dlr110 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 17, 2021 8:05 pm
Okay I'm going to be Mr. Negative here. What good is a Rhino, Elephant Camel toe any kind of knife for?
For my likes and tastes in knives they're ugly and I just don't know of any use for them. I don't mean to
hurt anyone's feelings, just expressing my thoughts and asking a question.
My answer to your question David, is: "History."
I have a few "Elephant Toe" knives, no, I have no reason to EDC one. I only collect and display. They are a part of knife history just as my Fleams, Ink Erasers, Barrel Knives, Folding 18th century Medical knives and Bleeding Lancets, the list goes on and on. All of which I have no reason to carry.
I think one has to be into the history of this knife pattern, many collectors are and the Sunfish knives are still being made today by many firms, and even custom makers too, many with drop dead gorgeous handles with prices much deeper than my pockets.
These knives were originally produced as working knives, used by carpenters and sailors in the late eighteen hundreds early nineteen hundreds. That's the reason for the heavy blades, sailors would use belaying pins to hammer the blade through a line to cut it. That's the reason only a few survived this long.
The elephant toenail (sunfish) knife is rich in history and full of all the things in a made for TV movie, and involves many of the granddaddies of American cutlery history.
Bottomline: This wonderful pattern was made for heavy work- manual labor, hunting, trapping, etc. The earliest that I have been able to definitely trace it back to is right before 1900, when sailors at sea would perform their beautiful "Scrimshaw" art on the elephant toe due to its large area of bone handles.
I have been unable to determine the first firm to have produced it, or a patent. (Still researching) Perhaps I should send Bernard Levine an email?
It is a popular pattern and is increasing in demand among new and old collectors. A good example would be by witnessing the ending price on the auction sites, some currently sell for hundreds of dollars, depending on the manufacturer and condition of course.
The pattern was obviously popular in its hay day because dozens of firms began producing them. Interestingly, the knife took on different names as each maker attempted to differentiate their toenails from the others made during that era. Some of the nicknames includes, Vest Pocket Axe, Rope Knife, The Jumbo and many others. Today, they are primarily known as toenails, and elephant toes, elephant toenails and, probably the most popular- Sunfish knives, now we have smkw naming their new RRR a "Rhino Toe." (I'm good with Rhino Toe)
As Tim (Beavertail) mentioned in his above post. Tim's Grandfather carried an Elephant Toe to work in the cotton mill.
I am a history fanatic, I often want to know: Who, What, When, Where and Why.
Dan
It's always important to know what you don't know.
Dan