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What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:47 pm
by bonehead
Ok folks,

I hate to admit it but what is the definition of a jack knife? It appears that most are two blades from one end of the knife, However, I see some that have one blade? Is toothpick a jack knife?, the single blade farmers trapper a jack knife?, the Sway back jack is only one blade and called a jack knife. Is there anything tangible that I can register in this feeble old mind that can put this question to rest.

It seems unclear to me ::disgust::

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:34 pm
by robinetn
bonehead wrote:Ok folks,

I hate to admit it but what is the definition of a jack knife? It appears that most are two blades from one end of the knife, However, I see some that have one blade? Is toothpick a jack knife?, the single blade farmers trapper a jack knife?, the Sway back jack is only one blade and called a jack knife. Is there anything tangible that I can register in this feeble old mind that can put this question to rest.

It seems unclear to me ::disgust::
Compliments of Bernard Levine .

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:51 pm
by bonehead
Thank you sir, Seems I need to get Bernards' Book for further reading..

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:08 am
by big monk
And Bonehead--------the Swayback Jack is a two ( 2 ) blade knife------the Swayback Gent,is the one (1) blade you refer to----I like em' both ::nod::

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:57 pm
by bonehead
Big Monk,

Very True, My error. The page shown fron Bernard Levines book is even more confusing ::paranoid:: Either, there is many more pages to expound on the subject or I need to forget about a tangible def.

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:58 am
by Gunstock Jack
I believe a jack knife can have one or two (or more) blades opening from one end, such as a trapper or slim trapper, peanut or swayback gent. A jack knife can also have two blades opening from either end, like a large pen knife, such as a muskrat or moose. I guess it has to do with just being too big to be called a pen knife. ::paranoid::

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:44 am
by philco
And I believe Jack DOES know jack about jacks! :mrgreen: ::tu::

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:25 pm
by bonehead
Gunstock Jack wrote:I believe a jack knife can have one or two (or more) blades opening from one end, such as a trapper or slim trapper, peanut or swayback gent. A jack knife can also have two blades opening from either end, like a large pen knife, such as a muskrat or moose. I guess it has to do with just being too big to be called a pen knife. ::paranoid::
Jack, and them ones are pretty ones for sure :P

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:39 pm
by big monk
AND,like Gunstock Jack---that knows Jack---about Jacks ::paranoid:: I agree with you all----here is my latest ""JACK"""

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:10 pm
by Gunstock Jack
That's right fellas, I do know jack! Here are a couple of my favorite jack knives; a GEC barlow in genuine stag and a stag Bulldog (by Queen) in the fantastic "gunstock" pattern!

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:17 pm
by bonehead
There all pretty Guys,

This thread reminds me of how I feel about Stag. GEC has to produce the finest Stag knives of anyone that I can think of today. Case seems to have lost that some 15 or more years ago. What do you guys think?

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:24 pm
by Gunstock Jack
Here are a few more contenders for "fav". A trio of gunstocks by Wendell Carson in green camel bone, mastodon ivory, and elephant ivory. A pair of KA-BAR gunstocks in stag and MOP. There was also a green jigged bone made with this 1982 set of three (not pictured). 8)

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:38 pm
by big monk
Mighty Fine looking gunstocks !!!!!!!_____________Mr. Gunstock Jack ::tu::

And I think you are right about the Case stag,Bonehead,______seems like it's sorta,white/chauky, looking lately----not golden/palomino type,like the little , xx usa, ""Jack"" below ::ds::

By the way Jack----------I'm closing my eyes,everytime I go by that ""Queen Stag""" ------Lord knows,I can't come down with another '""Knife Disease"" ::tounge::

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:47 am
by Gunstock Jack
Very nice stag '32 Monk. ::nod:: I won't post any more picts if you don't... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:05 am
by tjmurphy
Monk and Jack - You guys have got to be surviving on dry toast and water. You guys have shown a lot of really nice stags. Think of all the grown up Bambi's it took to make them thar k-nives. They do really look good though.

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:18 am
by tongueriver
Can a jack have three blades, like this GEC made Bulldog?

Image

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:24 am
by gino
Here is a Case one blade and a couple Case two blade Jacks a Kutmaster, Ace cutlery, Gamble stores.
What would you call the last?

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:36 am
by tongueriver
That Gambles knife is a cattle knife, whose popularity predated the stockman and suchlike serpentines. I don't think cattle and stockman knives are USUALLY called jack knives. (?)

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:47 am
by Gunstock Jack
I would call that Bulldog a 3 blade trapper which is a jack knife. I guess I'd call this one a jack as well, although it borders on being a multiblade because of its saw and guthook. Whad'ya think? ::shrug::

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:15 am
by big monk
I'd call that thang_______________ah ""'Thinga-ma-jiggy-sawin'- ma-jiggy-- jack-ah-ma-jiggy-knife"" ::paranoid:: ___________________but it may just be a ""JACK"" :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 11:35 am
by bonehead
Allrighty then guys, I've decided everthying I own is a Jack knife :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:56 pm
by big monk
Bonehead___________I'm with you,they are all ""JACKS"" ::tu::

By the way__just saw you are fro S.C.______what part of Soth Carolina,are you from ????????????

I see that LuckyPaul is from Lexington,S.C. and RangerBluedog is from Anderson_____AAPK members

Gino----has one of the blades been removed from that first one??? or what model is it??? You got some dandy's there ::nod::

And the little ""Rogers Bone Jack"" is still one of my favorite________hey Gunstock,have you got any Case ""Jacks""???????

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:39 pm
by jerryd6818
This morning, I found this at http://www.knifecollector.net/PocketKnifePatterns.html and posted parts of it on another thread.

"The jackknife is reportedly named after Jacque de Liege. He was a French knife maker who is said to have invented the first back-spring assembly. The term is used today to describe many different types of knives. It is most commonly used to describe any knife that has one or two blades that open on the same end. It is also used to describe any knife that has two blades that open in opposite ends and measures more than roughly 3 1/2". You will find that some folding knives do not have any special name and often go only by the generic name "Jack knife". Note that premium jacks are slim, while regular jacks are wider in shape. "

Of course, in the knife world, there is very little solid ground. Everything seems a matter of perception and open to interruptation. :)

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:17 pm
by bonehead
Jerry,

Excellent research, Jack knife for the most part is a very generic term. Thats what I originally thought but had to ask the question, why don't know. It always confused me for eg. a Sway back gent is refered too as a Jack Knife when it already had a descriptive name. Now on the other han never heard of a 098 pattern refered to as a Jack knife, its always been a toothpick....... Thanks I'll rest better tonight. ::nod:: BH

Re: What is a "Jack Knife"

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:45 pm
by arathol
Theres more than one answer to this question, and no real answer. The French answer is above, however, the term jack knife seems to be of American origin. The folding knife is centuries old, but the first use of the term jack knife doesn't appear until the early 18th century.
The Scots had a clasp knife they called the "jockteleg knife", Scottish immigrants may have Americanized it to the "jack leg" knife. The German term for any hunting knife is "jagdmesser", Americanized its a "Jagd" knife. "Jack" or "jack tar" was once a slang term for a sailor, and large folding knives were carried by these jack tars for cutting rope. A folding knife was a sailor or "jack" knife. Take your pick, all of the above, some of the above, or none of the above. Nobody really knows for sure.