All About Pocket Knives

Oh, for Pete's sake. Are you guys turning into purists on me?

jerryd6818 wrote:Oh, for Pete's sake. Are you guys turning into purists on me?

Nah! Jerryd anything with a sharp blade will whittle up a storm!

jerryd6818 wrote:Oh, for Pete's sake. Are you guys turning into purists on me?

Jerry, I don't know enough to be a purist. But, I do like the idea of a split spring that comes together to become an extra thick spring for the main blade.

SolWarrior wrote:

jerryd6818 wrote:Oh, for Pete's sake. Are you guys turning into purists on me?

Jerry, I don't know enough to be a purist. But, I do like the idea of a split spring that comes together to become an extra thick spring for the main blade.

Felix here are a couple of pics of real ones. Very old and very rare.

...........greg, are those 2 your knives???.....if they are, you have got 2 treasures there!!!............ ............

carrmillus wrote:...........greg, are those 2 your knives???.....if they are, you have got 2 treasures there!!!............ ............

No,no,no, Tommy I copied those pics from blade forum. I wish I had some like that.

...........I just wish I had the one my grandfather carried!!.......I would trade every knife I own for it!!!...... ...............

gsmith7158 wrote:Felix here are a couple of pics of real ones. Very old and very rare.

Greg, I had never seen a true split spring like the one in the 2nd photo. I like that it's a thicker knife better for big hands but really like the split spring on the first knife best. Do you know which of two style split springs came first?

carrmillus wrote:...........I just wish I had the one my grandfather carried!!.......I would trade every knife I own for it!!!...... ...............

Tommy, my mom gave me my dad's Schrade Walden 125OT and his Smith & Wesson .38 special (I bought it for him) after he passed over 25 years ago. (I had a .38 just like it but sold it and kept his.) The blade on the 125OT is worn down thin through many years of use and sharpening. The single clip blade wobbles side to side but he never bought another knowing he was going to have to stop working some day soon. That knife, needless to say, is my most priced possession as he carried it with him all the time. It still holds the same edge from the last time he sharpened it so, I know how much your grandpa' knife must mean to you, my friend. What brand and model was your grandpa's whittler? Do you know what happened to it?

.....it was a Camillus whittler, he never carried anything but a Camillus. I can't remember if it was a split spring or whether it had a spacer, but it had the 2 secondary blades on one end and the primary on the opposite end, seems like it had a pointed oval shield. if he had his pants on, he was carrying it and a Camillus sunfish!!........... .................

SolWarrior wrote:

gsmith7158 wrote:Felix here are a couple of pics of real ones. Very old and very rare.

Greg, I had never seen a true split spring like the one in the 2nd photo. I like that it's a thicker knife better for big hands but really like the split spring on the first knife best. Do you know which of two style split springs came first

Felix if I remember the history correctly it was the first knife style that came first and the second was an attempt to correct problems of breakage in the design. Apparently it wasn't a good Design at all and gave way to the current system of two springs and a spacer sometime in the late 1800's.

Tommy, was it like this one? I know you own a few. These photos I took off eBay. It's listed steep at $180 shipped and that smaller blade looks off or reshaped. I think I discussed this with someone and that someone pointed that out to me. Greg, I would think that the second design had more chance of breaking than the first, being that the split spring stops suddenly at mid length putting more stress on them than the longer first split spring. Just my guess.

.......that one looks a lot like it!!.......i think the pen secondary has just been sharpened more than the other 2 blades??.............. ................

Felix I am far from an expert on those old split springs but I have seen some conversations between some pretty knowledgeable people where there was some conjecture that the early ones were actually 2 springs forged together to the midpoint and that's where the instability occured but I can't tell you whether that's true or not as I am certainly not a metallurgist. The second design was a single spring that had the groove cut in it. It would seem that would be labor intensive so why not slap 2 springs together with a spacer between them.

Bernard Levine says a true split spring whittler is a one spring knife. It goes back to the days when springs were forged to shape & size. The single spring would then be cut lengthwise for about half it's length. Cut did not have to be centered, could be off a bit to one side thereby giving differing spring tension for the secondaries if appropriate.
This type of spring construction stopped sometime in late 1800's.
kj

Greg, that's interesting. I always thought -- since I first saw them -- that like Roland explains, they were one piece. In layman's terms - a bit like the old traditional clothespins. That first photo sure looks like its split for 2/3s of the way and the last third or so is one piece. Either way I like the idea of split spring, even the more recent ones too. Thanks for the explanation, bro, and you too, Roland.

Lookee what I just got courtesy of Mr. Tommy Carr (Carmillus )

And one more!

What a way to get back on topic. Tommy's generosity is just awesome. As I said in my other post, Greg you are one lucky duck.

Don't I know it Jerryd! Tommy has gone above and beyond with this gift. From here on out any Camillus split spring whittlers that I acquire will immediately be rerouted to Tupelo, Miss.!

There ya go. That will make him as happy as a hog with a trough full of slop.

......jerry, "happy as a pig in slop", was another of my granddad's favorite sayings!!!.............. ............

Greg, with your last haul and these newly acquired gifts you're gonna have to get a bigger house or at least make an addition to your current one.

Tommy, you're are indeed a very generous man. May you be repaid tenfold for ALL your kind acts, my friend!

SolWarrior wrote:Greg, with your last haul and these newly acquired gifts you're gonna have to get a bigger house or at least make an addition to your current one.

Tommy, you're are indeed a very generous man. May you be repaid tenfold for ALL your kind acts, my friend!

Felix you are so correct and you have inspired me to do a new Camillus Family Portrait.

.........great looking collection, greg!!!.........I don't see a #5 whittler???..........got one if you want it!!....... .........................

carrmillus wrote:.........great looking collection, greg!!!.........I don't see a #5 whittler???..........got one if you want it!!....... .........................

Send it to me buddy. You gotta let me pay you for this one though!