Patch Knives.. show & tell!

[RC]

okay,, for those that actually use them,, what are they? big? small? thin? where do you keep them? in shootin bag? on strap? belt sheath? neck knife? .. switchin from precut to[url] uncut..lookin[/url] fer ideas... :hmm: and pics is good! thanks!

 

[reddogge]

Here's mine and a picture of the bag with it on the strap.

 

[Stony]

Well, if I could figure out how to post pictures, I would. Until then you'll just have take my word. I've used many types of blades as patch knives. Some were made as patch knives, and some just regular knives. I've used straight razor blades with the plastic handles removed, the tang cut off so it's straight and then stuck into a deer antler piece with a hole drilled in it to hold the blade. I've even used a swiss army knife to cut the patches. The best I've ever used was a patch knife made by Lyman which was ground down on one side and was rounded at the tip so it wouldn't cut the sheath. Generally the better knives have been thin and easy to keep sharp. I also tend to keep the knife on the bag strap so I don't use it for anything else. I use to cut at the barrel but I am trying something new for me. I made a couple of loading blocks 13 1/2 inch long by 1 3/4 inch wide with two rows of .50 holes to hold patched balls for when I'm on the range, so I'm cutting patches now on the loading block rather than the barrel.

 

[RetiredMedic]

Here are 2 I made up..

Top one is a old 2 1/2 blade I found at a garage sale. Handle is one of my older antlers, I had lying around. Sheath I made from leather I had.

Bottom on is one I made from a 2 1/2" hacksaw blade.
Handle is also from some antler hanging around.
It's sheath is attached to one of my Possible bags I made..

 

[fatboy]

Heres one I made up to use with a sheath that will hang on your neck.

 

[LRB]

Very nice knife Reddoge! Very period looking.

 

[bwhoffman]

Here are 2 I made up..

Top one is a old 2 1/2 blade I found at a garage sale. Handle is one of my older antlers, I had lying around. Sheath I made from leather I had.

Bottom on is one I made from a 2 1/2" hacksaw blade.
Handle is also from some antler hanging around.
It's sheath is attached to one of my Possible bags I made..

that bottom one is kinda unique!
Is that the "mako shark" model? :thumbsup:

 

[moonedge]

here's a couple i made to ware as neck knife..that is a dime in the pic...

 

[bob308]

i don't have a fancy one. i just took and old hickory paring knife soked the wood to rase the brand sanded it off. been using it for 15 years now. hold an edge as good as any and handy to use.

i keep it in the bag. for speed loading i use a loading block.

 

[reddogge]

Thanks Wick,
Coming from you means a lot.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I used 'ta use one. My favorite is a 3" Brusletto laminated Norwegian steel blade in a small whitetail crown. I've dressed deer with this one and it is a dandy patch knife.

Mostly now I just use a 5" belt knife that does multiple chores.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

the top blade is one of the 'laminated' Norwiegan blades I drilled for handle rivets w/carbide drill. good blade I use it good deal.
the bottom blade is piece of table saw blade. sharp edge on this one. the sheath has a button slit in the back of the snap that fits onto a button on my bag.

[/img]

 

[ameling]

The first patch knife I got and used all those maaaaany years ago was a knife/striker combo. The striker handle works, but poorly. So I just use it as an iron-handled knife. It's on the back of one of the shooting pouches. (no pic) The next patch knife was an old wood-handled kitchen knife with the blade snapped off leaving only 1 1/2 inches left - one of those common old well-sharpened/used kitchen knives like grandma always used. I rounded off the sharp edges where it was broke off, and re-sharpened the 1 inch section of the original cutting edge. Works like a charm. I could shorten the handle, but that full-length handle comes in handy when using that stubby blade for other tasks. It's on the strap of another hunting pouch. (again, no pic)

But now I generally just use my belt knife or clasp knife - tending more towards the clasp knife nowdays. And that clasp knife is now usually one of these.

They are based on several boxes of cheap iron-handled clasp knives recovered from la Salle's ship la Belle which sank off the Texas coast in 1685. There are only three parts to them - blade, handle, and rivet/pin. I only have the one so-so reference for documentation for these, but I keep finding other references to them being "sailors" knives. Plus, several people have told me they remember them being used in the early/mid 1900's down South for cutting plug tobac for chewing. And the very early Romans even had a similar version.

So I'm usually carrying one of these, and using it for everything - including as a patch knife.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Blizzard of '93]

interesting looking blades. where did you come across?

 

[LRB]

Mr. Ameling makes these. I would suggest that you PM, or Email him if you are interested in owning one. They would make a great and rugged general purpose folder, and be very historically correct also.

 

[Charles D. Prokopp]

Here's a batch I forged last week. The top three, especially the smallest one, are intended for the purpose.

[/img]
The baby's blade is only about 2" long. Grips are carved from scraps of quarter-sawn white oak that I had left over from making my daughter's clock. Gave them the old-fashioned "Iron Buff" stain.

 

[Halftail]

Some very nice lookin knives here :applause:

 

[RC]

Some very nice lookin knives here :applause:

yup! and alot of different styled ones and ways they're carried,,but i really thought there'd be more,ah, it's early yet! c'mon guys! :thumbsup:

 

[Ron LaClair]

Here's one of my favorites. The blade was forged from a file and the sheath is beautifully quilled.

 

[RC]

an the handles nice too! :grin: :thumbsup: