What is a "Jack Knife"

[tongueriver]

Can a jack have three blades, like this GEC made Bulldog?

[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?

[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. (?)

[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?

[big monk]

I'd call that thang_______________ah ""'Thinga-ma-jiggy-sawin'- ma-jiggy-- jack-ah-ma-jiggy-knife"" ___________________but it may just be a ""JACK""

[bonehead]

Allrighty then guys, I've decided everthying I own is a Jack knife

[big monk]

Bonehead___________I'm with you,they are all ""JACKS""

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

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

[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.

[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. BH

[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.