All About Pocket Knives

I picked up a few budding knives the other day, as a citrus grower every tree we have has been budded using a knife similar to these..

Fight'n Rooster, I*XL Sheffield and one I need help with in identifying is a J.M. Schmid & Son (Providence R.I.), the Schmid was sold as budding knife but I and everyone else would call it a hawkbill...

Anybody else out there collect these budding knives??

Sunburst

The Schmid and son knife is awesome sunburst . If possible, please show the tang on the IXL. Thanks. I think the Rooster is for grafting. Once the slit is made in the host, then the little bit on the top end of the blade is used to pry it open for inserting the graft. Typically used on vines and roses bushes. s-k

Here's a couple of mine.What is unusual is the I*XL and the J.M.Schmidt you have pictured are for all intents and purposes identical to these two.The one marked Sheffield has to have been a contract knife but from whom? I suspect both it and the I*XL were made by someone else.

J.M.Schmidt was I believe a retailer.I have a couple of early knives with that marking and they appeared to have been made in Germany.I believe Ulster was the maker.

Interesting... K7K and sunburst. Will see what I can find. s-k

smiling-knife wrote:If possible, please show the tang on the IXL. Thanks. s-k

Here you go s-k, it doesn't give much information though..

K7K that is really amazing at the similarity, they must have been manufactured at the same factory.

Sunburst

I agree sunburst... those two knives most likely from the same factory. What is stamped on the front of the hawkbill blade? Thanks s-k

smiling-knife wrote:What is stamped on the front of the hawkbill blade? Thanks s-k

It says; STAINLESS INOX


I also wondered about the Fight'n Rooster's age since it does not have Frank Buster on the tang, maybe one of the earlier knives..?

Here is my favorite budding/pruining knife, a Tony Bose Gardener's knife...

these are great examples. i almost bought a case budding knife, the one with two blades spaced about 3" apart. i like the ones with an ivory blade too.

Sunburst, I think your Schmid (without a T on the end) is an Ulster also. Goins thinks Schmid may have made them, but BRL thinks they just retailed them. Definitely a Pruner or Hawkbill.
Budding, or Budding and Grafting knives are, of course, different. Some have the bump on top of a single blade, some have a bone, ivory, or steel "spud" on the end, and many have a spey blade added, to use as a "spud".
Here are some examples of the latter two. The Schrades are fairly common, but the Case is quite rare!

Ralph, it is my understanding that the Roosters that read 'Solingen Germany' on the front tang are some of the first Fight'n Roosters made. Nice knives by the way

James

I was watching that smid, that was a nice knife. I loved the bone on it, the endcap is a nice touch too

Nce, I especially like that bose!

a couple little schrade waldens

Great knives and photos MM This Wostenholm has an ivory 'paddle' at one end. I don't know the proper term for this part . It has seen a lot of use. s-k

It is called a spud in Levine,s guide number four.

Thanks very much for the information edgy46 s-k

I use this one quite often. G. Wostenholm with great cocobolo handles. s-k

Great thread sunburst. Going w/ comments by upnorth, that #1 Fightin Rooster is also a grafter. I was curious about that shape. Nice example's gentlemen. I don't have any-yet. But I know what I am looking at now. Thanks.

Here's a couple of examples, of what little I know about these knives...

The knife on the left is a budding/pruning knife - notice that it's ground on both sides, like a regular knife. The one on the right, is the grafting knife. Theory is, that being ground on the mark side only allows the gardener to slide the blade down, between the bark and the "stalk" without scoring the stalk or trunk of the plant. Then the bump on the top is used to wedge open the bark, to allow the transplanted twig to be inserted into the opening.

I haven't actually done any of this - it's just what I was told. Obviously, if you're left-handed, all bets are off !

Interesting knives, tho'....

JR

Great knives JR.... Thanks for showing them . BTW... like your new avatar. s-k

Ralph, James is spoton about the Rooster tang stamp.The original first stamp on Fight'n Rooster knives (rear tang) was Frank Buster Cutlery Company Germany. The front of the blade was stamped with the two Rooster Trademark and/or the word Solingen .

I can't seem to post a picture with my post, or edit a post!!??
Who should I talk to??

This is an old Saynor prunning knife with smoooooooth bone scales. s-k

that looks like someone favorite knife. and now you get to take care of it.

Those are fantastic examples JR and SK, I would gladly accept those in my mailbox if you were to mail them my way...

I especially love that smooth bone knife, it just calls to be used...

Thanks for sharing,

Sunburst

This is a recently made little prunning knife with water buffalo scales.