"Sunfish" pattern. AKA: "Elephant Toe" (the small 3" closed Sunfish is AKA: "Elephant's ToeNAIL) "Vest Pocket Axe", "Whaler", "Old British Rope Knife", "Emergency Spatula" ... and about sixty-seven ~ sixty-eight other names. The pattern dates to the early/mid 1880's, so it has been around a couple years. Currently Rough Ryder and Marbles are the only companies that produce the pattern as a regular production knife. Case has the pattern "In The Vault". GEC (Great Eastern Cutlery) has made a couple runs of them over the years. Hades and his Sister/Mother-In Law, Demetrius, might know when Case will "take it out of the vault, and produce it for one year, or if/when GEC will do another run of them. In the early years (1880's -- 1900's~1920's) it was popular among lumberjacks, miners, shoppe keepers, Teamsters, riverboat crews, railroad crews, and sportsmen, among others. It is a strong "heavy duty"/"hard use" design, it isn't a weak novelty knife/design. BTW, When used by sailors to cut rope, they did NOT baton the knife through the rope! THINK ABOUT IT!!!! Sailing vessels, be they commercial (cargo or fishing or whaling), military, or private yachts, HAD (have) several axes on board, as well as other chopping and cutting tools. An AXE or hatchet was (is) used in an emergency to cut the ropes/lines/halliards. WHEN a knife was used it was NOT batoned! Batoning is a post Korean War thing ... maybe post Vietnam thing! Batoning a knife can (and likely will eventually) break it. In the day of sail, it took weeks to cross from Europe to the East cost of North America, and longer to reach the East Coast of Central and South America. Voyages to the West Coast took MONTHS before the Panama Canal went in, since they had to sail around the tip of South America then North! They did NOT stop at every port during the voyage. It could take several months before a sailor could replace his broken knife! Whaling fleets could be at sea for up to a year before returning to port. Unlike modern cruise and military ships, they did not have stores where sailors could buy (or be issued) a replacement knife or other tool. They had to wait until they returned to port.
I just ordered this. I've been shopping for sunfish for a while and from what I have read up on the blue G10 rough rider is shorter. This I think is 4 1/2" whereas the blue mule is 3 3/4. I chose this because I wanted a big daddy sunfish for my first knife in the pattern.
I hope you enjoy it. When you get it, my recommendation is to open the main blade to the half stop, drop a little lube in the on the exposed blade tang, wrap a rag around the blade (or tape it up) and open and close it a bunch of times. That will smooth out and loosen up the action a bit.
I was just gifted one of these as a birthday present and I noticed the line on the blade at precisely the same mo.ent in the video! It's only on one side so hopefully polishes out. Thanks for the background info I'm going to look into the history.
You make a great point. I’m a fixed blade guy but am looking for a folder that fits my large hands. I’ve tried several at the lower entry point to find that I don’t like the blade shape, deployment,… I’ve been looking at AKC F-20 to see what I think of OTF’s because who can afford some of them specifically. As sweet as the Finch Buffalo Tooth or AG Russel Sunfish look I’m retired military and they’re a chunk of change. First time here. Thanks for the review!
Just took a beautiful Sunfish Bone Handle and i really love it, is so classy and remind me of my grandpa... But it has a tremendous side-to-side play on the main blade...😓any idea about how to fix it?
The Rough Ryder has three pins and a long match strike pull instead of the nail nick on the Marbles. Marbles D2 series have been on my radar and the RR reserve series is on the way.👍
I have this knife & love it, fortunately both my blades are tight with my play whatsoever, I have seen rough rider white versions that look narrower at one end & fatter somehow, do you know if this is the case ? Cheers mate
Yes Rough Ryder makes a Sleeveboard sunfish (called a sleeve board because having a narrow end makes it look like an ironing board) but check out Tobias Gibson's Knife Chats channel, he's got a few and also many great traditional knife videos.
It is. I have two of the RR sleeve board large sunfish. (white bone and Zombie Nick) I also have the large outdoorsman smooth tobacco bone equal end sunfish. FYI the SMALL end of the sleeve boards is the same size as the equal end. Both designs don't "print" in even light weight business slacks, when carried loose in the bottom of your pocket. A great pattern, and remarkably practical.
Thank you for a very interesting and informative video, very well explained and presented Yes it is a lovely looking knife and on my list, I have just recently discovered Rough Rider knives and I have bought a few and I am very impressed with the quality. Take care Sam ( just subscribed)
sunfish knives is one of those patterns that Im always looking on ebay lol but never pulled the trigger ... great video
Thanks Edwin, i can't wait to see what Sunfish you eventually score!
Beautiful Knife
Rough Rider Sunfish are my favorites, found one locally for 16 dollars!
"Sunfish" pattern. AKA: "Elephant Toe" (the small 3" closed Sunfish is AKA: "Elephant's ToeNAIL) "Vest Pocket Axe", "Whaler", "Old British Rope Knife", "Emergency Spatula" ... and about sixty-seven ~ sixty-eight other names.
The pattern dates to the early/mid 1880's, so it has been around a couple years.
Currently Rough Ryder and Marbles are the only companies that produce the pattern as a regular production knife. Case has the pattern "In The Vault". GEC (Great Eastern Cutlery) has made a couple runs of them over the years. Hades and his Sister/Mother-In Law, Demetrius, might know when Case will "take it out of the vault, and produce it for one year, or if/when GEC will do another run of them.
In the early years (1880's -- 1900's~1920's) it was popular among lumberjacks, miners, shoppe keepers, Teamsters, riverboat crews, railroad crews, and sportsmen, among others.
It is a strong "heavy duty"/"hard use" design, it isn't a weak novelty knife/design.
BTW, When used by sailors to cut rope, they did NOT baton the knife through the rope!
THINK ABOUT IT!!!! Sailing vessels, be they commercial (cargo or fishing or whaling), military, or private yachts, HAD (have) several axes on board, as well as other chopping and cutting tools. An AXE or hatchet was (is) used in an emergency to cut the ropes/lines/halliards. WHEN a knife was used it was NOT batoned!
Batoning is a post Korean War thing ... maybe post Vietnam thing!
Batoning a knife can (and likely will eventually) break it. In the day of sail, it took weeks to cross from Europe to the East cost of North America, and longer to reach the East Coast of Central and South America. Voyages to the West Coast took MONTHS before the Panama Canal went in, since they had to sail around the tip of South America then North!
They did NOT stop at every port during the voyage. It could take several months before a sailor could replace his broken knife!
Whaling fleets could be at sea for up to a year before returning to port. Unlike modern cruise and military ships, they did not have stores where sailors could buy (or be issued) a replacement knife or other tool. They had to wait until they returned to port.
I just ordered this. I've been shopping for sunfish for a while and from what I have read up on the blue G10 rough rider is shorter. This I think is 4 1/2" whereas the blue mule is 3 3/4. I chose this because I wanted a big daddy sunfish for my first knife in the pattern.
I hope you enjoy it. When you get it, my recommendation is to open the main blade to the half stop, drop a little lube in the on the exposed blade tang, wrap a rag around the blade (or tape it up) and open and close it a bunch of times. That will smooth out and loosen up the action a bit.
That knife 🗡 has always appealed to me
I was just gifted one of these as a birthday present and I noticed the line on the blade at precisely the same mo.ent in the video! It's only on one side so hopefully polishes out. Thanks for the background info I'm going to look into the history.
Enjoy it in good health and check out TheApostleP's great video on the GEC Whaler.
This is sweet!!
You make a great point. I’m a fixed blade guy but am looking for a folder that fits my large hands. I’ve tried several at the lower entry point to find that I don’t like the blade shape, deployment,… I’ve been looking at AKC F-20 to see what I think of OTF’s because who can afford some of them specifically. As sweet as the Finch Buffalo Tooth or AG Russel Sunfish look I’m retired military and they’re a chunk of change. First time here. Thanks for the review!
wow excellent value and such a cool design
It is! I hope to see more of these coming out from other companies again.
@Late to the Game Not suprised, Marbles seems very hit or miss and a shadow of their ancestral self.
Oh how I wish I hadn't been spoiled by modern tactical designs 🤣👍🔪
Someday, after the fall (of civilization) you may have to rely on old knife tech, so Dave, I suggest you start acquiring a taste for slip joints!
@@TheKnifeJunkie Hahaha...! Good one, Bob! 👊👍🔪
Just took a beautiful Sunfish Bone Handle and i really love it, is so classy and remind me of my grandpa... But it has a tremendous side-to-side play on the main blade...😓any idea about how to fix it?
Saw a case whaler and wanted an affordable option to get into this sort of pattern. Great video keep up the good work.
Thank you sir!
The Rough Ryder has three pins and a long match strike pull instead of the nail nick on the Marbles. Marbles D2 series have been on my radar and the RR reserve series is on the way.👍
I'm looking forward to the blue canvass one-arm they have coming from the reserve series.
I know this is old, however the RR Blue Mule I have is absolutely identical to the Marbles he has, down to the slight wobble on the small blade.
I had to get one of those Marbles because someone bought up all the Rough Rider ones.
I have this knife & love it, fortunately both my blades are tight with my play whatsoever, I have seen rough rider white versions that look narrower at one end & fatter somehow, do you know if this is the case ? Cheers mate
Yes Rough Ryder makes a Sleeveboard sunfish (called a sleeve board because having a narrow end makes it look like an ironing board) but check out Tobias Gibson's Knife Chats channel, he's got a few and also many great traditional knife videos.
It is. I have two of the RR sleeve board large sunfish. (white bone and Zombie Nick) I also have the large outdoorsman smooth tobacco bone equal end sunfish.
FYI the SMALL end of the sleeve boards is the same size as the equal end. Both designs don't "print" in even light weight business slacks, when carried loose in the bottom of your pocket.
A great pattern, and remarkably practical.
Thank you for a very interesting and informative video, very well explained and presented
Yes it is a lovely looking knife and on my list, I have just recently discovered Rough Rider knives and I have bought a few and I am very impressed with the quality.
Take care
Sam ( just subscribed)
Cool design. Too bad about the crack in the cover.
Salut from France 🇫🇷 great knife but you must always carry it with a cloth 😉🤩