Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

Hey folks! I’m new to the forum and a relatively new knife collector. I’m a fan of what I’ve always heard called “sheepsfoot” knives as well as Wharncliffe blades, but I’m not sure if those qualify as “lambs foot” or not . I’m sure y’all will let me know. Here’s a picture of my favorite two knives in the categories I mentioned above:

https://instagram.com/p/BPP1w2ojvna/
 
Jack Black said:
Bizarre isn't it? I have more knives than they have on display in all the Sheffield museums combined! They'll probably have the Turner case out of there before too long.
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There is but one course of action: The Jack Black Museum of Sheffield Cutlery. If you build it, I will come. And purchase a Sheffield-made Lambsfoot from the gift shop. And a bottle opener.
 
WhittlinAway said:
There is but one course of action: The Jack Black Museum of Sheffield Cutlery. If you build it, I will come. And purchase a Sheffield-made Lambsfoot from the gift shop. And a bottle opener.
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Yes Greg, good idea, so will I. That's a double dare I guess :)
Michael
 
JTB_5 said:
Hey folks! I’m new to the forum and a relatively new knife collector. I’m a fan of what I’ve always heard called “sheepsfoot” knives as well as Wharncliffe blades, but I’m not sure if those qualify as “lambs foot” or not . I’m sure y’all will let me know.
Click to expand...

First of all, welcome! It's great to have new folks finding the forum, this sub forum (a.k.a The Porch), and this thread.

If you're a fan of sheepsfoot and Wharncliffe blades, odds are good that you'll be a fan of the lambsfoot—which is distinct from those two—as well. This post by Jack Black Jack Black shows prototypical examples of the lambsfoot and sheepsfoot shapes.

The defining characteristic of the lambsfoot is the taper of the spine as the blade narrows from tang to tip. It usually also has a more angular nose than a sheepsfoot. They may not seem like big differences, but many of us find that they result in a remarkably versatile blade.

Spread throughout the 150+ (!) pages of this thread you'll find speculation about how the lambsfoot came to be and much discussion of its history and charms. There are also tons of beautiful examples to behold, including old examples with historical significance and the only fixed-blade lambsfoot knife that I'm aware of. Pick a random page as a starting point, browse for a bit, and you're certain to find something that piques your interest.

Again, welcome. Pull up a chair and sit a spell. :)
 
WhittlinAway said:
First of all, welcome! It's great to have new folks finding the forum, this sub forum (a.k.a The Porch), and this thread.

If you're a fan of sheepsfoot and Wharncliffe blades, odds are good that you'll be a fan of the lambsfoot—which is distinct from those two—as well. This post by Jack Black Jack Black shows prototypical examples of the lambsfoot and sheepsfoot shapes.

The defining characteristic of the lambsfoot is the taper of the spine as the blade narrows from tang to tip. It usually also has a more angular nose than a sheepsfoot. They may not seem like big differences, but many of us find that they result in a remarkably versatile blade.

Spread throughout the 150+ (!) pages of this thread you'll find speculation about how the lambsfoot came to be and much discussion of its history and charms. There are also tons of beautiful examples to behold, including old examples with historical significance and the only fixed-blade lambsfoot knife that I'm aware of. Pick a random page as a starting point, browse for a bit, and you're certain to find something that piques your interest.

Again, welcome. Pull up a chair and sit a spell. :)
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself, very nicely put.

Welcome, JTB_5 JTB_5 , this thread is long, but well worth the read. I hope the Lambsfoot catches your fancy and, in the event that you might get a hold of one, it proves to be a useful blade for you. There is no finer ambassador of all things lambsfoot than our very own Jack Black Jack Black , who happens to be in possession of an extraordinary wealth of knowledge.

I hope you enjoy your stay here!
 
Bartleby said:
Reminds me of trips with my father to admire the huge window displays at Hoffritz in NYC. He used to take me to their shop in the city at Christmas time each year. Later they had a smaller shop also with a nice display (at the airport, of all places!).
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:) :thumbsup:

herder said:
That is such a fantastic Turner display, Jack. I wonder where the other museum knives have disappeared to???
Have you asked them if they are in storage or have been sold off as museums sometimes do?
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Bearing in mind how many similar displays once existed, it's incredible that they don't have more. I have raised the issue with them many times my friend. They claim they still have the knives in storage, but you saw yourself how few they have on show. They own (or have owned) some incredible knives, and they certainly have space to display many more of them if they chose to do so. I know that I am not the only visitor who asks about the absence of cutlery, but that is bound to decline, as will the number of collectors willing to donate knives to them :(

WhittlinAway said:
There is but one course of action: The Jack Black Museum of Sheffield Cutlery. If you build it, I will come. And purchase a Sheffield-made Lambsfoot from the gift shop. And a bottle opener.
Click to expand...

LOL! :D I don't have many museum quality knives I don't think, but running a knife museum sounds like fun! :D You'd really think Sheffield would be a prime contender for a museum of cutlery wouldn't you?! :rolleyes:

herder said:
Some nice holiday themed photos shown so far. Here is a contribution but not an entry since I have benefited before.

View attachment 804886
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Very nice indeed :) That's a lovely old Lambsfoot :) :thumbsup:

Old Engineer said:
I would sign up for a few of those , if somebody would only make some .
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Me too Harry! :D I think that bolster would probably need to be cast though. I've only had one triple rat-tail, on an Elliot knife I think, which I gifted Charlie. The senior cutler at Wright's worked at Elliots, and told me he had ground thousands of bolsters like on the Guardian's knife. I'll have to ask him if he has ever done any of those fancier ones :) :thumbsup:

JTB_5 said:
Hey folks! I’m new to the forum and a relatively new knife collector. I’m a fan of what I’ve always heard called “sheepsfoot” knives as well as Wharncliffe blades, but I’m not sure if those qualify as “lambs foot” or not . I’m sure y’all will let me know. Here’s a picture of my favorite two knives in the categories I mentioned above:

https://instagram.com/p/BPP1w2ojvna/
Click to expand...

WhittlinAway said:
First of all, welcome! It's great to have new folks finding the forum, this sub forum (a.k.a The Porch), and this thread.

If you're a fan of sheepsfoot and Wharncliffe blades, odds are good that you'll be a fan of the lambsfoot—which is distinct from those two—as well. This post by Jack Black Jack Black shows prototypical examples of the lambsfoot and sheepsfoot shapes.

The defining characteristic of the lambsfoot is the taper of the spine as the blade narrows from tang to tip. It usually also has a more angular nose than a sheepsfoot. They may not seem like big differences, but many of us find that they result in a remarkably versatile blade.

Spread throughout the 150+ (!) pages of this thread you'll find speculation about how the lambsfoot came to be and much discussion of its history and charms. There are also tons of beautiful examples to behold, including old examples with historical significance and the only fixed-blade lambsfoot knife that I'm aware of. Pick a random page as a starting point, browse for a bit, and you're certain to find something that piques your interest.

Again, welcome. Pull up a chair and sit a spell. :)
Click to expand...

Great reply Greg :) Welcome Joshua, I think you could spend an enjoyable evening reading through this thread, but hopefully by page 2 (if not post 2), you will know what a Lambsfoot is, and how it differs from other straight-edged patterns. Of course, like the rest of us, you'll only really come to appreciate the pattern by picking one up and using it ;) :thumbsup:

Pàdruig said:
Couldn't have said it better myself, very nicely put.

Welcome, JTB_5 JTB_5 , this thread is long, but well worth the read. I hope the Lambsfoot catches your fancy and, in the event that you might get a hold of one, it proves to be a useful blade for you. There is no finer ambassador of all things lambsfoot than our very own Jack Black Jack Black , who happens to be in possession of an extraordinary wealth of knowledge.

I hope you enjoy your stay here!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words Dylan :)

JTB_5 said:
Thanks guys! I’ll check out the other pages and enjoy learning and looking!
Click to expand...

Hope you enjoy the read Joshua, and that we'll see more of you here :thumbsup:

Hope everyone had a good start to the week :) My Guardians Lambsfoot in Sheffield yesterday :thumbsup:

AWSFO 25-3.JPG
 
A few pages back, I seem to recall mention of a horn handled fork, it got me thinking about how versatile horn is as a material. I have some small horn cups, a drinking horn, and some horn tableware, including these spoons that I use on a fairly regular basis, especially when I am out of doors. They are light and they pack easy. I even have a friend who has a good sized bowl made of horn!

In any case, horn is a great material, especially with proper care. Spoons, paired with the rather remarkable pile side of this wee Lambsfoot.

th3IP4O.jpg
 
Pàdruig said:
A few pages back, I seem to recall mention of a horn handled fork, it got me thinking about how versatile horn is as a material. I have some small horn cups, a drinking horn, and some horn tableware, including these spoons that I use on a fairly regular basis, especially when I am out of doors. They are light and they pack easy. I even have a friend who has a good sized bowl made of horn!

In any case, horn is a great material, especially with proper care. Spoons, paired with the rather remarkable pile side of this wee Lambsfoot.

th3IP4O.jpg
Click to expand...

Very interesting Dylan, nice spoons - and they go with your Lambsfoot! :) Charlie waynorth waynorth has an old 19th century horn-handled knife and fork I sent him some years back, they're in his horn display :) I come across the forks from time to time, and the horn seems none the worse for their age. Sadly the knives are rarer :thumbsup:
 
Nice knife and picture, herder!!
Great spoons, and Lambsfoot, Dylan!! Do you know the origin of the spoons?
The following are courtesy of Jack, for which I am eternally grateful!!
Thanks for these, and also for keeping the museum(s) honest!!
Guardian w fork 1.jpg Guardian w fork 2.jpg
 
waynorth said:
The following are courtesy of Jack, for which I am eternally grateful!!
Thanks for these, and also for keeping the museum(s) honest!!
View attachment 805263 View attachment 805264
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You are very, very welcome Charlie, cool pics :) I have a fork the same as yours, but I have only ever come across that one knife. The horn looks pretty good for its age :) I think they are 19th century, but Sheffield museum had a very similar set on display, which they actually listed as 18th century :thumbsup: I slipped you something Lambsfoot-related in the post today my friend ;) :thumbsup:
 
Jack, the blade on that dining knife is ground very thin, making it very functional, but probably fragile to abuse. I suspect there were many bent, broken and discarded!!:eek:
I will now put it safely back in the display, where it is appreciated daily by Joanne and I, and often by our occasional dinner guests!

P.S. You are too kind! I will keep an eye on the mailbox!
 
Evening Guardians hope all is well with everyone. Well today I had a mishap with my Guardians lambsfoot while using it I felt something in my hand well turns out the small imperfection I had on the knife broke lose. It was um near the bolster and now the bolster is super sharp at the bottom. So do you guys think I could buff the edge off the bottom of the bolster with my dremel? Would like to hear how you guys would fix this.
 
waynorth said:
Jack, the blade on that dining knife is ground very thin, making it very functional, but probably fragile to abuse. I suspect there were many bent, broken and discarded!!:eek:
I will now put it safely back in the display, where it is appreciated daily by Joanne and I, and often by our occasional dinner guests!

P.S. You are too kind! I will keep an eye on the mailbox!
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I think you're right Charlie, a lot of those old knives were probably ruined opening paint cans, etc :eek: :( It was nice to see your set again my friend :) :thumbsup:

5K Qs said:
Guess where my wife and daughter obtained a rosewood Lambsfoot for me back in April? :p
pKUDBxm.jpg


- GT
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They certainly picked you a nice one GT :) :thumbsup:

gonebad395 said:
Evening Guardians hope all is well with everyone. Well today I had a mishap with my Guardians lambsfoot while using it I felt something in my hand well turns out the small imperfection I had on the knife broke lose. It was um near the bolster and now the bolster is super sharp at the bottom. So do you guys think I could buff the edge off the bottom of the bolster with my dremel? Would like to hear how you guys would fix this.
Click to expand...

Ouch! :eek: Can you post a pic please Keith? I have repaired/replaced chipped bone with epoxy in the past, which can be coloured, and can work very well. Replacement is not out of question though Keith :thumbsup:
 
Pt-Luso said:
The mail arrived, today with my new knife A. Wright Lambsfoot Jigged Bone ...

28vva7r.jpg
29nfs47.jpg
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Welcome to the Guardians my friend! :) How do you find your Lambsfoot? I don't have any of the jigged bone models from A.Wright yet. I once enquired about that exact model in a Sheffield shop, but they didn't have it in stock. I hope that you find the Lambsfoot pattern useful :thumbsup:
 
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