All About Pocket Knives

Sasquach wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2026 7:30 pm I did not know that there is a Wharncliff knife frame, I always thought that it is a blade pattern. I get to learn new stuff posting here, so enlighten me.

Dinadan wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 3:11 am Very nice old Waterville, Woodwalker. That knife looks like it saw some serious use.

Kevin - four great looking Schatt & Morgans!

Q - That is an interesting comparison of the two Rough Ryders. I tend construe nomenclature rather strictly, so I completely agree with you that the second RR is not a Wharncliffe. I realize that I have posted three knives in this thread that really had Sheepsfoot blades, so maybe I am not as strict as all that. When I am altering a tipped blade, I have wondered about the exact amount of curvature along the back of the blade that will separate a Sheepsfoot from a Wharncliffe. But the straight cutting edge is a defining feature.

Sasquach wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2026 7:30 pm I did not know that there is a Wharncliff knife frame, I always thought that it is a blade pattern. I get to learn new stuff posting here, so enlighten me.

Wow: I get to enlighten!
The Wharncliffe frame could be described as a serpentine sleeveboard.
Charlie, if you were looking through old knife catalogs from a hundred years ago, you might see a knife advertised as a Wharncliffe, and then it would describe the blades. Here is an example. Unfortunately I did not record the source of this image: it was just one of many knives on a catalog page.
Whorncliffe1a.jpg
I do not know when Wharncliffe fell out of common usage for the frame. I still like it since no other term has replaced it for that particular frame. The four knives I posted today all have Wharncliffe frames, as do the knives FRJ and Woodwalker posted. Here is another old catalog image, this one from 1921Worncliffe_1921a.jpg

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 2:01 am As soon as I opened the box I saw that something was wrong with the blade on this brand new RR2181.....it didn't look the same as my first one, in fact, it didn't even look like a Wharncliffe at all

Side by side comparison of the two identical models revealed an obvious difference

IMO, the slight upsweep at the tip totally changed the blade from a Wharncliffe to something else.....not sure exactly what you'd call it, spear? tribal? modified Wharncliffe?

I haven't purchased very many Rough Ryders, but this one was the first (and only) RR I've ever gotten that had a factory error. To be fair, the knife was still fully functional, and no doubt still would have made a decent user. But, I specifically wanted a Wharncliffe blade, so of course I had to return it. I wonder if any of you Wharncliffe fan boys would have done any different

Dinadan wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 3:11 am I have wondered about the exact amount of curvature along the back of the blade that will separate a Sheepsfoot from a Wharncliffe. But the straight cutting edge is a defining feature.

Dinadan wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 3:11 am Very nice old Waterville, Woodwalker. That knife looks like it saw some serious use.

Kevin - four great looking Schatt & Morgans!

Q - That is an interesting comparison of the two Rough Ryders. I tend construe nomenclature rather strictly, so I completely agree with you that the second RR is not a Wharncliffe. I realize that I have posted three knives in this thread that really had Sheepsfoot blades, so maybe I am not as strict as all that. When I am altering a tipped blade, I have wondered about the exact amount of curvature along the back of the blade that will separate a Sheepsfoot from a Wharncliffe. But the straight cutting edge is a defining feature.

Sasquach wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2026 7:30 pm I did not know that there is a Wharncliff knife frame, I always thought that it is a blade pattern. I get to learn new stuff posting here, so enlighten me.

Wow: I get to enlighten!
The Wharncliffe frame could be described as a serpentine sleeveboard.
Charlie, if you were looking through old knife catalogs from a hundred years ago, you might see a knife advertised as a Wharncliffe, and then it would describe the blades. Here is an example. Unfortunately I did not record the source of this image: it was just one of many knives on a catalog page.
Whorncliffe1a.jpg
I do not know when Wharncliffe fell out of common usage for the frame. I still like it since no other term has replaced it for that particular frame. The four knives I posted today all have Wharncliffe frames, as do the knives FRJ and Woodwalker posted. Here is another old catalog image, this one from 1921Worncliffe_1921a.jpg

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 2:01 am I had an unusual incident with a Wharncliffe I bought recently that Charlie's question brought to mind (this incident only concerns a Wharncliffe blade, though, not a Wharncliffe frame). Some years back I purchased a Rough Ryder RR2181 Wharncliffe Swayback with blue denim Micarta handle scales that I had modified by BIGHEAD Barry with Amber Stag.

I really liked the knife and decided to get another one to keep in abeyance for a future modification project.

This is the knife that arrived:
IMG_0305.JPGIMG_0310.JPG


As soon as I opened the box I saw that something was wrong with the blade on this brand new RR2181.....it didn't look the same as my first one, in fact, it didn't even look like a Wharncliffe at all

Side by side comparison of the two identical models revealed an obvious difference
IMG_0309.JPGIMG_0308.JPG


IMO, the slight upsweep at the tip totally changed the blade from a Wharncliffe to something else.....not sure exactly what you'd call it, spear? tribal? modified Wharncliffe?
IMG_0238.JPGIMG_0239.JPG


I haven't purchased very many Rough Ryders, but this one was the first (and only) RR I've ever gotten that had a factory error. To be fair, the knife was still fully functional, and no doubt still would have made a decent user. But, I specifically wanted a Wharncliffe blade, so of course I had to return it. I wonder if any of you Wharncliffe fan boys would have done any different

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 05, 2026 2:01 am I had an unusual incident with a Wharncliffe I bought recently that Charlie's question brought to mind (this incident only concerns a Wharncliffe blade, though, not a Wharncliffe frame). Some years back I purchased a Rough Ryder RR2181 Wharncliffe Swayback with blue denim Micarta handle scales that I had modified by BIGHEAD Barry with Amber Stag.

I really liked the knife and decided to get another one to keep in abeyance for a future modification project.

This is the knife that arrived:
IMG_0305.JPGIMG_0310.JPG


As soon as I opened the box I saw that something was wrong with the blade on this brand new RR2181.....it didn't look the same as my first one, in fact, it didn't even look like a Wharncliffe at all

Side by side comparison of the two identical models revealed an obvious difference
IMG_0309.JPGIMG_0308.JPG


IMO, the slight upsweep at the tip totally changed the blade from a Wharncliffe to something else.....not sure exactly what you'd call it, spear? tribal? modified Wharncliffe?
IMG_0238.JPGIMG_0239.JPG


I haven't purchased very many Rough Ryders, but this one was the first (and only) RR I've ever gotten that had a factory error. To be fair, the knife was still fully functional, and no doubt still would have made a decent user. But, I specifically wanted a Wharncliffe blade, so of course I had to return it. I wonder if any of you Wharncliffe fan boys would have done any different

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 7:05 am Like manna from heaven, this RoseCraft Clinch River arrived in my mailbox on WW eve, a very generous 'Bomb' from Sasquach, possibly in retaliation for me practically forcing him to post his Buck Canoose Wharnoe a few weeks ago

Dinadan wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 2:17 pm Here is a Rough Ryder that just arrived at my place. It is a pretty substantial knife, four inches closed.

knifeaddict1965 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 4:46 pm a variety of green Mini-Ts in preparation for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday.

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 10:47 pm Mel, ever since I first saw the Rough Ryder Reserve Quillcliffe I thought it looked a lot like the China Queen Sawcut Wharncliffe. Even wondered if perhaps they were both made on the same frame at the same factory But, the Queen measures only 3 5/8”, so as similar as they seem, I now see they are not quite as identical as I had thought.

Lansky1 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 8:20 pm Kevin - very nice stash of green Case wharnies !!

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 10:55 pm

knifeaddict1965 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 4:46 pm a variety of green Mini-Ts in preparation for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday.

Let’s see how many I can identify:
Pine Trees
Emerald x2
Olive
Bermuda x3
Lime

I think you should be pretty well covered for St Paddy’s Day, Kevin

knifeaddict1965 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2026 12:29 am the 3rd one down may be Green Apple, but it does look similar to some of the Olive Greens they do.

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2026 1:50 am Since I started off this week’s WW with a new Stag Wharnie, I think it’s fitting to close it out with some Stag Wharnies from my archives

knifeaddict1965 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 4:46 pm I'll post a variety of green Mini-Ts in preparation for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday.

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2026 2:25 pm It has a bear trap gator snap and bank vault lockup