Keith
Very Addicted
- Messages
- 1,630
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- Age
- 75
Do any of you ever personalise your equipment?
My Father used to paint all his tools blue, except for certain tools like his 17th century lathing hatchet & his 19th century fascine knives/billhooks. When he gave me my first felling axe he painted the head red! My Mother wouldn't let me take it to bed with me so I had to put it under the bed. Tools have always been very precious to me.
Recently one of my sons bought me a No 10 Opinel clasp knife. I have always wanted one of these & came close to buying myself one for Xmas, god job I waited! Anyway, these knives are very similar in construction & looks to original 18th century clasp knives & as I wanted to add this one to my period equipment I decided to alter it a little. Partly so it would look more authentic to the period, & secondly because I felt I needed to "Make it mine".
The Opinel in its original form.
The altered Opinel soaked in neetsfoot oil.
A "Penny knife" made in Austria with the same bolster design but without the added locking bolster on the No 10 Opinel. These were produced from about 1650 ad.
An English made "Penny knife" probably made in Sheffield.
The Opinel No 3 "Penny Knife" with the exact same bolster & pin attachment as the originals.
I could have removed the locking bolster, shortened & peened the pin, but I decided to leave it as is. To remove the locking bolster would not make a lot of difference aesthetically, & the locking bolster makes this knife much safer to use.
Keith.
My Father used to paint all his tools blue, except for certain tools like his 17th century lathing hatchet & his 19th century fascine knives/billhooks. When he gave me my first felling axe he painted the head red! My Mother wouldn't let me take it to bed with me so I had to put it under the bed. Tools have always been very precious to me.
Recently one of my sons bought me a No 10 Opinel clasp knife. I have always wanted one of these & came close to buying myself one for Xmas, god job I waited! Anyway, these knives are very similar in construction & looks to original 18th century clasp knives & as I wanted to add this one to my period equipment I decided to alter it a little. Partly so it would look more authentic to the period, & secondly because I felt I needed to "Make it mine".
I could have removed the locking bolster, shortened & peened the pin, but I decided to leave it as is. To remove the locking bolster would not make a lot of difference aesthetically, & the locking bolster makes this knife much safer to use.
Keith.
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