The thumb stud not only allows the user to open the blade but also acts as a guide when opening cans. It is one of the earliest forms of can openers you will find on folding knives and was typical of the 6353/1905 pattern. This is what the British called can openers. The funky looking triangular blade is normally called a tin cutter. Marline Spiikes were used to loosen these lines)
(the Marlin fish is actually named afer the spike and not vice-versa! The word Marlin is a corruption of Marline, a type of tarred roped used on sailing ships. The knife also has a large marlin spike, used to loosen lines and untie knots. Spear points were considered to be about the most versatile of all blades back in the late 19th early 20th Century. These early marlin spike knives had a spear blade instead of sheepfoot. The idea is to make the spine softer and tougher to allow the sailor to pound on the back of the knife without breaking it. The spine of the blades were not given the same heat treatment as the cutting edge. The blade would most likely be a 1095 while the liners are something softer. The handles are bone, the liners, pins, springs and blades are all Carbon Steel. It is a 6353/1905 Camillus knife Marlin Spike. If you have a knife that was made for use at sea, show it off!īelow is one of my most recent additions to my collections. Let’s see some sailing knives! It doesn’t matter if they are folding or fixed, with or without the Marlin Spike. And while some companies continue to churn out the tried and true traditional patterns, other companies do nothing but try to perfect the perfect sailing knife! Over time new steels were introduced and ergonomics and the sailor’s needs further tweaked designs.ĭespite the adaptions one thing remains universal with most of the folding marlin spike knives the familiar Z pattern the knife make when the main blade and marlin spike are moved to the half open position. Still other versions were adapted and modified for the civilian market. It has changed very little since the adoption. A smaller frame pattern which has become a standard pattern used by many American companies is a variation of this 6353/1905 that was adopted for American Maritime service in 1942. The 6353/1905 pattern knife is itself similar to early rigging knives used in the 19th century. Surprisingly the knife was used by all branches of the British military on land, sea, and later air! This was a large frame (almost 5 inches/ 120 millimeter) knife with a large spear blade, small punch and very intimidating marlin spike. Most of the modern folding sailing knives, often called a marlin spike knife, can trace their roots back to the British Pattern 6353/1905 clasp knife that was adopted for service use in 1905. The sailing knife goes by several names, some you may have heard, while others may seem obscure.
Most people are familiar with the Marlin Spike knife or the folding riggers but there are several other knives that were made for use on board boats and ships or by people who spend their lives on or around a body of water. What is a sailing knife? It is a knife designed for use onboard a boat or ship, especially a sailing vessel with a primary purpose to cut line, untie knots or any other day to day job while at sea. The sailing knife just seems to naturally exude adventure and daring unlike that of any other knife. When getting a new one I wonder where it may go, what it might be called upon to do and how other like-minded souls will put it through its paces and test the steel of its blade and spike.
When I come across an old sailing knife I try to imagine who might have used it, where they may have gone, what they may have been through. I think it is the idea of traveling around the globe is what brings a certain mystique to the sailing knife. Above is my Rough Rider Marlin Spike knife in White Smooth Bone The Scrimshaw work was done by TX Force O'Brien.
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