All About Pocket Knives

Rigging knives are used by sailors to cut rope and line on board a water vessel. There are several types of rigging knives.

Rigging knives have several functions. Foremost, a rigging knife has a blade that is sharp enough to quickly cut through ropes, lines and sheets. The blade is usually made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel to keep it in good shape even under harsh conditions. Rigging knives, especially the folding variety, often have other features that make them indispensable on a boat. For example, many rigging knives have a shackle key. The shackle key helps to undo shackle pins, which can be very handy. Some also have marlinspikes, which are very useful for untying difficult knots.

Rigging knives, this rugged, big, and build for hard work knives always fascinated me, been wanting one for some times, and finally I could get my hand on 2 of them.

The first Rigging knives I got is a Navy issued (probably British) and the second one is a Case rigging knives. the Navy one build like a tank, and the Case is more polished in term of fit and finish, yet they are both a real working knives.

This is an interesting article about Rigging knife:
http://www.franciscoresearch.com/images ... Market.pdf

and here's my rigging knives, please share your Rigging Knives here,

May come as bit of a surprise but this type of knife

was issued to the army boys WWII.

The navy knives didn't have a can opener.

Their still neat old knives.

That Case is pretty.

Thanks!
awesome knife Wullie
looks like he's been seeing a lot of action too
but that year stamp and arrow? that is cool!!

The arrow is the English Ministry Of Defense military acceptance mark and the year stamp is the year it was made. The marlin spike on these is for opening the knots on the ropes that used to be used to secure everything. There is also a two piece version without a marlin spike and a two piece with out a can opener. All of which are MOD stamped for the Army. The Navy did not use the MOD stamp.

ah so....
thanks for info IH,
mine have this A.B.L 1951 stamp on the can opener blade. what is A.B.L stand for?

I found a pic of one on file. Guess I'm going to have to get the camera out and photograph the others I have.

Ka-bar Riggers Knife.

Found another one.........

Here's one that reads "C.Johnson and Sons" over "Sheffield"

It has "Scout Knife" etched on the blade.

theblindog wrote:ah so....
thanks for info IH,
mine have this A.B.L 1951 stamp on the can opener blade. what is A.B.L stand for?

I've got one that is very similar to yours (except mine has the scales shrunken almost away, and everything is rusted up from pocket carry). I think it was military surplus from Belgium, if I remember right.

Jim

Here is a modern rigger, a Myerchin. The latest ones are made in China, but this one from a few years back is from Japan.

Knives with locking spikes are commonly called rigging knives, and those with non-locking spikes are called yachtsmen's knives.

That's a pretty neat knife and the difference between a rigging knife and a yachtman's knife is something new I learned today. Is that a lanyard loop on the spike end of the knife or is that the locking mech. or both?

coffeecup wrote: I've got one that is very similar to yours (except mine has the scales shrunken almost away, and everything is rusted up from pocket carry). I think it was military surplus from Belgium, if I remember right.

Jim

I see, so johnnierotten was right
I stand corrected than, Thanks Jim, I learn new thing every time in this forum

Philco, that Ka-bar is sweet, but I like that C. Johnson and Sons Sheffield Scout Knife even more
any idea how old is it?

Trail, that is a cool looking knife you got, with the blade hole, so that could be opened one hand right?

Yep the A.B.L ones are post WWII copies from Belgium.

I only have this one. I'd like to have more because I like this pattern (and several dozen other patterns ) but y'all know how that goes. This is the Buck 315, Made in USA. The lanyard loop also unlocks the marlin spike.

My only one...........

Tim

Tim, I like that one much better than I do mine. I want one like that. Do you know what year it's from?

Jerry....the tang reads Buck over 315 over USA no other markings.

Tim

Okay. Thanks.

jerry, here you go,
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Buck-Model- ... 43a8df828e

Thanks. Added it to my watch list.

Since everyone is sharing pics ... here's a few I have :

Regarding the Myerchin, yes, the metal appendage is to release the spike lock as well as a place to attach a lanyard. The slot in the blade is a shackle wrench, for opening the shackles which are used to attach halyards to sails, among other things.

Here is another of mine, a Currey lockspike, built on the European patten. The large hole in the body of the knife is the shackle wrench, and just as on the Myerchin, the bail release the spike lock.

Here are a couple more, a Mercator and a Camillus. In my opinion, the Camillus is the finest, toughest rigger of them all. If I could only have one knife on my boat, that's what it would be.

philco wrote:Found another one.........

Here's one that reads "C.Johnson and Sons" over "Sheffield"

It has "Scout Knife" etched on the blade.

I still drool over that one. GREAT knife Phil.

Thanks W.

Jerry, Tim, those are sweet , love the one with the bolsters, what are the closed length of those Buck's?
Dean, I really like that red Cammilus, is it bone or derlin handle?
Trail, the Currey is very interesting pice, with the addition of shackle wrench on the body and screw driver (?) on the bottle opener very handy feature