Homemade knife

[Pharmseller]

The knife fight thread got me to thinking about this knife:

I’m not sure where my grandpa (born in 1901) got it, or if he made it, but it came to me when he passed in 1989. I’ve never used it, nor have I seen it used, but it’s still shaving sharp. No clue what kind of metal but it attracts a magnet.

Nine inches overall, with a 5 in blade.

The handle seems to be wrapped in some sort of plastic wrap. I thought it was plastic-wrapped wire but it’s not heavy enough for wire, and it doesn’t attract a magnet.

The sheath has a metal liner in what appears to be some sort of rubber-lined hose material.

No idea how old it is. The phrase “Try it you’ll like it” was popularized in 1971 as part of an Alka-Seltzer ad campaign but he could have written it later. Looks pretty wicked.





P

 

[Hecouldgoalltheway]

That's a grade A prison shank right there.

Cool piece. If it could talk..

 

[Darryle]

It's possible that it is a old leaf spring, my uncle had one or two, I can ask my cousin if she has pictures of them.

Some old hands of my grandfather used blades made from leaf springs, they used them to castrate calves, wicked sharp and rarely need the edge touched up.

 

[db2000]

Very cool and interesting!

 

[TexPatriot]

The knife fight thread got me to thinking about this knife:

View attachment 8583668

I’m not sure where my grandpa (born in 1901) got it, or if he made it, but it came to me when he passed in 1989. I’ve never used it, nor have I seen it used, but it’s still shaving sharp. No clue what kind of metal but it attracts a magnet.

Nine inches overall, with a 5 in blade.

View attachment 8583669

The handle seems to be wrapped in some sort of plastic wrap. I thought it was plastic-wrapped wire but it’s not heavy enough for wire, and it doesn’t attract a magnet.

View attachment 8583670

View attachment 8583672

The sheath has a metal liner in what appears to be some sort of rubber-lined hose material.

View attachment 8583671

View attachment 8583673


No idea how old it is. The phrase “Try it you’ll like it” was popularized in 1971 as part of an Alka-Seltzer ad campaign but he could have written it later. Looks pretty wicked.





P

Was your grandpa ever a guard in the prison system? It looks like something on the display wall of confiscated weapons.

 

[aviumvenator]

The sheath looks like old fire hose.

 

[Makinchips208]

You never used it? Try it, you might like it.


Super cool knife!

 

[roostercogburn98]

The wiffs grandfather made several in his days. I have them laying all over the house

 

[Pharmseller]

Was your grandpa ever a guard in the prison system? It looks like something on the display wall of confiscated weapons.

We’re Irish, so maybe.

One side or the other of the Law, sometimes both, but who’s counting?

Waaaay too big for a prison shank, in my experience. The handle won’t hold fingerprints, though…




P

 

[johnnycat]

 

[Edsel]

Fairly common things in Southeast Asia and Latin America; probably in the rest of the “developing world,” too.

Little things cobbled together to get all sorts of odds and ends done.

 

[Mudburner]

Could the handle possibly be wrapped with elephant hair? Horse hair? Shellac or resin binder? May be a bring back from Vietnam/SE Asia?

Just spitballin here. Fun item to look at & wonder about...

 

[Bullfrog08]

That quote was on a pair of panties in the first porn I ever watched. I use that phrase a lot. Chambermaids 1974.

 

[Eostech]

Handle looks like some sort of epoxy or something, not surprised a magnet would stick to it as suitable stainless/other alloys for blades is a pretty recent thing overall.

 

[tlsmith22]

I thought the handle looked like small wire like you would wind a motor with

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Thread and shellac! But could be horse tail/mane. Lots of that for free in early 1900’s and cheap!

Looks like the kind of thing any resourceful guy would have made before going to the store and dropping big bucks on a Benchmade or HFB became a thing.

I made a blade from a spring when I was 15 or so. Buffalo skinner green River kind of thing. Told myself I would skin a buffalo with its one days. And 40ksh years later… I did!

Very cool knife…. Was grandpa in WW1 by any chance. It has a bit of a fighter vibe to it!!

Sirhr

 

[roostercogburn98]

Here is one the wiffs grandfather made in 1952, it has Travis, AFB and “5th Recky Tech SQ on it along with his name and some other things. Pretty sure it is made from an old file

 

[Pharmseller]

Thread and shellac! But could be horse tail/mane. Lots of that for free in early 1900’s and cheap!

Looks like the kind of thing any resourceful guy would have made before going to the store and dropping big bucks on a Benchmade or HFB became a thing.

I made a blade from a spring when I was 15 or so. Buffalo skinner green River kind of thing. Told myself I would skin a buffalo with its one days. And 40ksh years later… I did!

Very cool knife…. Was grandpa in WW1 by any chance. It has a bit of a fighter vibe to it!!

Sirhr

Nope, too young.

He was a handy SOB, carpenter by trade.



P

 

[TexPatriot]

Thread and shellac! But could be horse tail/mane. Lots of that for free in early 1900’s and cheap!

Looks like the kind of thing any resourceful guy would have made before going to the store and dropping big bucks on a Benchmade or HFB became a thing.

I made a blade from a spring when I was 15 or so. Buffalo skinner green River kind of thing. Told myself I would skin a buffalo with its one days. And 40ksh years later… I did!

Very cool knife…. Was grandpa in WW1 by any chance. It has a bit of a fighter vibe to it!!

Sirhr

 

[sirhrmechanic]

View attachment 8584251

Well-played TexPatriot... but... no!

Sirhr