Dedicated Spey Blade Locking Folder
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 9:34 am
In my view, there would be two markets for a locking spey blade; collectors and wranglers. If you are squeamish, do not read the next two paragraphs that describes how it would be used.
Our cattle wrangler gets in the chute with about ten calves at a time. He uses a trapper style slip knife with a spey blade to notch ears, cut off horn buds and cut the bottom third off nut sacks. To reduce blood loss, testicles are pulled out by hand and the cords are not cut. He also administers vaccinations, sticking the open spey blade into the hip pocket of his jeans between shots.
This all happens very fast. There is surprisingly very little blood (except sometimes horn buds will have arterial spurting ten feet). Calves do not seem to feel any pain and remain calm for the most part, but there is some jostling and some of the calves are 200 pounds. (We only do this two times a year.) The wrangler admits that he has cut himself putting the open knife in his pocket. He has also lost a knife having it fall into the sand and disappear forever.
My suggestion would be a lock back for easy clean up. Scales that provide good grip in bloody conditions. A fairly straight, plain edge spey blade similar to a Stretch but with a point so rounded and blunt if you poke the palm of your hand, it will not penetrate the skin. Easy to close and clip in a hip pocket, quick to deploy with one hand.
It could be named the Termineuter or Terminutter. But I could be wrong, I often am.
Our cattle wrangler gets in the chute with about ten calves at a time. He uses a trapper style slip knife with a spey blade to notch ears, cut off horn buds and cut the bottom third off nut sacks. To reduce blood loss, testicles are pulled out by hand and the cords are not cut. He also administers vaccinations, sticking the open spey blade into the hip pocket of his jeans between shots.
This all happens very fast. There is surprisingly very little blood (except sometimes horn buds will have arterial spurting ten feet). Calves do not seem to feel any pain and remain calm for the most part, but there is some jostling and some of the calves are 200 pounds. (We only do this two times a year.) The wrangler admits that he has cut himself putting the open knife in his pocket. He has also lost a knife having it fall into the sand and disappear forever.
My suggestion would be a lock back for easy clean up. Scales that provide good grip in bloody conditions. A fairly straight, plain edge spey blade similar to a Stretch but with a point so rounded and blunt if you poke the palm of your hand, it will not penetrate the skin. Easy to close and clip in a hip pocket, quick to deploy with one hand.
It could be named the Termineuter or Terminutter. But I could be wrong, I often am.