrieved my anonymously donated RR Cotton Sampler and presented it to him. I explained the circumstances how I had received several RR's anonymously and had put the Trapper to the test. My friend is now the proud owner of the Cotton Sampler with the warning on the end of the box!
I want to thank, again, the person responsible for this!
Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote:When we went to central Florida to see Miss Joy's dad on Fathers Day, we left our little mini Dachshund with some special friends. Miss Joy cooked beef stew for supper and invited that couple for supper yesterday evening. When they came in the house, our friend handed me a new SMKW catalogue that was soon our topic of discussion. He mentioned the Cotton Samplers and he wanted to try one out. After supper I retrieved my anonymously donated RR Cotton Sampler and presented it to him. I explained the circumstances how I had received several RR's anonymously and had put the Trapper to the test. My friend is now the proud owner of the Cotton Sampler with the warning on the end of the box!
I want to thank, again, the person responsible for this!
Treefarmer

He got a good knife!

It cuts meat and veggies just fine!

treefarmer wrote: After supper I retrieved my anonymously donated RR Cotton Sampler and presented it to him. I explained the circumstances how I had received several RR's anonymously and had put the Trapper to the test. My friend is now the proud owner of the Cotton Sampler with the warning on the end of the box!
I want to thank, again, the person responsible for this!
Treefarmer

I wasn't aware that you're the type of person who gives away knives that are gifted to you. I guess a Rough Rider doesn't qualify as a keeper.

Well Test ID, you caught me with my hand in the cookie jar! Regifting is a delicate subject. As I posted back in June, I am thankful for the anonymous Rough Rider knives and when my very good friend expressed interest in the cotton sampler pattern, it crossed my mind he would probably get more enjoyment from owning the knife than I. I had fully intended to use the cotton sampler this coming season if I was blessed with a deer to see if it would actually suit me as a skinning knife as mentioned on the forum. But I knew full well it would not be the practical knife the Strawberry Bone Rough Rider Trapper had proved itself to be. All this said, I hope you will understand why I passed this knife as a gift to a special friend, who would not accept payment for baby sitting an "evil, black hearted, cat killin', miniature Dachshund.
Treefarmer.

I think the entire concept of "re-gifting" is blown completely out of proportion. If I have something that I think someone else can use or would enjoy, and I give it to them, why does it matter where I obtained it? IMHO, it doesn't diminish the original gift, nor does it diminish the subsequent passing to someone else. Both are acts of kindness that exist at the moment of the act. On the other hand, thinking that the recipient is somehow obligated to retain a gift DOES diminish the act of giving. It shows that the gift came with strings attached instead of being an unconditional gift.

I guess I'm just a sentimental old fool. I tend more to follow the path alluded to (my interpretation) by Test ID. I feel like it lessens the intent of the gifter if I don't think enough of the gift or the gifter to hang on to the gift. A slight or insult as it were. "This gift has no meaning." I'm more of a hold on to the gift until I draw my last breath kinda guy.

But that's just me and in no way obligates anyone else to follow my example nor does it validate my sentimentality.

AND I AM NOT CRITICIZING YOU FOR DOING WHAT WAS RIGHT FOR YOU, PHILIP. PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT THAT WAY.

Mine shaving hair off the top of my hand!

Good job as a kitchen !

Treefarmer,

I was wondering if the new owner of the cotton sampler has had a chance to try it as a skinner? I think getting a review from him would relieve you of any bad mojo regifting may have brought. Lol!

eveled,
We probably won't be getting a report on the RR Cotton Sampler from my friend. He is bit disabled and is not able to be in the woods as he once did. He still enjoys shooting when he can and loves to eat fried venison when he comes to our home. He and his wife are both Army veterans and spend quite a bit of time at the VA doctors. He is a Vietnam vet, a great friend and he loves the Lord! If I caught any flak for regifting to him, I'll gladly take it.
Surely somebody in this bunch ought to skin a deer with a RR Cotton Sampler, so we'll know!
Treefarmer

Phillip, I haven't hunted since September of 1966 and that was squirrels and I've never hunted deer so this is not a facetious question. Would either of these skin a deer and what is the smallest you've ever used to dress one?

Yes Sir, Jerry! I'd tackle Bambi with either of those! I can't recall using anything smaller than a standard sized trapper or stockman, the 4"-4 1/4" size. The folding hunters are always just right for me, you just can't break a pelvis with one like you might a heavier fixed blade and a baton or a small hatchet. That's where the Milwaukee Sawzall comes in nowadays! The Florida Whitetails are not near as big as northern deer or the mule deer out west so if I had that opportunity, I might need a larger knife. But once you get started and open up the hide, any sharp knife will do the job. You would have to be more careful if you only had a Warncliffe blade but a spay or any thing with a little belly works for me. It's a lot easier if you have a pointed blade to get started. I may be cheating a bit because once I get the hide peeled down to the shoulders and off the front legs, the hide is then pulled with whatever vehicle is close by, cart, tractor or pickup truck. Gutting is then done and then just careful knife handling makes a clean job.
Treefarmer

Mine keeps a good edge and does a good job in the Kitchen .

Just got one. I like it very sharp and has half stops. Almost to pretty to use.